High Council Member Insway Nal

[SlipLihte]

Structure Note: The beginning of the extended history is located in this post. In the second post, there is a summarized version of the entire history. The posts that follow contain chapters 2-5, one post from Kella and then chapter 6.

General Information:[/U][/Size][/Color]
Name:[/color] Insway Nal
Race:[/color] Morganian
Age:[/color] 53
Height:[/color] 5'11"
Weight:[/color] 140 lbs
Gender:[/color] Male

Appearance:[/U][/Color][/Size]
Skin complexion:[/color] Light
Eye color:[/color] Green-yellow
Hair color and style:[/color] Blonde, kept straight and long

Physical Description:

Had he been born a baseline human, Insway would have been said to carry the attributes of a slightly-built 35 year old male. The youth in his appearance paired with the diminutive level of his frame are two key indicators of his true heritage, though, as two of the less obvious indicators of the Morganian race. They pale by comparison, however, to the two primary indicators, that of the milky-white skin and the pointed ears. As such, Insway displays as your average Morganian, perhaps just over the norm in height, and despite many years of Jedi training, rather lacking in mass. As such, these characteristics might have the Jedi appear a tad sickly.

Densely covering his scalp and flowing elegantly down to rest on his shoulders is an ample amount of golden hair, perhaps the sole element of coloration to the Morganian's appearance. For the most part, this mane presents itself as quite orderly and neat, though not at all stiff or rigid as one might expect to find. Instead, his hair tends to flow gently, but almost always falls gently into place. The long, golden strands are only ever tied together during periods of intense training, or when duty calls for it to be.

Facially, the Morganian boasts few striking features, with the exception perhaps of a strong-set cheekbone and powerful eyebrows. His eyes reflect a chartreuse tinge in sharp light, but are only ever sharp when the Morganian wishes them to appear so. They do, however, reflect a level of their owner's maturity in their dull gleam. His lips are pale in color and far from ample, resting between a petite nose and a slightly pointed chin. Both these areas are clear of any hair growth, though. As mentioned, a very clear denominator the Jedi displays indicating his race are a pair of pointed elfin ears, which are almost always holding back his hair.

Although he rarely displays much more than his hands and face in terms of bare skin, one who has seen him wearing less would notice scars and wounds of greatly varying ages on the skin of the aging Jedi. The most notable gash sits on his left lower triceps, a deep crevice where a weapon removed a great amount of muscle and flesh many years prior.

In dress code, the Morganian is ever the Jedi, wearing only the traditional robes of a Jedi Master, colored either in tan or oak, with his lightsaber fastened to a utility belt around his waist. These objects aren't often noticeable, though, as the voluminous outer robe tends to enclose the small Jedi quite completely. His feet are adorned in matching color light protective wear, though these are often fitted with only a very slight sole.

Possessing nothing except his lightsaber, the Jedi has no alternative wardrobe, instead acquiring different apparel only should an assignment require it. In these cases, he tends to prefer the functional, choosing his outfits based upon the situation he expects to be wearing them into. The only aversion the Morganian ever displays when choosing clothing is to items of the excessive or restricting nature.

While moving, the Jedi renders as a figure of effortless regality, though in a nature leaning more towards respectable than pompous. Though his figure and physical features prevent him from being any kind of head turner, his gait does much to counteract this. Through simplicity, efficiency and grace, the Morganian appears to be completely at ease in his body, as two life-time friends are comfortable with each other. Though naturally possessing a body bred for speed, Insway keeps his movements slow and deliberate in everyday life.

The Jedi's voice varies according to situation, though it does tend to sound of a quiet buzz more often than not. Although the Master possesses a commanding voice, as well as a far louder and clearer voice with which to teach classes, he prefers speaking softly and quickly. Most say this display is a relic from the Jedi's days as a Shadow, during which the Jedi trained his speech so as to not carry very far. Whether there is truth to this is unknown, though. His speech is mostly simple, the Jedi preferring to speak as straightforward as he can manage.

Overall, most would settle on the term 'willowy' when describing the aged Jedi, with 'tranquil' being a close runner up. Granted, thrown into an unsettling situation, there is far more haste in Insway's movements, but the calm of a Jedi Master always remains.

Historical Information:[/U][/Size][/color]
Birth place:
Republic Transport Juno's run, en route from Horuz to Coruscant

Faction: Jedi
Rank: Jedi Master - High Council member
Specialization: Jedi Instructor – Consular arts


Personality:[/U][/Size][/Color]
Despite years training under a Guardian and having spent a great deal of his time as a Jedi filling the role of a Jedi Shadow, Insway displays a great deal of the characteristics one would consider common for a Consular. In all situations, the Jedi turns first to the Force for the guidance, and then to his mind. Though he might be accused of being the type of Jedi that allows the world to go by whilst he sits in meditation and thought by the impatient, there is quite a lot more to the cautious Morganian.

Admittedly, Insway does tend to spend a lot of time either in meditation or thinking a situation over, so much so that when he moves his actions almost appear violent in their speed. The primary cause of this, though, is the cautionary nature of the aging Jedi. He prefers to wait to see a situation fully developed and study it thoroughly before deciding how to take action. As such, his hand often does not influence events until he believes the Force has decided it is necessary to do so. His philosophy on this matter can be summed up in the saying "It is not as important to have the first word on a matter as it is to have the last."[/B]

Towards the Force, this Jedi follows the Unifying Force philosophy. He does not believe that it possesses an inherent light- or dark side, nor that the Force seeks to further any particular cause except that of achieving balance. As such, he believes that only the channel through which the Force flows, that is, the Force-sensitive that wields it, can determine whether his influence on the galaxy will aid chaos or harmony. When he refers to dark Jedi or dark siders, he is referring to the method in which these beings are using the Force, not to a particular part of the Force they are using. Because of this, he also doesn't believe that dark siders are more powerful than light siders, or vice versa.

Although not one to easily start a conversation with another being unless he is prompted to do so, the Jedi is indeed quite personable. With great respect for all individuals and all life, his treatment of others could easily be regarded as akin to that of a joyful servant. It should be made clear, though, this does not make a doormat of the Jedi, who is known for the speed with which he points out errors in students and fellow Jedi alike.

The ultimate target of the Jedi's judgment, however, is himself. He spends equal amounts of time considering his past actions as contemplating his future actions, looking for mistakes, or occasions where he could have handled the situation better. This is not to say that he is self-critical, or by extension critical of others, but only that he seeks to improve both himself and his students. His learners often think the master to be disparaging at first, yet realize over time what the Morganian's true intentions are.


Biography:[/U]
Background:[/U][/Color]

Birth:[/U][/Color]
As a race, the Morganian were certainly not hard laborers. Smaller and frailer than most near-human species, the people of the Morganian race tended to be weaker than other races of the same size. What the Morganian were, however, was physically attractive and dexterous. Not in the exotic sense of the Twi'lek race, nor as sensual as the Zeltron, the Morganian had instead a majestic beauty about them. For this quality, the Morganian people became quite popular servants in upper-class households. On the fringes of the Republic, though, the Morganian became even more popular as slaves.

Slavers often kept mixed colonies on moons and sparsely populated planets, allowing them to keep their products hidden from the Republic while allowing them enough space to breed and form something as close to a society as slaves could. In these colonies, Morganian life went on as best it could. Young men and women were taught by their elders, grew up, started families of their own, all the while hoping that everything they loved wouldn't be torn asunder by a loved one being sold.

It was in such a colony on Horuz that that Kieran Nal and Betha Talb lived, a pair of young lovers joined in the custom of the Morganian people, though never official married. Neither had been born in the colony, instead having been taking from their home world by Force not all that many years prior. Of course, many of the elder people of the colony called them fortunate for having once known the taste of freedom. Then again, they considered themselves unfortunate for exactly the same reason.

Betha fell pregnant early in 1345 AHW, an event that was both a blessing and a curse to the family. On one hand, the joy of having children was something that both had wanted in their lives from early on. On the other, though, it was a well known fact to them by that point that the slavers were all too keen to take young Morganian children from their families and help rich off world families "adopt" the children, at a modest fee, of course. To upper-class families who could not have children of their own, the sound of adopting an "orphaned" creature of a Morganian's attractiveness was quite appealing.

As the birth of the family's first child came close, nerves were frayed, and worry started to replace joy as the ambient emotion of the household...

The muscles in Kieran's upper back had been bothering him for days, stiff and sore from stress. He'd hoped spending the day getting things done around the little hovel they shared with two other families would have been enough distraction to ease his tension a little. It hadn't been, though, and instead he quite felt that he was even more stressed now that night had fallen than he had when he had gotten up that morning. He supposed it was only because he knew that the time was near, now, with his wife having been off her feet for several days now, yet that didn't make it any easier to bear. His sister had been sold shortly after they had arrived on the planet, and that had already been a pain he didn't believe he could deal with. He knew he wouldn't survive losing his child in such a way. The only thing that concerned him even more than that was that he knew Betha, the love of his life, would suffer it even worse than he.

Absently, his eyes drifted to the entrance of the room where his wife lay in their bed. She had been the sole good thing that had come to his life since he had been brought here, a bright light and one of very few comforts. Where most people in the colony ended up joining themselves to each other out of loneliness rather than love, the affection between him and Betha had always been real. Since they had met they had been stronger together than apart. But he wasn't sure whether they would be strong enough to face this, together or not.

It wasn't until the third tap on his shoulder that he realized that someone was trying to speak to him. His mind returned to the present rather abruptly, causing the Morganian's eyes to blink in surprise. All around the hovel he heard shouts go up, and he realized suddenly that there was activity in the air above them.

"Come quickly Kieran! The ships you hear above, they're Republic! I saw the markings on one of them with my own eyes!" As shock took him, Kieran replied only with a nod, though his feet remained frozen. His home world had been far beyond the reaches of the Republic, and he had never truly believed that anyone would come to save them. Yet he knew Krusa, a Shistavanen, had eyes better than any man he knew. If his neighbor said he'd seen Republic insignia, then it was so.

By the time Kieran had fully come over his surprise, his hairy friend was already making his way outside, apparently having given up at tugging on Kieran's sleeve. Giving his head a shake, the Morganian sprinted out after him, catching him a few feet outside. The wolf-like man had his eyes raised to the sky, a look of utter awe on his face. On looking up himself, Kieran understood why.

Close to the ground, Republic transport ships were passing over, like massive turtles gliding ever lower and lower. Yet, visible above them, and a far more impressive sight, starfighters were engaged in a duel. It seemed that the slavers had decided to attempt resistance, rather than fleeing as one would expect of their kind. As Kieran watched, bright green beams arced across the dark sky, before an indiscernible shape blossomed into flames.

Enthralled by the sight, Kieran only barely noticed the tugging at his arm below, or the voice of Krusa trying to reach him over the volume of the chaos above. Somewhat disappointed that he was being dragged away from the sight, he let himself be led away by the excited Shistavanen. "What was that?"

"Didn't you hear what those ships were broadcasting? We have to get everyone to the landing site! Come on man, regain your senses!"

"But why? Why are they hurrying?"

The response from his friend came in the form of a palm slapping against the side of his head. "Think Kieran. Slavers are bullies, not warriors. If they're trying to fight the Republic, they either have the upper hand or expect reinForcements. Besides, Horuz isn't exactly Republic space. At least, I don't think it was when they caught me. I don't know what the Republic is doing out so far, but I can promise you they're not here to set up shop. Now come one, we don't have much time!"

Doing as much as they could to help and warn other people along the way, Kieran and Krusa got their families together and set off for the nearest landing site. The travel was difficult, with Betha struggling to walk very far unassisted, yet mercifully they encountered no slavers on the route. Krusa warned, however, that this was likely because they were all concentrating at the landing sites, where the fighting would likely be fierce. It was so that, with a little more caution than before, they continued on their path.

The Horuz camp was a sizable one, containing nearly 20000 slaves, but the journey still went quickly. After an hour, the skies became quiet, the slaver ships apparently having retreated for the time being. On the ground, though, things seemed to be heating up, and the group could hear the sounds of battle long before they reached the landing site.

As the giant, shell-shaped ship finally came into view, it became visible just how fierce the fighting had gotten. Though Republic soldiers had managed to push the slavers back far enough to allow the slaves to reach the ship reasonably safely, they had seemingly paid for this in lives. But it was not the sight of bodies strewn all over that drew the attention of the slaves, nor the sight of troops and slavers engaging each other. Instead, it was the sight of a single, bright violet beam among the ranks of the Republic soldiers. A purple lightsaber. A Jedi.

She was undoubtedly the greatest figure of authority any of them had ever seen. Issuing orders among the troops as she went, occasionally deflecting a bolt of red energy aimed toward her, she seemed in complete control of a situation where everything was chaos. Even so far away, the slaves could swear they saw the determination in her eyes.

So immense was their wonder that the slaves had stopped moving, instead standing silently and observing the woman move about, astounded by the calm she seemed to possess even though her robes had been scarred in places. It wasn't until two troopers risked the open ground between the Republic lines and the slaves to encourage them to move that they started up again, though they covered the distance to the ship all the way trying to keep their eyes on her. Safely on the ship, which was already quite crowded with slaves, the small group found themselves a piece of floor space where they could rest after their journey.

It was a whole hour of slaves spilling into the cabin in groups, or sometimes alone, before the Republic troops began filing into the ship again, followed by the Jedi. Tensions eased visibly in the hold of the transport as she gave the order for the ship to depart...

"Kieran, love...I think you should go and find out if these Republic troops brought a medic with them."

Betha had said little after the ship had entered hyperspace, only thanked him for the little cup of water he had brought her. To be fair, Kieran himself had said little, still trying to process everything that had happened over the last 4 hours or so, and he simply assumed she had been doing the same. That she was asking for a medic brought a sudden dread over him, concern flooding his features. Yet a sweet smile suddenly beaming from his wife was enough to put to rest a great deal of his fears.

"Don't look so concerned. It's just that...well...I think it may be time."

To the casual observer, the situation would likely have been quite an oddity. Granted, seeing a pregnant woman was commonplace. Seeing a pregnant woman on a starship was a little less so, although not unheard of. Seeing a pregnant woman on a starship who then goes into labor while the ship is travelling through hyperspace, well, that only happened to people once in a lifetime.

What, however, was the great oddity of this situation, was the sudden decent of the father from sensible being into inglorious fool as he suddenly realized exactly what was happening.

The casual observer, however, would have been pleased to see a Shistavanen taking control of the situation, approaching one of the Republic troopers to alert him of the situation, all the while making motions to simultaneously calm the idiotic man(who at this point was acting more or less like an octopus on hoverskates, that is, quite a lot of frantic motion without any actual progress) and trying to comfort the mother(who was remarkably calm, by contrast).

It would have been the arrival of the Jedi that would have been most pleasing, though, once again completely in control. Within minutes, Betha had been moved to a private room, though mercifully(for her) Kieran had been asked to stay outside. It was there, sitting, waiting and hoping, that the Morganian began to realize just how much his life had been changed...

Krusa had finally managed to convince him that Betha was in good hands, and slowly succumbing to exhaustion brought on by the day's events, Kieran had found himself a chair to lounge in just outside the door where his first child was being born. It was as he sat there, his mind still running to catch up with everything his physical body had experienced so far that day that he began to realize what their rescue would mean. All the worry of the past few months, concerns that his child might be lost to him by the slavers, was finally starting to seep out of him. Granted, he had no idea how they were going to survive, having no home, very little education and poor work skills.

But they were free, free to make with their lives what they could. Free to raise their child without fear of a Trandoshan coming in the middle of the night to break their family apart.

These thoughts were enough to bring a smile to the Morganian's face. It was a small smile, on a face not devoid of worry. But it was a smile...the first one to be seen on his face in months. It was with this smile on his face that sleep took him...

"What? Who's there?"

[/B]

"Quiet Kieran, you'll wake him."[/B]

The Morganian's eyes opened with a start. The scenery around him had changed, the chair that he'd been seated on outside the only thing to remain the same. "Him? It's happened? Why didn't they wake me? How did I get here? Wha..."[/B] He fell silent, a new sense of wonderment coming over him as he finally saw the bundle clutched in his wife's arms. He considered it, in that moment, to be on par with the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, the tiny elven ears and tiny face. Teary eyed, he was on his feet and at his wife's side, embracing her, and the baby, as gently as he could.

"Yes, dad. You have a new baby boy."[/B]

"...And I did try to wake you, at least until the Jedi woman told me to leave you alone. So we settled for carrying your chair in here."

He hadn't noticed at all that his old time friend and neighbor had been seated in shadows on the other side of the bed, but even as the Shistavanen spoke, Kieran's eyes never left the baby. "Thank you, Krusa."[/B]

"Well...to be fair, it was mostly the two other men that did the carrying. And they said they were only helping because your snoring was keeping them awake."

The joke failed to make an impression on the father, still entranced. "Does he have a name yet?"[/B] he asked, still considering the baby with a fatherly expression on his face, something he was unused to.

"Well...Do you remember the name we spoke of last week?"[/B]

The man nodded vigorously, his eyes meeting those of his wife for a moment as he considered it. "Insway. Insway Nal. It suits him."[/B]

"Insway, eh? Can't say I've heard that one before. Was he some historical figure of your people?"

Kieran responded with only a slight shake of the head. "It's from one of our older languages. In one word, it can be translated as freedom, though it's actually more of a sentence in Basic than a word."[/B]

"When we thought of it, it was nothing more than something we could wish for him. But now...so much has changed..."[/B]

"Change can be deceptive. Sometimes you believe things have changed, only to find the same situation hiding underneath a new guise."[/B] The voice came from the doorway, and though he couldn't see her, Kieran knew intrinsically that it belonged to the Jedi. In a single tone it commanded respect, showed gentle caring and held great authority. There weren't many people in the galaxy who could display even one of those qualities in their voice so absolutely, never mind all three at the same time.

"Take you freed slaves on this ship, for example. Now that you have been taken from your masters on Horuz, what do you think you will do?"[/B] the Jedi continued, making her way into the room.

Kieran managed a curious expression, and it was his Shistavanen companion that answered. "I expect we will all have to find work. Set up home somewhere. Start making credits. Normal life."

"Then will you not simply be exchanging masters? Becoming slaves of money?"[/B] responded the Jedi.

"I suppose. What other kind of life is there, master Jedi?"

"That question we must all answer for ourselves. Now, would you mind allowing me some time alone with the family?"[/B]

Kieran found the request odd, but gave Krusa a smile and an affirming nod, before watching the Shistavanen find his way to the door. Then, for the first time, did he truly consider the Jedi. She was of a race he didn't recognize, blue skinned with white, almost feather-like hair. Despite the imposing figure she was, her stature and build was that of a small woman, dressed in simple robes and displaying no extraordinary characteristics externally. For an idle moment, the Morganian wondered whether he would have been quite so in awe had he not known what she was.

The thought passed quickly though, allowing Kieran to finally notice the data display the Jedi held in her hands. It seemed to be a medical readout of some sort, which he guessed to be of either his wife or their infant son. What was peculiar, though, was the woman's expression. Although perfectly serene, it did appear in the curve of her lip that there was something on the horizon that she wasn't looking forward to. Putting two and two together, the man straightened up suddenly. "What is it master Jedi? Is something wrong?"[/B]

It was obvious that his wife had picked up on what was going on as well, as she had grabbed onto his hand tightly, tugging as if to pull him closer. "Please...not bad news...not now."[/B]

"There is only news, mister Nal. We make it good or bad only through our perception of it."[/B] Even though he could see the wisdom of her words, he still felt a sickening twist in his stomach as his fear was realized.

"Please Jedi Kinutu...I would much rather have the news than the lesson right now..."[/B] Betha's voice was clear, and her words seemed straightforward, but he could still sense a resignation of sort in her. He suspected that she was thinking the same as he was: If the Jedi brought them news of a problem she could not solve, then they had no hope.

The Jedi acknowledged Betha's words with a nod, before lifting the display and reading from it. "Physically, both of you are fine. I expect you to be walking around again by the time we reach Coruscant."[/B]

"Coruscant?!"[/B]"What?!"[/B] the two interrupted her, equally shocked. "Why there? What are you going to do with 20000 slaves on the capital world of the Republic?"[/B]

At that, the Jedi flinched, for the first time breaking her serene expression to display a measure of regret. It was gone again within seconds, though, and she continued speaking in the same tone. "Not all of you are going there. Most of the slaves will be delivered to Pantolomin on the way. The Republic will do what it can to help get them back to their homes from there."[/B]

It was Kieran's turn to flinch. There was no home for him and Betha to return to. When the slavers had come for them, they had razed the town to the ground. It had been 12 years ago, and even though it was possible that things had been rebuilt, he somewhat doubted that it would have been Morganians who did it. "But not us?"[/B]

"I found a very rare quality in your son's blood work, mister Nal."[/B] she answered him, before taking a few steps around the bed, until she was standing on the opposite side to him. She was considering Insway with a measure of curiosity in her expression. "Though, to be honest, I had felt it during the birth already."[/B]

"Is that why you requested those extra tests?"[/B]

"Yes. I wanted to confirm it before I told you about it, but the evidence is clear here on these readouts as it is obvious in the Force."[/B] she said, beckoning to the readouts again. Whilst Kieran didn't suspect that the Jedi would be lying to them, he was curious for a moment as to why she believed either of them were able to understand the sheet she was holding out to them. As if the puzzled expression on his face beckoned her on, the Jedi spoke again.

"Your son is sensitive to the touch of the Force. He possesses the quality of a future Jedi."[/B]
[/Quote]


And so it was that Insway Nal would be taken from his family after all, who despite their furious initial protest, eventually realized the opportunity that had been afforded their son. Even so, saying goodbye to Insway was difficult for both. Whilst the Jedi Knight, Kinutu Squix, had said it was better that he had been found so soon, before the family had any time to spend together and become attached, it was obvious that both parents had already formed the attachment. Both only just managed to stay on their feet until the speeder that carried their son and the Jedi away passed out of view among the skyscrapers before collapsing into each others' arms, a sense of loss neither had ever felt gripping their hearts.


The Nal Family:[/U][/Color]
After several hard months in which raw emotions boiled to the surface quite regularly, Kieran and Betha eventually started to accept the sudden perceived loss of their son. This was greatly aided by the work that was found for them by the Republic in a shipping and transport company, based off of Chandrilla. The work kept them occupied, and more importantly, kept them away from Coruscant and children, both which still served as tear-inducing reminders. Eventually, though, the pair decided to go on, and approached life with a new fervor. They were married officially by the end of the year, and continued to work on a transport ship.

It was nearly 13 years before Betha fell pregnant again, eventually giving birth to a perfectly healthy girl. Today, Kieran Nal is the captain of his own ship, crewed exclusively by family and friends, and a successful businessman. The family of three live happily, and freely, among the stars...


Personal Biography:[/U][/Color]

CHAPTER I: No other purpose...

1345-1356 AHW: Birth and youngling years

"...There is no death, there is the Force..." - Insway Nal, age 4, reciting the Jedi Code

Taken from his family at birth, Insway Nal's earliest memories are of life as a Jedi youngling. For the initial few years of his life, he was minded by caretakers, but as soon as the Morganian became capable of learning, he was moved to Clan Keon, and began his training in the ways of the Force. Compared to his peers, he was young, small, and largely ignorant of a world outside the Jedi Temple. He had no home culture, no family heirlooms to wear, and no previous experiences to look to. Yet, it also meant that he had no former attachments, no previous life that he could struggle to let go of. To a degree, his somewhat unique arrival at the Jedi Temple(which wasn't entirely unique, the boy learning of several other similar cases over the years) served to separate him from the rest of his clan. When fellow younglings shed tears for parents that were missed or friends back home, the Morganian struggled to understand them, causing a barrier of sorts.

Even so, Insway was never a lonely youngling, nor a loner. He included himself in the clan as best he could, making friends with his fellow students where possible. It became clear early on, though, that the boy was no leader, usually finding comfort in silence and standing as far back as his height would allow in classes.

For the first few years of Jedi training, Insway's greatest struggle was with focus. An adept learner, he was quick to learn most lessons, yet in the long term struggle to apply himself to his studies. His attention would drift away at inopportune moments, often garnering him a lecture on not allowing his mind to go whichever which way it wished. Eventually, though, as his skills in meditation and directing his mind grew, the young Morganian learnt to focus himself properly, something most of his teachers were apparently quite pleased about.

Whilst no genius with the Force, and certainly not very powerful in his connection to it, Insway did appear to be quite skilled. He fared exceedingly well with the subtle elements, learning the minor nuances of the Force quickly, as well as what could be done with it. Granted, when they eventually caught up, most of his fellow students were easily capable of moving bigger rocks or creating stronger waves, yet their techniques often took far longer to become as refined as the Morganian's.

It was as such that the youngling's talents began to be realized in the fields where precision was paramount, rather than power. Early on, his ability to perceive matters through the Force was among those he was most skilled at, and while he fared decently in most other things, he never showed any particular ability in the field of telekenetics.

With a lightsaber, Insway was a decidedly average student. While usually outmuscled by and out of reach of his peers, who consisted mostly of larger humanoids, he did possess a good deal of speed and precision, often giving him a fighting chance where he would have had none without them. Against training remotes, he was equally mediocre.

One of the few physical fields that he did actually do well at as a youngling was that of unarmed combat. Though his training was similar to that of fellow students, his quick mind and excellent speed allowed him to outmaneuver sparring partners more often than not, irrelevant of their strength or size. Granted, there were some which he simply could not overcome, such as the towering Wookiee of the group, but he was often praised for the effort he made even in such difficult situations.

However, it was not until his first encounter with two of his future teachers that he truly began to put effort into his combat, when he finally started believing that his small frame was not the disadvantage he had always perceived it to be...

Insway and Jobruk, a human boy from Wistril, were the last two members of Clan Keon to enter the training hall. Today's lesson was the first that Insway would be joining with the senior students, having showed sufficient skills in the junior classes to advance, whilst also finally being old enough. He had turned 8 only a few days prior, though to be fair neither he nor any of the Jedi paid his age or birth date much mind. Yet it was still a change that allowed him to finally stand in this hall.

The hall in question was one of the temple's sparring chambers. Whereas before they had always had lightsaber lessons in ordinary classrooms, it would be here that the younglings would be learning Shii-Cho properly. He suspected, though, that today's class would chiefly be introductory, as they would be receiving a new teacher as well. As it was, the young initiate approached the class with quite a deal of curiosity, and more pressingly, eagerness.

"I believe those are the last two, master."

[/B] came a deep voice from the center of the room. Though Insway couldn't see the owner, he could tell it belonged to a deep-chested individual, though it had a somewhat pleasing purring quality to it as well. "Very well. Younglings, take up seats against the walls of the room."[/B] The second voice was female, and quite a bit sharper than the first had been. Oddly, though, it seemed to be coming from the floor in the center of the arena.

Despite being interested in what a master was doing flat on the floor, Insway quickly made to find himself a seat where he'd be able to see. It took the initiates a few moments to find their seats, but as the last student settled himself down, the room became silent. It was only then that Insway had the opportunity to take in his new teachers.

The tall figure with the purring voice was a Cathar, shorter than most human's of Knight age, but with legs, arms and torso that seemed to be packed with muscle. Insway could imagine that the figure could almost match a fully grown Wookiee for strength.

The other figure, though, was by far more intriguing. A rabbit-like creature standing only two feet high off the ground, a being of a race Insway had never seen before, even among the great diversity of the Jedi Temple initiates. He would later learn that the creature was a Kushiban, as well as a former member of the Jedi High Council.

"Very well, let us begin. I am Master TekMi, and I will be furthering your knowledge over the next few years. This, however, is my former Padawan, Jedi Knight Reznan, a guardian of the Order, and one of the most capable Jedi Knights when it comes to the use of a lightsaber. He will only be joining us for today's lesson, though I believe his presence during this class will be enlightening to all of you. Now, are there any questions so far?"[/B]

The room remained quiet for several seconds, before the Kushiban Jedi interrupted the quiet by pointing out one of the students from Clan Bear. "I can sense that there is something you wish to ask youngling."[/B]

"Yes, Master TekMi. I have met you before master, if you remember. At the time, master, you told me you were a consular. Wouldn't a guardian normally be teaching a lightsaber class?" The student had been respectful in his address, but still appeared quite concerned that the master would be taken aback by the question. He took his seat again quite nervously, watching the small master for a sign of response.

"A good question, though if you understood Shii-Cho as well as you should you would not have asked it. What you have yet to learn, and some other Jedi forgotten, is the utter importance of Form 1. As I'm sure you have been taught, it is the base form from which all others are derived. It is derived to such a degree that every Jedi is required to master it before they could ever even consider trying to master the advanced forms. You see, Shii-Cho is so important a form that even an old consular such as me, one who hasn't fought a duel in ages, still knows so well that she can teach a class in it. The reason I'm teaching this class, rather than a Guardian, is because I can teach it as well Guardian. By the very fact that I am a Jedi, I have mastered it as well as most Guardians have. In time, so will most of you."[/B]

Apparently satisfied at her explanation, the Kushiban retreated to the place on the sparring mat she had previously occupied. "Now, let us begin today's lesson. Now, as you can see, I have what most would perceive as a disadvantage over my opponent in my stature. Today, we will be discussing the implications of this, as well as methods of overcoming it. Let us begin..."[/B]
[/Quote]


The master had made, and continued to make an impression on the young Morganian for the next few years. Although his skills with the lightsaber didn't jump particularly, he did continue to grow in ability. Over time, Master TekMi's classes became those that he gained the most from, often finding lessons on so many layers of what she taught that it required several hours of meditation on his part to fully grasp it all. It became a challenge to him, engaging him both mentally and physically.

Slowly but surely, he began to change his view on what constituted an advantage or disadvantage, and by the time the class was passed on to the Jedi Battlemaster, he had quite a new opinion of what lightsaber combat was. To a degree, while he accepted that it was required that the class move forward to the next teacher, he regretted that the wise old Kushiban was no longer there to teach him.

As it was, Jedi Initiate training was pressing, and as such there was little time for anything other than learning. Extra time was spent on meditation or sparring, more often than not with his only close friend at the academy, Maya. They had been friends since shortly after Insway's seventh birthday, a pair that had continued to get on well over time.

And so it was that time passed, and somewhat abruptly Insway found himself to be 11 years old, and beginning to wonder whether he would be taken as a Padawan learner. Over all, he knew he wasn't the most gifted student of his age group, yet he also knew he had some redeeming qualities as well. He had anticipated that he would probably remain at the temple until he was 12, when his age would begin to play a role, and it was with a degree of surprise that he responded upon hearing that one of the returning Knight's had asked him to come see him...

Despite walking halls in the temple he had never seen before, the Morganian was quite calm as a breeze came rolling in through an open window to tug at his Initiate Robes. He had no idea who he was going to see, nor what he had been requested for, but had resigned himself to the fact that he would find out when he would need to. He wasn't annoyed that his sparring session with Maya and Tullak had been interrupted either, though he suspected he might become so should his trip to this Knight's living quarters prove to be for nothing.

Insway knew he was no perfect student, still far too quick to become frustrated and perhaps a little too attached to the way of life he had known for the past seven years. He wasn't a wonder with a lightsaber, nor did he have a particularly powerful connection to the Force. His knowledge of history could be called limited on certain matters, though fortunately he had always fared well with the philosophical aspects. He was, all in all, another initiate.

With some of the areas in which he still fell short on his mind, he arrived at the door he had been directed to, and carefully activated the chime on the door, before resting his hands in each other over his abdomen as he waited. In the few seconds he had, he made an effort to clear his mind, knowing that his thoughts were not particularly productive just then. It was all for naught, though, as everything that had been on his mind disappeared quite suddenly as the door slid open, revealing the occupant.

"Knight Reznan, you sent for me?"

[/B] he managed, though some stuttering spoilt the delivery. He was glad he had managed to recall the Knight's name so quickly, though. He had seen the Knight only once again since his very first class with Master TekMi, only in passing, yet thoughts of the odd pair, Cathar and Kushiban, Padawan and Master, had occupied his mind from time to time.

"You remember me, boy? Good. But master will do fine from here on."[/B] The purring voice seemed to have matured some more over the years, and now sounded even more pleasing. This fact was only noted at the back of the Morganian's mind, though, who instead responded quite clumsily.

"Excuses me?"[/B]

"Odd. Your teachers said you were intuitive."[/b]

The expression of consternation hadn't lifted at that, though, and after a few seconds the Cathar seemed to give up on hope that Insway would be able to make sense of it all. "Very well. I will give you the long version then. The Jedi High Council has given me permission to train you further. That is, to take you as my Jedi Padawan."[/B]

It took comprehension several more seconds to arrive in the mind of the young Morganian, but the change was rather abrupt when it did come. A modest smile erupted on the Padawan's features, followed by a vigorous nod of the head and a squeaked "Yes, master."[/B]
[/Quote]


Insway returned to the sparring session with his two friends only long enough to tell them what had occurred in passing, before setting off for bed. The Cathar Jedi had warned him to take to bed early, as his training would be taken up by several gears steadily over the next few months, until he was capable of sustaining the pace of a Padawan's life. Mercifully, it seemed they would be spending most of that time in the Jedi Temple, where the Knight apparently hoped he would be able to focus on the Morganian's training. So, with a new measure of peace about him the Padawan took to bed, setting his alarm for the pre-sunrise appointment that his new teacher had made with him.







Skills/Traits and additional information:

Lightsaber:[/color] A small, deft hilt is what occupies Insway's belt most of the time. A grey rod, curved just enough to fit his hand comfortably, the weapon bears no external markings. In fact, the only part of the weapon that outwardly reflects its true purpose is the emitter fixture. With no external controls, the weapon can only be activated by activating a microscopic internal trigger through the force. To those who do not know where the trigger is located, the weapon is practically useless, unless they have extremely well attuned senses.


Color:[/color] Sage-green

Practiced Lightsaber forms:[/color]

Shii-Cho:[/color] 5
Makashi:[/color] N/A
Soresu:[/color] 5
Ataru:[/color] N/A
Shien / Djem So:[/color] N/A
>>Sub-form Backhanded:[/color] N/A
Niman:[/color] 5
>>Sub-form Jar-kai, or Dual Wield:[/color] N/A
Juyo:[/color] N/A
Double Bladed Combat:[/color] N/A




Force-Sensitive Abilities or practices:[/color]

Telekinetic:[/color] 2
Telepathic:[/color] 8
Body:[/color] 6
Sense:[/color] 9
Protection:[/color] 8
Healing:[/color] 4
Destruction:[/color] N/A

Specialized Skills:[/color]
Force Concealment/Force Cloak - Insway has learnt to conceal both his light-side aura, as well as his connection to the Force. Folding his presence in on itself, few Force users are capable of detecting him in this state, and only when they are actively looking for him. So concealed, Insway could stand in the center of the Jedi Council chambers and appear as nothing more than a perfectly normal individual to his peers. This ability requires a great deal of focus, and also makes it virtually impossible to use the Force without revealing the user.

Force Deflection - In training his skills with protection, Insway has become capable of deflecting certain Force and energy attacks through the Force alone. The technique has, over many years of use, become as natural as breathing to the Jedi Master.

Battle Precognition - Insway has learnt to apply his exceptional ability to sense through the Force in battle. Both by being in complete connection with the will of the Force, as well as being highly attuned to the flow of the Force around him, the Jedi has a higher than normal ability to foresee the movements of an opponent. Of course, this ability requires that the Jedi be immensely focused in the battle.

Tràkata - By treating his lightsaber blade as the temporary thing it is, Insway has learnt to make excellent use of the weapon's ability to be turned on and off in fractions of time. A master of misdirection and deception, he uses the technique to help him unbalance opponents and catch them off guard. Though Insway is well trained, he struggles to use Tràkata in combination with Soresu, and when he does use the technique he requires great concentration.

Attributes: [/color]

Physical Strength:[/color] 4
Intelligence: [/color] 7
Speed: [/color] 8
Leadership: [/color] 5

Unarmed: [/color] 7
Melee Weapons:[/color] N/A
Ranged Weapons:[/color] N/A

Force Attunement:[/color] +7

RP Sample:

"There is no passion, there is serenity."[/B]

"Very good, Tipsw."[/B] Insway replied to the little human girl that had offered an answer to his question. She took her seat again quickly, allowing Insway to speak on. "There is no passion."[/B] he paused deliberately, allowing the multitude of young initiates that occupied the class a moment to consider it before he followed with the second half. "There is serenity."[/B] he finished.

He was walking between the students where they sat, his usual easy pace carrying between the students. It wasn't exactly purposeless, as he had found during his early days of teaching at the temple that a Youngling's mind tended to drift less often when Insway made effort to stride between them, to engage them in the class. "Now, who would like to tell me the meaning of this line of the Code?"[/B] he asked as he reached the front of the class, pivoting slowly to allow hands to go up. There were several in the air already by the time he was fully around.

It had been a trick at first, getting students uncertain of themselves to speak up when they knew the answer. Yet Insway had quickly taught them that it was a Jedi's duty to speak up when he had the answer, to move when he had the solution. The Jedi did not gain their title as Peacekeepers of the Galaxy by standing around thinking what the answer was, after all. This lesson had spurred change in the students, who had become increasingly eager to answer when questions were asked of them in his class.

"Tublar?"[/B]

The boy was quick to pipe up at hearing his name mentioned. "That a Jedi should not feel desire, master Insway."[/B] he volunteered.

The Morganian gave a sly smile before responding. "Almost. You are very close to the answer there, Tublar, but out by one crucial part. Can anyone help him? Yes, Krin."[/B]

"A Jedi should not yield to desire." the older boy stated simply.

"And there we have it, Younglings. A Jedi does not yield to desire. You see, all Jedi are tempted from time to time. Tempted to use the Force for their own good. Tempted to take the easy solution when they know they should not. It is important for you to recognize these desires when you feel them, for one is easily controlled by that he does not know of. For the next three weeks, I want all of you to start journaling. Write down any feelings of desire you felt through the day. Yes, Padwa, even your desire to beat Jui in hand-to-hand practice."[/B]

He noted the girl in question blossoming slightly redder than usual, the Zeltron not being very adept at hiding her feelings. She was a spirited girl, though, and quickly started chuckling along with the rest of the class, looking abashed toward the girl Insway had been speaking of.

"That is all for today, Younglings. Until tomorrow."[/B]

With that, the class set about departing the hall, on their way to sparring practice.

[SlipLihte]

Background:
Kieran and Betha Nal lived in a slave colony during the months that Betha was pregnant with Insway. They had done so for 12 years, and having given up all hope of escape, had no idea that their deliverance would come so close before the birth of their son. A Republic task force, lead by Jedi Knight Kinutu Squix, set down on Horuz after Betha had spent several days off her feet, the birth soon to be upon her. Krusa, one of the Nal's neighbors, managed to help Kieran get Betha to one of the Republic landing sites. There, the conflict was hottest, with the Republic Soldiers and the Jedi Knight doing all they could to create a safe passage for the slaves to the ship.

Around an hour after arriving on the transport, the transport ship departed, an event closely followed by Betha going into labor. She was moved to a private room, though her husband, still in a fit of chaos, was asked to remain outside. There, on the Juno's Run, Insway Nal was born. Importantly, though, he was born under the close supervision of Kinutu Squix, who had detected on his birth already that the boy was Force sensitive. Though she had tests done to confirm, she had no doubt about his future. She revealed his force sensitivity to the Nal family, who, although heartbroken to do so, agreed that Insway should go to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant with the Knight.

Chapter I:
Insway Nal, although unable to remember the time, spent his first few years in the temple under the watchful eyes of caregivers, but was moved to Clan Keon as soon as he was biologically able to start learning and remembering. Although the fact that he had no memory of a family, nor any history behind him, he managed to fit into the clan quite well. Though he never made close friends with any of his fellow clan members, Insway was never alone. He was, in fact, quite average, having a sizable group of friends, but obviously not having the strongest personality in the group.

Lessons early on were not too difficult for the Morganian. He found most studies of the Force to be interesting, even those that he struggled with, and proved himself an apt learner early on. To be fair, he didn't quite excel at any of his lessons at this young age, but he did not lag behind either. It was also during this time period that he met his future friend, a fellow youngling named Maya, a Diathim girl several years younger than he was. Though neither of them were aware at the time, they had started a path of a life-long friendship.

By the time Insway turned 8, he had passed on to the advanced classes, where his talents and weaknesses started manifesting. Early on, he proved to have a connection to the Force that was not quite as strong as most of his peers, something that meant he tended to struggle with the telekinetic arts. He was also no genius with a lightsaber, something he never truly fell behind with, but never exceeded with either. His true talents proved to lie in the finer arts of the Force, where attention to detail and skill were more important than raw power. Insway proved to be most adroit in the area of sense, although he did also become a noted hand-to-hand combatant, not capable of winning a spar against some of his larger peers, but still skilled and cunning enough to put up quite a display.

It was also shortly after his 8th birthday that Insway was introduced to the two Jedi that would prove to be his greatest teachers, and friends. Master TekMi, an enigmatic Kushiban Jedi Master who had been a Jedi for longer than most, and her former student, Jedi Knight Reznan, a stocky Cathar, had taken to teaching one of the new Youngling Shii-Cho classes. Though it proved to be that only Master TekMi would remain to teach further classes, the experience of having both Jedi to learn from was one that moved Insway.

His next few years were not exactly a carbon copy of what the previous few had been, but did come close. He continued to advance rapidly with certain abilities, while his lack of skill with others remained obvious, but all the while Insway's attention was focused on another difficulty he was having. Though he was a capable student, he had struggled from early on to keep himself focused while training, a difficulty that was indeed a problem to a young Jedi hopeful. Master TekMi noticed his difficulty in one of her classes, though, and managed to guide the Youngling through a set of exercises to help him. Though it took time, his focus eventually grew, and Insway's learning ability grew with it.

Until the very end of his time at the Jedi Temple, Insway managed to keep his abilities on par with what they had to be. He put effort into shoring up his weaknesses, spending hours sparring with Maya and other younglings, and long periods practicing telekinesis on his own. His efforts helped little, though, as the boy was clearly no skilled duelist nor had he the power in the Force to keep up with other Younglings. In his more philosophical classes, he tended to fare well, though he wasn't quite as applied to learning history lessons as fellow students. Even so, his knowledge of Jedi philosophy proved to be better than that of his age group.

By the time of turning 11, Insway's mind had turned to the possibility of being taken as a Padawan. Though he knew he was still young, he was also keenly aware that he only had two years to go before being sent to join the Corps, and he knew two years could prove to go by very fast indeed. His concerns proved all for naught, though, as shortly after Jedi Knight Reznan returned to Coruscant and summoned Insway to his quarters. Though he had only met the boy once again in the intervening time since they had first met, it seemed that he had seen something in the boy that he had liked, and so took him as his Padawan learner.

Chapter II:

Training with master Reznan was something far worse than harsh. The exercises that the Cathar Knight put Insway through proved to be the most difficult of his life, exercises that demanded concentration, speed, accuracy, skill and endurance all at the same time. They were never dangerous, but Insway did spend a great deal of the first month of training with Reznan passing out midway through the morning routines. Passing out didn't help, though, as the Knight was quick to wake him and remind him that he was 5 minutes behind. Insway adapted quickly though, and by the time several months had passed his skills had grown quite significantly.

The pair started going on missions together, venturing out into the galaxy to see justice done and for the Padawan to finally start learning what it really meant to be a Jedi. In between missions Insway's busy training regimen continued, though by now he had adapted to the degree where he could cope moderately well with the tasks set by his master. Although the Cathar continued to push him by making things just that little more difficult every time he got any better, the lessons did not leave him quite as exhausted as their first few months on Coruscant had.

At age 13, Insway had his first ever encounter with real violence. While returning from a mission, the Republic Shuttle they were on fell out of hyperspace due to a faulty navi-computer and received a distress call from a diplomat's ship nearby. Reznan was quick to decree that they would be attending, causing Insway a good deal of concern. He had never seen real violence before, and was uncertain as to how he would react. His master told him to trust in his training, and the pair set off into the distressed ship.

The ship had been boarded by pirates, but quite fortunately, the Republic crew had managed to hold out until Insway and Reznan arrived. Insway was sent on ahead to check on the representative while Reznan disabled the pirates they had found. The Morganian, too on edge to focus, ran around a corner, but was knocked back by a pirate leveling a blaster at him. The Padawan was fortunate, though, as the representative shot the pirate from behind before he could get a shot off. Insway couldn't help but feel a failure after the mission, realizing just how close he had come to his end. His master, however, revealed to the boy that there was a lesson to be learnt from the events, and that his reactions were not as damning as he thought they were.

Shortly after, the pair took a trip to Cilpar, where TekMi had taken Reznan many years prior. Although it was an agriworld, there were many thick forests covering the surface of the planet, forests which were dotted with ancient and mysterious temples. Insway was left on the edge of one of the forests and told to find his way to his master, who would be waiting for him. Initially, the Padawan was stricken and aimless, though he managed to recover and find his way into the jungle, though with no idea where to go. It took several days of fasting and bringing him to the point of exhaustion for him to finally feel what his master had wanted him to.

It was there that, for the first time, Insway truly felt the guidance of the Force. Though he had felt something close to it before, he had never quite felt the purpose of the Force in his life like this. He was guided to the temple where his master waited, quite exhausted, but glad to have finally discovered the cornerstone aspect of becoming a Jedi. The Cathar, equally pleased, declared that Insway would soon begin building his lightsaber.

The next few months were spent on Coruscant, where Insway built his lightsaber up from parts his master had provided. After assembling the piece, he meditated on the crystals for several days before inserting them, followed by another extended period of meditation so as to align the parts inside the weapon. Upon activation, the lightsaber erupted into a snap-hiss, settling into a blue blade, slightly longer than Insway's training saber had been.

For the next two years, the pair returned to their missions, travelling the galaxy as Reznan taught and Insway tried to absorb all the new lessons and experiences. Although a bright child, the sheer volume of all the new information proved to keep the Padawan well occupied. From time to time, their missions were punctuated with journeys back to Coruscant, and on these rare occasions Insway did his best to catch up with Maya in his free time. By then, his friend had also been taken as a Padawan, though, and times were becoming increasingly rare that they were both present at the temple. The student didn't miss his friend much, though, being adequately provided with lessons to take his mind off of all matters of personal concern.

Around age 16, Insway and Reznan made one of their increasingly rare returns to the Jedi Temple, the Knight having been recalled for a new assignment. Upon his master's return from his meeting with the Council, Insway learnt that Reznan would be taking up a mission that he did not have the skills to accompany his master on, nor had the Cathar the time to teach him those skills in time. As such, Insway would temporarily be taught by Master TekMi, the Cathar's former teacher and good friend. While the Cathar and Kushiban duo spoke to him, though, Insway was quick to pick up, both through the Force and by his normal senses, that Master TekMi wasn't quite pleased that Reznan would be going away.

Chapter III:

Lessons with TekMi proved to be a whole new level of difficult. The Kushiban Master demanded far more from him than Reznan ever had, requiring more precision, more endurance, more skill and more intuition than Insway had ever possessed. It was clear that TekMi wouldn't be handling him like a precious baby, but like any other student whose training she supervised. It was another period of preternatural growth, though the Morganian couldn't help but wonder whether he would survive the few months that his master had told him he would be away. What worried Insway more than that, though, was the lack of involvement from TekMi in his training. Though she was not lax in pointing out his errors and assisting him in correcting them, there was never anything other than training on the agenda when they were together, which was always only during their scheduled training times. The Morganian couldn't help but feel there was a gaping hole where his friendship with his former master had been.

Shortly before he was about to turn in one evening, Insway was surprised to sense the Kushiban coming to his quarters, a stirring event. The Jedi Master had not spent a moment with him outside of the training halls in the months since Reznan's departure, and Insway couldn't help but feel that the only purpose of such a visit was to bring news of the Cathar. Indeed, she revealed to him that the Jedi Order had lost all contact with Reznan, who had been failing to check in for a while. As they did not expect the Knight to be returning soon, she had been granted permission to take on Insway as her Padawan, and complete his training.

At last, some of the gaps left by Reznan's absence were filled. Finally, Master TekMi was taking an active role in his development, not just his training. As Reznan had told him many times, the Master proved to be an excellent teacher, and Insway quickly found himself improving at a rapid pace. Where TekMi the teacher was capable of making him learn, TekMi the master was a genius at making him grow.

Furthermore, Insway also started looking into the advanced forms with his new master. Though he proved to have the precision, agility and speed for Makashi, he lacked the fencer's mentality, and TekMi told him that he would likely take ages to learn the form. Next, Insway tried Soresu, but with his patience and focus still having room to grow, proved to be too young to start learning the form. With his personality not suited to the aggressive Ataru, nor his body to the demanding Djem So, Insway tried Niman. TekMi told him that she and Reznan had both believed it would be the form that would suit him best for the time being, as it played to one of his great strengths - his agile mind.

Despite all the development while training under TekMi, Insway couldn't help but feel that there was something big lacking from his life as a Padawan. Unlike Reznan, TekMi was content with teaching at the Jedi Temple, and as such, rarely went on missions off planet. Due to this, Insway spent the next few years, up until he reached age 19, mostly on Coruscant. After his 19th birthday, though, TekMi started sending him on missions along with other Knight-Padawan teams whenever she thought they might be able to do with an additional hand.

Upon returning from one such mission, Insway was shocked and surprised to find himself confronted by Reznan on the transport from the spaceport to the temple. There, the Knight told Insway that his mission had been an attempt by a Dark Jedi working from within the Jedi Order to have him killed, as she had believed him a threat to her. Despite still having trust and belief in his former master's judgment, Insway couldn't help but feel that there was something strange about the Reznan standing before him. This feeling was compounded when, in a momentary lapse, Reznan let some of his hidden presence leak into the force. The presence felt strange to Insway, as if he was feeling his former master through a strange filter.

Before jumping from the transport, Reznan asked Insway to bring the Knight in question to a meeting on Alaris Prime, where he wanted to make the Dark Jedi reveal herself. Despite Insway's protests, the Knight departed, and the Morganian was left uncertain about a great many things. What he was certain about was that he would be telling his new master about all that had transpired. His intent to seek her out as soon as he arrived proved to be a waste, though, as TekMi was already waiting for him as he arrived. After he told her what had happened, she asked him to wait for her in their usual training room, as she needed to brief the Council.

Upon arriving with several Jedi in tow, TekMi told them all that they would set up a mission by which the hoped to reveal the mystery behind Reznan's disappearance. As the Jedi Council were certain of her loyalty to the light side of the force, Jedi Yib and her Padawan Maya, as well as Insway, would all travel to Alaris Prime and await contact with Reznan, while the rest of the party would travel by another route and wait until called for in space.

Upon arriving on Alaris Prime, Insway immediately felt that Reznan was no longer hiding his presence, and was located in a desolate Jedi temple several miles out of town. The trio acquired transport and travelled there, more than a little uneasy about the former Guardian's strange behavior. They found the former Knight waiting for them in the central chamber, where he attempted to engage Jedi Yib in conversation about his accusations against her. Meanwhile, Insway felt an urgent prickle in the Force, one that led him to start feeling out the room. Having been a meeting hall for Jedi many centuries prior, Insway could only feel the lingering light-side aura, up until he realized that he sensed several voids around them.

As soon as he felt the void, though, an attacker flashed out of the darkness, brandishing a red lightsaber and attempting to cut Maya in half. Yib and Insway were fast enough to block his attack, though, but that didn't stop a fight from breaking out. Joined by three more dark Jedi hiding in the shadows, it was soon a case of 5 on 3, odds that Insway didn't like. He was surprised, though, to find that his opponent was only barely trained with a lightsaber, knowing only Shii-Cho to around early Padawan level. Using his mind to outmaneuver his opponent, Insway landed a set of melee attacks and knocked the attacked unconscious.

With Maya occupied with two other equally untrained assailants, Insway moved to assist Knight Yib in her duel with the Cathar, who proved to be too much for her to handle. He found his way barred by the fifth attacker, though, who had up until then been nothing more than an observer. Now, though, he formed an impenetrable barrier that Insway could not go around or through, and the Padawan could do nothing to assist the Jedi Knight.

The duel progressed, and just as Reznan was about to land a finishing blow, Insway found himself in incredible pain. The blonde man that had been barring his way with only defensive maneuvers so far had stabbed him in his left shoulder, before fleeing the room with Reznan in tow. A few moments later, TekMi and another master arrived to help Insway and the critically injured Trin Yib.

During the following weeks, Insway learnt that Master Ven'Han and Master TekMi had not travelled with the other Jedi to Alaris Prime to wait in space, but instead had landed on the planet in secrecy. There, they had moved to assist the trio as soon as they were able to sense the chaos of battle. TekMi also revealed that the attacker Insway had knocked unconscious had had his mind destroyed by a dark side power, but that his physical features revealed him to be a former Jedi Youngling who had not been taken as a Padawan, but instead sent to the Jedi Corps.

This, and the realization that the blonde man had only critically injured Insway and Trin to buy himself time to escape had the Jedi worried. Chief among his concerns, though, was that Reznan now appeared to be an agent of evil, though neither TekMi nor Insway could figure out why. Even so, the pair, as well as several other Jedi, were assigned to form a task force to track down Reznan and his blonde accomplice.

The next few years went by quickly again, with Insway's training now paired with difficult missions often aimed at getting into difficult places and finding hidden bits of information relating to Reznan's disappearance. Though often accompanied by other Jedi on the task force, Insway also finally started going on missions on his own, though these were of the easier type that he could handle on his own.

It was on a mission pursuing a lead into the Hook nebula that Insway finally felt he had managed to please his master. Due to the havoc the nebula wreaked with the ship's navigation systems, it was left to the two Jedi to navigate the way through. TekMi told Insway that he would have to learn the technique as well, as her energy would not last the many days and weeks they might be inside the nebula. Insway, meanwhile, always more than talented with sensing through the Force, proved to be very adept at the technique, enough so that his master told him that he had progressed enough to start preparing for the trials.

The next year went by even faster than the last few had, with Insway's training stepped up and headed in a new direction. Now focused more on making Insway ready to become a Knight rather than just having the skills of one, his training had a new philosophical edge to it, and his judgment was tested all the more on the missions he participated in. Along with this, as the most senior Padawan on the task force, Insway was required to set an example for the others, something he tried his best to do. Even though he was no real leader, he still managed to serve as a good older friend for the other students.

During his 23rd year, the Morganian went on a mission to Farrfin, where Knight Yib had traced a ship that had apparently been detected near the systems that Jedi Corps members had been disappearing. Too far away to pursue the lead herself, and with all the other Jedi on the team occupied, Insway was sent alone. At first, the mission proved straightforward, and it wasn't until Insway had boarded the station and arrived in the hangar the transport was docked in that matters turned strange.

He snuck onto the ship, which was largely empty at the time, and quickly found himself in a large room near the center of the vessel, large enough to house a docked freighter. The walls of the room were lined with carbon freezing units, but Insway barely had a chance to investigate them before he was attacked by Reznan himself.

From the off, Insway knew he was no match for the Cathar. Though he managed to keep his former teacher at bay for a while, it became quite obvious quite quickly by the many wounds he took that he would not even be able to fight his former teacher to a stalemate, never mind defeating him. Yet, realizing that he had no hope of rescue, the Morganian refused to submit, battling on until his former teacher cut him deeply and sent him tumbling back. To make matters worse, the blonde man that had stabbed him on Alaris Prime suddenly revealed himself, applauding the efforts of his 'pet'.

By this point, though, Insway's efforts at launching telepathic attacks on Reznan had revealed to him how Reznan had become a slave to this new master; a form of mind trick that he did not quite recognize, but was obviously meant to keep the Cathar docile and obedient. Forming a plan, the Morganian only flinched slightly as the blonde man ripped his lightsaber from his grasp, tossing it aside. Lucradis Kabe, as he named himself, was intent on putting Insway's fresh corps in one of the freezing units, it seemed.

As the man telekinetically activated one of the machines, Insway called his saber through the force, though instead of pulling it to him, sent it arcing towards the ceiling, where several power conduits for the carbonizing units lead. Lucradis ordered Reznan to kill Insway, but was distracted enough to allow the Morganian to break his hold on Reznan. The Cathar stopped just short of slicing Insway in half. Immediately, Insway told Reznan that they needed to flee, and the Cathar obliged, throwing Insway's damaged form over his shoulder and speeding away before Lucradis could, or wanted to, pursue.

Insway and Reznan’s return to Coruscant brought with it intriguing news. The Jedi Council deemed that Insway had passed all trials but the Trial of the Spirit during his confrontation with Lucradis and Reznan, and that he would be tested the next day. Despite still being injured, Insway prepared himself as best he could spiritually, and approached the test the next day with only a slight edginess to him. His arrival was unremarkable, and a few minutes later the other Jedi cleared the chamber, allowing Insway's trial to begin.

His trial had not even begun yet, though, before Master TekMi sneaked her way in to the room, approaching Insway to reveal troubling information to him. She told him that the Jedi Council members conducting the test believed that he had not been ready for his encounter with Kabe, and that it had left him scarred. As such, they were planning on rigging the test so that he could not possibly pass. She, on the other hand, knew otherwise, and had decided to come help him during his trial.

Initially, Insway was reluctant, knowing that they would both be banished should she be discovered. More than this, though, he knew that what his master wanted to do was wrong. Yet, upon her request, he looked inside himself, and found that deep down, he also wanted her to do it. A bitter internal struggle ensued, lasting several minutes, in which Insway struggled to override his emotions of desire and ask TekMi to leave. Upon doing so, though, the holographic master disappeared, and it was revealed to Insway that it had simply been a part of the trial.

Suddenly, though, Insway realized what had happened. He had looked inside himself, and found dark emotions that he had believed he had surpassed already. Broken, the Jedi couldn't help sagging against a wall, realizing that he could never be a Jedi as long as he harbored any such feelings. Eventually, many, many hours later, Insway resigned himself to doing good with that which he had learnt, even though he would not be able to do it as a Jedi.

The dark of the chamber was suddenly lifted, and the three Council members returned, beckoning Insway to follow them. He was surprised, though, to find them leading him up the central spire of the Jedi Temple. Upon asking them why they were taking him there, the masters told him that he had finished the last trial, and would be knighted the next day. Confused at how he could be Knighted despite what the trial had revealed, Insway was told that all Jedi possessed the same darkness inside, and it was only knowledge of it that the Trial of the Spirit was meant to convey.

After spending the night in meditation, Insway was knighted the next day.

Chapter IV:

Over the next few months, Insway recuperated fully from his injuries at Farrfin, rebuilt his lightsaber and eventually returned to active duty. He returned to the task force, happy to finally have the chance to serve alongside both his former masters. Though not exactly the start to his Jedi Knight career that he had imagined, he knew that he and Reznan were crucial to the success of the operation, now aimed at apprehending Lucradis, whose trail had gone cold in the intervening time.

As such, Insway and the other Jedi on the mission were dispatched to planets where there were other former Jedi Younglings which most closely suited the type Lucradis had been abducting so far. Insway was sent to Balosar, where rampant poverty meant that the aid of the Jedi Corps was constantly required, yet even before stepping out of the spaceport felt the Force guiding him to his target. He found a shuttle which closely resembled the far bigger ship he had battled Reznan on in technology, leading Insway to speculate that it was a scout ship.

The Jedi, now somewhat skilled at hiding his presence in the Force, stowed away on the small craft. After a day's waiting, the shuttle's pilot returned and flew the craft to Lucradis' ship. Insway sent a distress call to the rest of the team before he snuck out of the shuttle, making his way to the engine room in the hopes of disabling the transport. He found only two officers in the engine room, and quickly knocked both unconscious. Next, he used a few awkward slashes to disable the exposed hyperdrive.

Though he had not intended to return there, Insway found himself being guided by the Force back to the room where he had dueled with Reznan. There, he was surprised to find none other than the Cathar Jedi dispatching two of the poorly trained Dark Jedi that Lucradis employed. The major change to the room, though, was that most of the carbon freezing units were now occupied.

It wasn't long before the two Jedi were joined by Lucradis himself, who, after revealing that it was indeed the missing Corps personnel whose bodies were frozen in carbonite, proceeded to engage them. The Knights were too much for him, though, and he quickly found himself wounded by Jedi blades.

It was only then that the blonde human revealed his trump card. Using a remote on his belt, he melted one of the blocks of carbon, and proceeded to use Force Drain on the preserved corpse. A dark technique, it leant him power, allowing him to heal himself rapidly and attack the Jedi with renewed vigor. Yet, he was still not strong enough, but proceeded to continue thawing out bodies to refresh himself.

Realizing that they would soon be at a disadvantage, the Jedi pair split up again. Reznan made to delay Lucradis, and Insway returned to the engine room to set the ship to self-destruct, and also rescue the two crew members he had knocked unconscious earlier. He returned to the shuttle, signaling Reznan that he had accomplished his task and would be warming up the shuttle's engines.

Reznan was not alone in returning to the docking bay, though, and was still engaged with the Dark Jedi. During a gap in the battle, the Guardian tried to make a dash for it, but found himself cut down by a lightsaber impaling him from behind. Before Insway was able to react, the Cathar used a massive Force Push and his last remaining energy to shove the shuttle out into space. The Morganian managed to close the boarding ramp just in time, but was forced to watch through the blue containment field as Reznan, and Lucradis, were destroyed by the exploding ship.

Chapter V:

His return to Coruscant saw a new change come over the Knight's life. With the skills he had picked up during his years on the task force, Insway was assigned to begin training as a Jedi Shadow. Though the Sith had gone from the galaxy, many Dark Jedi such as Lucradis were still scattered across the galaxy, and the Jedi Shadow were still needed. As such, Insway began refining his sense and telepathy abilities, and also started focusing on another Force power he soon realized would be useful: protection.

Internally, though, the Knight was struggling to cope with Reznan's passing. Whilst he knew he should have been beyond feeling such things, he couldn't help but feel that the Knight's death had provided no closure, despite having served to see to the destruction of the malevolent Lucradis. After having a vocal outburst toward a civilian during a mission, Insway realized that he needed the assistance of his former master. Upon returning to Coruscant, he once again found the venerable Jedi waiting for him, who soon revealed to him that he had been approaching Reznan's death the wrong way around. The Jedi Master's guidance proved helpful, and Insway quickly returned to duty, Reznan's death now behind him. Around the same time, TekMi travelled to Mustafar, where she would teach young Jedi for many years more.

Insway, now an active Jedi Shadow, proved quite adept at his new task within the Jedi. Though still no powerful fencer, he was an adequate enough combatant to survive until reinforcements arrived, and that was only when he was discovered, something that didn't occur often. He continued with his training in Niman, also adding a new technique he had been learning called Tràkata, but focused slightly more on the development of his Force abilities, especially sense, protection and telepathy. With his skills in telekinesis and healing below average, he needed to maximize his strengths in order to survive as a Shadow.

After two or three years, though, his life started quieting down again, and Insway finally had the opportunity to start passing on what he had learnt. Years before, Reznan had revealed to him a very young Jedi Initiate that he had intended to take as his next Padawan. Feeling the guidance of the Force, as well as trusting his old master's judgment, Insway gained permission to take Ani Dubbel as his first Padawan.

Her training followed a very similar track to his early on. They initially remained at the Jedi Temple so that Insway could see to it that her skills saw her fit to assist him on missions, and soon after they started taking a more active role in the galaxy. For two years, the pair crisscrossed the galaxy, doing the work of Jedi, slowly graduating to ever more difficult missions. After Ani turned 14, Insway took her to Cilpar, putting her through the same exercise he had gone through there.

Around this time, Insway also started learning Soresu. Though he knew he was still not a master of Niman, he realized that he had finally reached the point where he would be able to effectively wield the more defensive form. He also suspected, and was proven right two years later, that Ani would want to learn Soresu when she was ready. During the intervening years, the pair continued on with their Jedi missions, the most difficult of which was a crisis on Druckenwell which required that Ani take on greater responsibilities than she had ever known before. The Padawan performed admirably, though, and soon after, she started joining Insway in his Soresu training.

Far more talented with a lightsaber than Insway had been at her age, Ani proved quite the duelist, assisting her master very well on one of the few Shadow type missions they ever went on. Attacked by a Force-cult nearly 15 strong, the pair both managed to survive the conflict and defeat their attackers. Though both relied more on the forms that they were more experienced with, namely Niman and Shii-Cho, they did learn that Soresu could be valuable during certain conflicts.

The next four years was mostly Jedi business as usual, punctuated by three events of interest in Insway's life. During a mission, he had the opportunity to study with the Baran Do Sages, an event which would clear his vision and reveal to him that he was not meant to follow the path of a Shadow for too much longer.

Second, during a difficult mission on Balosar, Insway had no choice but to poison himself to keep a terrorist from blowing up a heavily populated building. Not skilled enough with healing to save his own life, Insway put himself in a healing trance and fought off the poison until his Padawan returned him to Coruscant, where he could be healed.

Two years later, Insway discovered that dark memories of Reznan's passing had returned to him, something that he did not like at all. Having believed he had gotten past the death of his friend, he could not understand why the memories started popping into his head at odd times. After a violent outburst on a mission, he realized that there was something very wrong with him, and resolved to seek the assistance of his teacher.

He discovered on the journey, though, that a Dark Jedi had been stowed away on their vessel, hiding in his Padawan's locker and influencing his thoughts covertly while he slept. A capable telepath, the small alien turned Ani on Insway, though the quick-thinking master quickly subdued his Padawan and locked her in a different part of the ship.

After making effort to try and discover the reason behind the alien's intrusion, Insway was disturbed to hear that he was being watched from the shadows. The alien would revel no more, though, and after dueling briefly, Insway managed to defeat the creature, whose focused skills in telepathy were not enough to overcome Insway's mixed sensory and lightsaber abilities, especially his highly trained Tràkata technique. Unwilling to be taken captive, the being opened the airlock and was sucked into the vacuum of space before Insway could seal the ship.

Shortly afterward, Ani took the Jedi trials, though she stumbled at the second hurdle and failed to pass them. Knowing that his Padawan was indeed ready, Insway counseled the girl, who managed to overcome her internal strife and pass the trials the second time around. She was knighted the next day, declaring her intention to become a Sentinel, even though she knew her master had finished his path as one.

Chapter VI:

It was indeed so, as upon being raised to Jedi Master status, Insway decided that he would focus more on what he had originally felt he was most suited for: study of the force, and garnering knowledge. He had anticipated not taking on another Padawan for a while, knowing that some of his missions would still be dangerous, yet felt himself drawn to a new Padawan learner, Ubhana Tor. Trusting the guidance of the Force, he took Ubhana as his second Padawan, and again found himself out in the galaxy, teaching.

The pair's missions were focused differently now, though, as they more often than not found themselves investigating ancient ruins, broken down Jedi Enclaves and other relics of ages past that had to do with the Force. In addition, they were still active as Jedi in general, taking on missions of diplomacy and aid whenever it was required of them. Again, as with Ani, he returned to Cilpar with Ubhana when the boy was old enough.

During a mission to Obroa-Skai, Insway detected that he was being monitored once again. After the battle with the strange alien being several years prior, he had been feeling this feeling from time to time, but never from so close by. Deciding that he could not let the opportunity go to waste, he sent his Padawan on ahead and used a delicate mind tricking ability to keep his opponent from detecting him. He tracked the watcher down, had him arrested and shipped to Coruscant. He and Ubhana completed their mission soon after, and upon returning to Coruscant Insway found a new assignment waiting for him.

Having questioned the watcher, the Jedi Council had learnt that his master was indeed a Yureal Sesh, yet another of Master TekMi's students, but one who had never passed on to Knighthood. Having disappeared after an attempt to attack TekMi many years ago, the Council wanted Insway to investigate this lead and discover what had happened to the woman. Though he knew it would be a return to his path as a Jedi Shadow, Insway was also aware that it was a path the Force was guiding him to follow.

Insway knew the mission would be too dangerous for Ubhana, and so sent the boy to Mustafar to learn from Reznan. Meanwhile, Maya, his long time friend and now a Master Guardian herself, accompanied him as he scoured the galaxy for clues. What they had gained from the watcher had not been much, and further leads were hard to come by. Eventually, the pair tracked Yureal to a space station on the Perlemian route, where they split up to try and flush her out.

Being invited to the lower levels by none other, Insway and Maya continued by separate routes, although on his way to the lower levels Insway realized that it had been a mistake on his part for them to do so. As soon as his lift stopped, he heard the sounds of combat, and rushed to find Maya engaged with a Wookiee warrior wielding a normal blade with great skill. Taking in the details of the situation, he quickly realized that Maya was losing, and moved to engage.

Before he could reach the battle, though, he was attacked by Yureal herself. Though a capable wielder of Makashi, Insway, knowing that his friend did not have his time, pulled every trick he knew. Using a combination of telepathic attacks, Tràkata, Niman and Shii-Cho, he quickly showed the aging Makashi user why he had a reputation for being the master of misdirection. The Makashi duelist was quickly rendered unconscious, but not quickly enough, and as Insway turned to join his comrade, he saw the Wookiee impale her. Though not a fatal blow, Insway knew that his friend would bleed out quickly, as blows from a sword were not immediately cauterized as with a lightsaber.

Knowing this, Insway moved to aid his friend, managing to keep the Wookiee from engaging as he tended to his friend. With no other option, he used his lightsaber to seal her wounds, before turning to engage the biggest threat. Indeed, it proved that the Wookiee was indeed the Master that had conspired to set this trap for Insway and Maya. He also proved to be a magnificent and vicious duelist. Now using a lightsaber, the Wookiee attacked using the Juyo form, and it was only Insway's knowledge with Soresu and his superior ability to sense attacks coming in battle that saved him.

Even so, the Morganian was losing ground fast, and he knew he could not hold out against the ferocious attacks of the Wookiee forever. The still conscious Maya, aware of her friend's plight, tried to help him by sending the Wookiee's discarded sword flying toward him telepathically. The Wookiee reacted quickly to the attack, but was distracted long enough for Insway to mask his presence and hide in the dark room. Trying to discover the origin and reason of the Wookiee's trap, Insway did his best to question the vicious Dark Jedi, though struggled for a while with his rusty knowledge of Shyriiwook.

Even so, he learned quickly that it was many years prior that the Wookiee had indeed been after Insway, but now he only wanted him dead to lure his gifted Padawan out of hiding. The Wookiee attempted to trick Insway into feeling Ubhana out in the Force, which would reveal both his own and the student's position. The Jedi Master proved to be equal to the task of detecting the deception though, and did not do as the Wookiee tempted him to do. Enraged that his ploy had failed, the Wookiee sought to deliver his wrath upon the now unconscious Maya, but Insway managed to Force Push her body out of the way just in time, despite his poor telekinetic skill.

Despite having saved his friend, the Morganian was now revealed and forced to act quickly. He launched a set of melee attacks on the Wookiee as he held the beings lightsaber pinned, but was quickly pushed back. Insway raced in again, though, making effort to put the Wookiee at a disadvantage by moving in close. Again, though, he was trapped in Soresu, unable to do anything but defend. Even so, the Morganian had learnt many lessons in patience, and waited for the Wookiee to make a mistake. He did, and Insway followed through into an attack that he believed would disable the towering combatant.

Instead, though, the Wookiee proved the better duelist again, anticipating Insway's move and catching his saber hand. With a blast of Force Lightning, the warrior destroyed the lightsaber hilt and sent Insway flying back. He moved to blast Insway with lightning again, but the Jedi was able to put up a defensive barrier in the Force to deflect the oncoming energy. He launched a telepathic attack on the Wookiee, causing him to relinquish his attack for a moment as he looked around bewilderedly for the threat he had thought he had sensed. It was just enough respite for Insway to call on Maya's lightsaber, which he knew after their many years of being sparring partners, had a hidden finisher that the Wookiee had not yet seen.

He stepped into combat with the Wookiee once again, keeping him at bay while he waited for an opening. The opening came, yet, feeling that he was being driven by his desire to save Maya and Ubhana, Insway knew he could not land the finishing blow. He knew he needed to put all of his desires out of the conflict, and trust in the Force for guidance. In doing so, he continued defending, until he felt the Force guide him to indeed use Maya's lightsaber's hidden trick. With the hilt aimed straight at the Wookiee, Insway flipped a switch, extending the blade by quite some distance and impaling the Wookiee upon it.

After the battle, Insway managed to keep Maya alive long enough to get her to medical aid, where after they both returned to the temple. He met with the Jedi Council, but found that even they had no idea as to the identity of the dead Wookiee, though they did promise him they would assign Jedi to find out.

With his year-long mission to find Yureal Sesh over, Insway was finally free to return to his path as a Consular. Ubhana returned to Coruscant, and the pair departed again, though not before Insway had once again rebuilt his lightsaber. Now truly a student of the Force, Insway's missions over the next few years were peaceful more often than not, and the Jedi felt that he had finally reached the path as a Jedi he had always been meant to walk.

As Insway approached 50, his second student took the Jedi Trials and passed them well, going on to become a Jedi Consular himself. Insway decided that he would not be taking on a Padawan again soon, and so elected to remain at the Jedi Temple as a teacher. His tenure lasted a year initially, before it was interrupted by the return of his master and friend, Jedi Master TekMi. She asked Insway took take the journey with her to Cilpar, the journey the pair had never taken together while he had been her student.

The Morganian agreed, and in a short time they had travelled to Cilpar and found themselves sitting atop a temple that had become a familiarity in Insway's life. There, TekMi revealed to him that she felt that the time would soon come for her to leave the world of flesh. Despite being peaceful about her death, though, the Master was clearly worried about events she feared would follow, about the future of the Jedi Order. Knowing that the only way she could help the future Jedi would be to pass on what she had learnt in the many hundred years she had served the Force herself, she had elected to bring Insway to Cilpar and pass on as much of her knowledge and wisdom as she could.

Despite being troubled about his master's perceptions of the future, Insway learnt more during the few months they had together on Cilpar than he had in the previous 5 years as a Jedi. Their training focused exclusively on knowledge of the Force, as well as in helping Insway to improve the abilities he already had. TekMi helped him further improve his abilities to conceal himself in the Force, as well as his skills with perceiving matters through the Force. Though he had thought he had come close to mastery in his three primary skills, sense, telepathy and protection, his training with TekMi revealed to him that there was indeed much about the Force he was still ignorant of. Even so, the Master made student again learnt well, and accepted that he would never know all there was to know of the Force.

After their time on Cilpar, the pair returned to Coruscant, Insway to continue training Younglings and TekMi to say her last goodbyes and words of advice to the many Jedi, diplomats and friends she had made over the years. By the end of the year, TekMi had returned to the Force, and although there was no body, a funeral was held for the well known Jedi. It proved to be a joyous occasion, a celebration of a being who had become a Jedi during the difficult years that had followed the Jedi Civil War, had become a great and wise Jedi Master, and had done great deals for the galaxy in her time.

After the death of a Council Member shortly after, Insway was invited to take the empty seat. Though he knew it was an incredibly new responsibility, the Jedi Master also knew he had been called to the task. Insway Nal took a seat on the Council willingly, hoping that the knowledge passed on from Master to student combined with all that he had already learnt would be enough for the coming times...

[SlipLihte]

Chapter II: Apprentice

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1356-1362 AHW: Early Padawan years

"I have been told that you have only been outside these walls a very few times since you began your training."

"That is true, master."

"In the temple, you have acquired most of the tools you will need to be a Jedi. Yet, having the skills, being able to use the force and wield a lightsaber, these things do not make you any more a Jedi than a soldier. Now, come, let us go out into the world and teach you how to apply what you have learnt, and then you will know what it is to be a Jedi."

-Jedi Knight Reznan to his Padawan, Insway Nal, departing for their first mission together

The Cathar held true to his promise. The next four months in the Morganian's life had him closer to breaking than any time previous. Most of his days began long before sunrise, with a morning exercise session that often felt the equivalent to the entire day's work that he had known as a youngling. The first session of the day was often done without use of the force, pushing his body to failure quite speedily. Always the Cathar was with him, pushing him harder than he knew how, and every time his body grew fitter, the Cathar pushed harder. After only a few weeks, the Morganian's body had begun to shift, and he half-jokingly expected that he'd be able to clear a building without the assistance of the force quite soon.

Following the morning exercises came a meditation session, master and student seated side by side on a balcony as the sun began to rise over them. The Cathar had emphasized the importance of this from the early days on, and had continued to do so as time went on, always trying to educate Insway on learning to hear the will of the force, and then to listen to it. And so it was that by the time breakfast time came around, the Morganian felt as if he had done a full day's work already.

The Padawan used the few minutes his master gave him off after their morning meditation to wash himself and take a light breakfast, before rejoining the Cathar outside the temple. From there, force endurance training began. The Cathar had explained to Insway early on that seeing as that his connection to the force was not particularly strong, the Padawan would need to build an incredible endurance, or he would struggle to ever come to the level of Knight. What Insway had not expected because of this, though, was one of the most difficult exercises he had ever encountered, one that truly emptied him physically and mentally.

On the first day, the Cathar had brought along a sizable rock, around 4 lbs in weight, and told the Padawan to lift it. Then, the Padawan had to start rotating the rock around himself in an elliptical orbit. For the whole rest of the exercise, the Padawan had to continue rotating the rock, as he went through a systematic training regime of force telekinesis, followed by a force-assisted assault course. For the better part of two hours, he would have to keep his focus on two separate tasks, all the while doing both at a pace that would normally have exhausted him within the first few minutes.

Needless to say, things went poorly early on. For the whole first month, he struggled to stay conscious until the exercise was complete. This wasn't helped on much by his master waking him up again, telling him that he was 5 minutes behind. Eventually, though, the Morganian managed to go longer into the exercise without starting to feel lightheaded, until he eventually reached the point where the only problem with his performance lay in the fact that he lost focus on one, or both of the tasks from time to time, causing many dropped rocks or poorly executed force jumps.

He had barely started to improve on that front when his master introduced a second rock to the exercise, promising to continue to do so as long as Insway continued improving. Granted, at first, it felt like he had begun over from the beginning, barely training for 20 minutes before becoming dizzy. Yet progress was much faster this time, and by the end of the week he was already coping with the new level of exercise. Matters continued on in this way, and by the time 4 months were up, Insway had a sizable constellation of 7 rocks dancing around him as he trained his other abilities.

With his body near completely exhausted by the point of finishing this exercise in the morning, the Cathar and Morganian retreated to the Jedi Archives until midday, seeking wisdom in ancient texts and discussing events of years past. The Cathar Knight was pressing on these matters as well, pushing the young Jedi-to-be to form well thought out opinions of his own. The pair often spent days or even weeks on a single topic as master taught student to develop an insight into the ancient ways of the Jedi.

After lunch, the pair usually left the temple, the master taking the student to various locales in the nearby parts of the city, teaching various lessons that ranged from learning to read various races' emotions with and without the force to racing through the city on foot, aided by the force and several sets of balconies and rooftops. Insway finally learned to pilot an air speeder, learned to use the force and intuition to find hidden targets in city blocks, learned to track his master and read what the Cathar required from him through the force. All in all, the afternoon sessions were usually dedicated to building various auxiliary skills, and proved to be some of the most challenging, and enjoyable, that the Morganian had ever experienced.

Ever up for a challenge, the young Padawan strove to apply his mind to the various lessons and tasks set for him, and found that he was learning more in a month with Reznan than he had in a whole year as a youngling. And, with locales and environments changing so quickly, the Morganian was finally getting a taste of what life outside the Jedi Temple was like. More than anything, the Padawan was gaining experience with matters he would likely spend the rest of his life dealing with.

Evenings were usually spent meditating as the sun set once more, before an evening lightsaber session began. During the very first session, the Padawan was shocked to have his master grade his performance of Shii-Cho as far below average. He doubted the Cathar would be lying to him, yet he had never fallen into the bottom half of the class while training as a youngling. According to the Cathar, though, the Padawan had picked up quite a few bad habits from training with fellow students, something they would first have to work to remove before he could make any more progress with Form I.

It was, however, quite an interesting matter to train with an accomplished duelist. Sparring with fellow students, it was always a matter of trying to overcome your fellow student, given that you were mostly on an equal level. With the Cathar, Insway knew he had no hope of beating him, and so could instead focus on learning while they dueled. Even so, progress was slow mostly, and by the end of the 4 month period Reznan still considered the Padawan's ability to be below what it needed to be.

All in all, the four months spent training with his new master proved to be a time of great personal growth for the Padawan, a situation he knew he would not emerge from unchanged. What he had not expected was how well the training would serve to bond him with his master. By the time they were to depart on their first mission together, the two were already quite accustomed to each other's nuances, as if they had been together for something far closer to a year than a bare 4 months.

Early on, the missions were mostly diplomatic in nature. Insway's training continued as they travelled from world to world, attempting to ease disputes and put feuds to rest, though he often had to exercise unsupervised. Even so, he made effort to learn what he could, often making effort to learn of and understand local cultures in the places they went. It would be several months more before he would see combat, and true violence, for the first time...

The figures of master and student seemed frozen where they sat in meditation in the center of the shuttle's largest storage bay. During the pair's long hyperspace journeys, cargo bays such as these had served as training halls, meditation rooms and even sparring areas. Today, Padawan and master sat together in meditation, though both could already tell that they were about to be disturbed.

"Enter."

[/B] the Cathar called a moment before the door chime went off. The Republic pilot that entered a few moments later seemed unsurprised though. Apparently he had flown Jedi around the galaxy before.

"What is it, captain?"[/B]

"New orders coming through, sir. Priority channel. We're lucky to have gotten it. If the Navicomputer hadn't miscalculated and forced us to drop out of Hyperspace near Ithor, we wouldn't have received it for another few hours." the captain explained, handing the Cathar Knight a datapad.

"Luck has nothing to do with it, captain."[/B] responded the elder Jedi as he perused the orders. "How many combat trained officers do we have aboard, captain?"[/B]

The mention of combat was enough cause for the Morganian to relinquish his meditative trance and join his master. "Trouble, master?"[/B]

"Possibly. A Republic transport carrying the Yaga Minor representative to the senate apparently sent out a distress call about 40 minutes ago, but has since gone completely silent. This ship is the shortest trip away, primarily because we're already halfway between Chandrilla and Ithor. Any other Republic support could take hours, but we can be there in less than 20 minutes. Captain?"[/B]

"That is correct, master Jedi. I'm afraid, though, even though all my officers are trained, there are only 8 of us onboard."

"It will have to do. Set a course and ready your men. I and my Padawan will form the boarding party, while you and your men hold the airlock."[/B]

"Aye, sir." With that, the captain departed, leaving a somewhat stricken appearing Padawan and his master.

"Boarding party, master?"[/B] he asked, tentatively.

"The distress call mentioned a pirate ship attempting to latch onto the transport. The pirates in this sector enjoy trying to capture expensive ships for salvage, but they aren't foolish. Once they discover the representative aboard, they will change their game. We need to move quickly."[/B] There was no strain in the Cathar's voice, but the tone was more than enough to impart on Insway just how serious his master was taking the situation. It seemed the Guardian's head had started working the moment he had seen the datapad, and plans were quickly being made. What did concern the young student, however, was the measure of hesitance in the Knight's eyes as the fell on the Morganian. It was hesitance Insway could quite understand his master experiencing, and something he felt himself as well.

Yes, the Morganian had been training for physical conflict for years now. Yes, he was skilled with a lightsaber, if not exactly talented, and yes, he'd been sparring daily for quite a while now. But that didn't do anything to change the fact that he had never been in conflict himself. In a sparring arena, there was always the assurance that the worst that could be done to him was a severe burn. He had no idea how he would react entering a situation where lives were suddenly at stake, especially if one was his own. Granted, he knew, as a Jedi student that is, that he should have been above such concerns. Yet, he wasn't sure if he was, and that fact gnawed at his conscious as he stood there.

As if reading his mind, his master spoke. "While it is good that you measure yourself against such high standards, remember that you are still but only at the beginning of this path. Do not beat yourself up because you aren't yet what you're so busy trying to become. Time, and experience, will forge you into the being that the force means you to be."[/B]

For a moment, the Morganian was stunned. This was a side of the Cathar he'd only seen a handful of times so far in their time together. For the most part, the Knight was focused on training Insway's skills and combat abilities. Yet every time that the student started to forget his master had such a side, the philosopher in Reznan came out to surprise him. "Yes. Thank you, master. I think I can handle it, I'm ready."[/B]

"Ready in terms of skill, very likely. But I would have preferred to have more time to teach you of the spirit of a Jedi before you saw violence for the first time. It's up to you now, Insway. You say you think you are ready to face this? That means you are at the border of a choice. Either you will choose to live up to the Jedi you feel inside of you, and you will be ready, or you will hide in the comfort of not believing. Do you have faith, my Padawan?"[/B]

The question seemed pressing, never mind the fact that it had been delivered by his master's calm, purring voice. To be honest with himself, the Knight's words were somewhat confusing to him. He had no idea whether he had faith, nor what he needed to have faith in. 'Does he want me to have faith in myself? In my will to take a life?' The boy realized he wouldn't be able to find the answer then and there, and decided instead to mull it over later. "Thank you master. I will heed your advice. What would you have me do on this mission?"[/B]

The Cathar considered him, an expression of mild curiosity on his face, and for several seconds the pair stood in silence. Eventually, though, as if satisfied by his thoughts, or as if a sign had come from afar to make him continue, he gave a firm nod to his student before laying out his plan. As he began to speak, he called up several schematics on a nearby holotable, central of which was the targeted Republic transport.

"With the limited information we have, we're going to have to make most of it up as we go along. I have, however, thought up a general outline to our mission. Depending on the size and class of the pirate vessel, they will have docked with the representative's ship either here, or here."[/B] As the Cathar beckoned, two docking ports were highlighted. "We will have to use whichever port they aren't. They will see us coming, however, so I expect we will be fortunate if resistance at the hatch isn't already severe. From there, we have two primary assignments. The first is to secure all Republic personnel, the second to expunge the pirates. You will take care of the first, focusing on retrieving the representative, while I take care of the second objective."[/B]

For a moment, the student considered the plans drawn up by his master. He wished they could have a bit more surety on what they would encounter once they dropped out of hyperspace. Yet, with what they had, this plan was probably the best they could do. "Master...there is still the possibility to consider that they will no longer be there when we arrive."[/B] he offered.

"Possibly, but I doubt it. There are no coincidences in the force, my young learner. Or did you really believe that it was just an accident that a Navicomputer that brought us safely all this way malfunctioned just at the right time to coincide with the broadcast of this message? That the closest ship for hours of travel also just incidentally happens to be carrying Jedi?"

"You must learn to see the force moving in events around you, to recognize your place in the pattern. Else you might find yourself struggling against the will of the force in the future. You realize what it makes of you, to be a force user working against the force, rather than in synergy with it?"[/B]

The graveness of his master's tone was matched in his as he replied. "A servant of the dark side."[/B]

The Cathar nodded somewhat solemnly before speaking on. "You know your theory well, Insway. You understand what it is to be a Jedi, but you still struggle to embrace it. This is a problem for you, my Padawan. Even should your skills increase a thousand-fold, they alone will not be enough to see you through the trials. I think..."[/B] At that, the Cathar stopped for a few moments, visually appraising his student with an uncomfortable gaze before continuing. "I think you should stop focusing so much on learning to be a Jedi, and start becoming one."[/B]


----------------------------------------------------------------


The Padawan had elected to remain in the makeshift training room in meditation as his master went to clue the Republic personnel in on his plan, his mind struggling with his master's words. He knew he had to put the matter aside, to focus on the challenge ahead and keep himself in the moment, yet knowledge and execution seemed as far apart as the stars to him just then. By the time he felt the transport drop out of hyperspace, he had still reached no resolution nor had he been able to thoroughly quieten his thoughts. To a degree, he felt like the youngling he had been so many years ago, the youngling that had always struggled at learning to focus.

Yet it was with a solid determination that he moved to await his master at the airlock. He was as well rested as he expected he could be for the task ahead, and even with his mind still throwing around from topic to topic, he trusted his training. Since his training with the Cathar Knight had begun, the Morganian had improved in leaps and bounds, and though he was careful to remain modest about his abilities, he expected he'd be able to handle the difficulties that awaited them.

He didn't have to wait long for his master to join him at the airlock, the Cathar's expression speaking of a level of focus the Padawan had rarely seen in the Knight. "Any new developments, master?"[/B] he asked tentatively.

"The pirate ship is still docked to the representative's ship. It's a medium sized freighter, I'd estimate around 15 men aboard standard. Good news, though, it seems the Republic officers are putting up quite a fight. Even from far out we can see the flashes of blasterfire. But if we're going to save them all, we'll have to move quickly. I want you to stick with me initially. I am going to try to engage the pirates and provide enough of a distraction for you to slip through. Once through, find the representative and get her as far away from the blaster fire as possible. If you have to, drag her into an escape pod and launch it, we'll collect you after things are settled on board."[/B]

The changed plan was simple and suitable, leading to the Morganian giving a quick affirming nod. He thought for a moment, wondering whether there were any important questions he should have been asking. Satisfied, however, that he knew what he needed to know, and could make up all the rest as he went along, he remained quiet. So, slowly, he started to open himself to the force, doing his best to quiet the remaining murmurs in his head as he prepared himself for the coming conflict.

As he worked, his master reached inside a pouch that he'd brought along from Coruscant, but hadn't revealed the contents of to the Morganian yet. "This is for you, Padawan. It isn't a full strength blade, but will deliver a searing burn to anyone you strike with it. And, more importantly, it is capable of fully deflecting a blaster bolt."[/B] the Cathar stated, withdrawing a nimble silver rod from the pouch. He paused, however, midway through the act of proffering the lightsaber, warning the Padawan in a serious tone. "But do not try to be a hero with this. If a blaster bolt comes your way, dodge. Your footwork has always been far superior to your blade skill."[/B] At that, he extended his arm, and the Padawan took the hilt.

It was slender enough to fit his young hands well, but lengthier than he was used to training with. Most of the training sabers he had ever practiced with wouldn't be strong enough to absorb more than three or four bolts from a blaster, though, nor would they have been able to cause more than a slight burn on an opponent. Even so, he was no more comfortable with the situation than he had been before, his master's words reverberating in his skull. For a moment, he couldn't help but wonder whether the Knight would be letting him come along if he thought the Morganian wasn't ready. It was an irrational thought, though, and one which the Padawan quickly quashed.

After a few moments, he could sense the ship start to tilt and swing in space as the captain initiated docking procedures. Within a few seconds, Republic officers started arriving in the hallway that lead to the airlock, taking up cover positions should some of the pirates slip past the pair of Jedi. All in all, the Padawan considered his master's plan quite suitable, even though it seemed to place quite a big responsibility on the student's shoulders.

After a few moments more, Insway felt a shudder as the ship locked docking rings with its distressed sister. "It'll take a moment for the hatch release codes to take effect, just hold on." came a voice over the intercom he recognized as the first officer's. At that, Insway readied his saber, finger on the activation switch, ready to leap into the airlock the moment it opened.

With a hiss, the pressures equalized and the hatch that had sealed the ship off from the void of space slid away to reveal...nothing but a mirror view of the hallway behind them, only with no Republic Officers visible. Within a split-second, though, the hallway was being filled by a Cathar Jedi Knight, doing a very good job of being graceful and quiet. Gingerly as he could, the Padawan followed, making sure he gave his master space to move, but staying close enough not to get lost, even though he could feel quite clearly through the force where they were headed.

As with most Republic transports, this one was designed with a large conference room midway through the length of the ship. Occupying such a large space, with no way for a human-sized being to get around it, it made the perfect location to make a stand defensively. Granted, with only a kitchen and several sets of guest quarters behind it, staging your defense their meant you had your back against the wall, and relinquished total control of the ship, but that didn't change the fact that a bare handful of troops could hold out against twice their number for quite a while there.

It was to this room his master was leading, and Insway could feel why. Whilst most of the Republic ship was dead, he could feel a concentration of life there, as well as the chaos that accompanied a fire fight. *Quietly now. We'll sneak up behind them* his master said to him through the force, although one would have to concede that the message was relayed in images and feelings rather than words. The Padawan and his master moved carefully, but were surprisingly quick to the open doorway through which shouts and blaster fire came spurting every few moments.

The Padawan took up a crouching position opposite his master, lightsaber in hand and ready to move on his teacher's signal. *I want you to wait four counts after I enter the room before following. Head straight through to the other side, find the representative and keep her safe until I am done here.*[/I] His master gave him an encouraging nod as he continued with the rest. *Remember your training, and, more importantly, keep your head about you, and you'll be fine. May the force be with you.*[/I]

At that, the Cathar smiled, before igniting his twin orange blades and spinning his way into the room. His master had given good reckoning, and for the first two counts Insway could feel no change from the pirates through the force. Yet, he stuck his head into the room already, trying to measure the distance from the doorway he was hiding beside to the one on the opposite side. It was just as he estimated a good 150 feet that the change came. At first it was one by one, but then suddenly surprise shot through the 12 or so beings that had been so occupied with firing on the trapped and outgunned Republic officers like wildfire. They seemed to realize as one that their battle was no longer so easy, yet even so, it was too late. To be fair, it had been too late since the very moment the message had reached Reznan. A whirlwind of orange light and force ability, the frantic firing of the pirates did nothing to stop the Cathar from quickly knocking out two of their number.

Having realized that salvation had come for them, the Republic officers in the room suddenly started firing with renewed vigor, a sight which served to jolt the Padawan quite suddenly. Instead of firing from the far side of the room in his direction, the few surviving officers were firing from the right of the room across to the left, where the pirates were frantically trying to turn the tide of this new two-pronged assault, to no avail. What shook Insway, however, was the realization that if the pirates had managed to force the Republic to the side of the room, a few of them could have made it through towards the other side. Stretching out through the force, he again felt chaos, but further forward in the ship.

With purpose lending his feet speed, he shot across the room as a white-gold blur, reaching the other side in a bare handful of seconds, faster than he had known he could. What his master had said earlier had been true. The little Morganian, although devoid of any significant talent with the lightsaber, had a pair of unfailing feet to him.

As he slipped into the corridor that lead away from the room, he slowed himself down again, though not by much. He could already hear the sound of blaster fire coming from both ahead and behind, though both battles seemed to be losing spirit. Even so, he moved quickly, deftly rounding a handful of corridors, until finally, he walked straight into a blaster.

The being wielding the blaster recoiled, but only after giving the lightweight Morganian a shove just strong enough to drive him a few feet back. Insway's reflexes managed to catch him before his body threatened to topple backward, yet this only left him a target of optimal height for the pirate that had leveled a blaster at him. For but a moment the pair stood staring at each other, the Padawan's mind frozen too completely to allow him to move, while the pirate was apparently still recovering from the surprise of walking straight into him. It took him very little time, though, and before Insway had even twitched the blaster was coming up again.

The Morganian heard the blast go off, a sharp screech with enough depth to its voice to warn of a potent weapon. A bright flash lit up the walls of the corridor, allowing the Padawan to observe the aesthetic qualities in his last moments. Yet, oddly, the blaster his would-be killer was holding wasn't the source of any of this. The tall humanoid collapsed into a crumpled mess, revealing a woman, barely into her thirties with sharp, imposing features, leveling a blaster.

"A Jedi? What, did your lightsaber run out of power?"[/B]

For a few seconds the Morganian stood perplexed, and only after the woman beckoned did he realize she was asking about the unlit lightsaber hilt clasped firmly in his right hand.

The realization served to make him feel quite the fool. From the moment he'd watched his master spinning into the main conference room, he had completely forgotten about the borrowed hilt he had with him. Even as he stood and stared death in the face, he had not bothered to light the blade that could have served to shield his life, nor even remembered he had it.
[/Quote]


Needless to say, the encounter had left the Padawan feeling rather idiotic. After his master had sent the all clear signal to him through the force, he had returned to the cargo bay that had doubled as a training hall aboard their own ship, where he had allowed himself to fall into a deep meditation, trying to work through events. It was no good, though, and after thirty-odd minutes he was feeling no better. It was no relief, either, to feel his master's presence in the force as the Cathar approached the hall. Though he didn't exactly expect a scolding, he knew things had not gone well that day...

The doorway hissed sharply as it gave way to admit the Cathar, still impeccably neat despite the fact that he had just managed to defeat thirteen pirates largely single-handedly without killing even one. It was an impressive ability, the Padawan thought, though there were other matters that pressed his mind far more just then. Foremost was the question as to how his master would react to his Padawan's actions. Insway had felt his master and the diplomat come together for a while, and quite much imagined that she would have told him all about what had transpired.

"I am sorry I failed you, master."

[/B] the Padawan began, speaking slowly and far more calmly than he felt inside.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call it a failure, Insway. Representative Toks tells me you made quite an effective distraction, allowing her to shoot the pirate without any danger to herself. Of course, I would have preferred if you had not used your own body for a distraction, or at least had brought your weapon up to defend yourself. You may be learning the healing arts quickly, but a blaster bolt to the chest will still kill you quite efficiently at your age and level of training. Now, tell me what is on your mind."[/B]

The Padawan managed a wry smile at his master's joke, and even went as far as to lift an accusatory eyebrow at his master's last remark. He was quite certain the Jedi already knew the answer quite well. "It doesn't look like I'm ready. Nor that you think I am, master."[/B] he said, more than a little despondency in his voice.

"Let me tell you a little secret my very, very young Padawan. No one is ever ready for their first encounter with violence, not truly. Some might deal with it better than you did today, might appear that they have it all under control, but they don't. No matter your race, no matter your upbringing, the first time you walk into a hallway and death enters it with you, it touches you. Every primal instinct in your body is trying to tell you to do one thing, and as a Jedi, years of training are trying to get you to do something else. And so, you freeze, unable to think, unable to act. At least, this is what happened to you."

"No matter what training you receive during your years at the temple, you cannot be trained to overcome this. It was going to happen to you, if not today, then in a few months. Have faith in the force's plans for your life, though, as it would not have spared you today if you were not meant for something else some day."

"And as to what I said earlier. Most of that was aimed at throwing you off your game, out of balance. If there is anything you should be sorry for, it is that you allowed me to do it so easily. I may be your master, my Padawan, but will you have me do all your thinking for you now as well? I barely put a hint of a thought to your mind, and yet you were overcome by it. You with your quick mind of all people, you need to remember to think for yourself."[/B]

At that, the Morganian could not keep himself from staring at his master somewhat incredulously. That the Cathar would strive to purposefully send him in unready served to make him even more uncertain. After all, he thought the whole point of Jedi training was to ready him for such encounters. He voiced his concerns to his master, who thought for a few seconds before answering.

"Insway, you need to realize that it is very rare that a Jedi will enter combat under such agreeable circumstances as we were going to. By the time a Jedi usually walks into combat, all other options have failed, or combat is being forced upon him. Although the galaxy so adamantly proclaims a Jedi a hero for what he does in battle, this is but a small part of what a Jedi should be. I wanted you to realize this, to realize what violence truly is, rather than falling in love with combat as some do. Now, you have had quite an experience today. Meditate here for as long as you wish, but I want you to get a good measure of sleep in tomorrow. With the news the representative is bringing to the senate, I believe our time on Coruscant will be short."[/B]
[/Quote]


His master had been right. A bare day after their return to Coruscant, the sharp-faced woman relayed news to the senate of a new set of trade disputes breaking out, a session which his master took him to watch personally. As was so often the case with such matters, the Jedi were called upon to help, and having experience in the region, Reznan was quickly picked to lead the way. Despite being a guardian first and foremost, the man seemed to be quite the talented individual, possessing a skill with beings that Insway hoped he would learn in time.

Of the negotiations, though, the Padawan saw little. As if the master knew how eager his student was to learn, he had stipulated that the Morganian had to improve his other skills first before he would be allowed to join him. The more the Padawan trained and improved, the greater his access became, and it was so that the next half year or so saw Insway yet again greatly increase in skill. He demonstrated these in a few more brushes with the criminal sort not willing to give themselves up at the sight of a lightsaber, and by the time the Padawan turned 13 few artifacts of the youngling he had been two years prior remained.

Over the next year, the pair continued in this routine. The master pushed his student constantly, spending as much time as possible teaching the Morganian himself, or involving the student in the mission the master himself had at hand. Slowly, Insway began to detect the changes taking place in his life. Granted, none of the physical training exceeded that of the few months on Coruscant, but most of it was at least on par. More importantly, though, he could feel his mind and spirit begin to shape into those of a Jedi. Even so, his master remained apprehensive, constantly reminding the Padawan to remember to 'become a Jedi', rather than just learning how to act like one.

Shortly after the student turned 14, the master announced a journey to Cilpar would soon take place, a planet where he apparently had high hopes the pair would finally be able to cement the student on the path to becoming a Jedi. Additionally, the master hinted that the student would also find another important piece of the puzzle there to continue his journey towards becoming a Jedi. It took several months for their duties to quieten down enough for the journey to take place, though, and although he knew it was unbecoming of a Jedi, Insway had managed to grow quite curious in the intervening time.

Cilpar looked by no means what the Padawan had expected from space. In his mind, he had imagined a place akin to Rhen Var, or perhaps even a desert world. Somewhere desolate and largely devoid of sentient life, the kind of place that made for an ideal training environment. Instead, Cilpar seemed to be a perfectly common agriworld, with a considerable population living there to farm for produce. Thoughts of the Jedi AgriCorpse came to Insway at the sight, and he even posed a question to his master on the matter. The Cathar, however, responded only with a wheezed "Are you worried I've come to dump you with them?"[/B] during a fit of raucous laughter.

When they finally landed on the planet, though, the Knight had become quite serious. He slowly started to reveal more and more to the Padawan as the pair rented a transport to use there. Reznan's master, the venerable TekMi, had been bringing every Padawan of hers to the forests of Cilpar for over two hundred years. Reznan spent most of the next half hour recounting the thoughts he had had himself fifteen years prior, when he had stepped into the very same speeder shop with her. He made effort to mention that he had learnt many great lessons on the trip, had discovered much about himself in coming here, yet remained tight-lipped about what those particular lessons were, or how it was that he learnt them.

As such, the Padawan resigned himself to a state of trying to meditate and keep his mind clear while keeping half an ear open for any hints his master might drop as to the days ahead. He wasn't sure what he was to expect from the forests of Cilpar, where the Cathar was apparently steering the hovercar. His master hadn't brought along supplies for an extended stay, nor camping gear, but it definitely sounded like the trip he had taken with master TekMi had lasted several days. Half a local hour later, though, the Padawan had his answer.

"From here, you will make your way alone."

[/B] the master declared after the gray hovercar had come to a halt near the border of what seemed to be quite an old forest. Insway's study of the giant trees was cut short as he realized with a start what exactly his master had said, prompting him to cast the Knight quite a curious glance. "There are many ancient temples in these forests, but one is of particular interest to us. If it is meant to be so, you will find your way there. Otherwise, you will find your way back to the city."[/B] he continued, as if ignoring the incredulity on his student's face.

"Isn't this...dangerous?"[/B] was the first question Insway managed, although he realized immediately it was probably the least of his concerns. For a moment, he almost wanted to congratulate himself at the lack of fear he felt, though he instead set his mind about questions that would actually help him. "With no supplies? No shelter? All I have on me is my training saber..."[/B]

"Good point."[/B] the teacher stated before deftly plucking the silver rod from Insway's belt. "You will not need that. Nor anything else. When the lesson is learnt, you will understand."[/B] With a polite shove, the Cathar indicated for Insway to disembark.

"But what if I'm attacked?"[/B] the student continued, aware only at the back of his mind how petulant he was starting to sound. His master, however, apparently annoyed at the persistent moaning of the youth, was quick with his rebuke. "This is an agriworld, Insway. Do you think farming would be so popular on a planet where attack was likely"

"I want you to put your mind to this task, Insway. This foolish moaning ends now. Understand very well that there are only two outcomes to this exercise. If you find me at the temple, you will be on the path of a Jedi. If, however, you find your way back to the city, back to the easy path, your training will end. In this forest, you will need to decide whether you are a Jedi or not."[/B]
[/quote]

It took a moment for the full weight of the master's words to be realized by the Padawan, but when it did, he fell completely silent. So deep was his shock that he did not even realize his master had started the hovercar up again, and was accelerating away. For fourteen years, all he had known was that he was on the path to becoming a Jedi. He had never really considered that he might not make it, that he might one day fail a test as crucial as this one apparently was. What made the prospect truly terrifying, though, was the fact that it had sounded quite a bit like his fate had already been decided. By what his master had said, he would only be walking the path, but it had already been decided for him. The question that had never been raised until today started to suffocate him where he stood.

What if he wasn't meant to become a Jedi?

Where would he go if he wasn't? He had no family to go back to, nor had he any employable skills. Of course, he could always join one of the corps. Yet somehow, the thought of doing so felt wrong to him.

Eventually, though, after standing where he was for near a quarter of an hour, he decided there was nothing left to do but walk the path, and find out. He knew he wasn't the most skilled Padawan, nor had he any idea as to what it was he was supposed to be using to guide him, but he refused to give up before he'd tried. Calling upon all the reserves of courage he had, he strode into the forest, feeling somehow as if he was entering a shooting gallery far more dangerous than anything had been on the representative’s ship. His mood lightened a little as he walked, enough so that he even felt glad for a few moments that he had no heavy packs to carry. The thought, however, was quick to remind him that he had nothing to survive on for this journey.

The remainder of the daylight saw the student wade his way deeper and deeper into the thick vegetation. Though his mood hadn't lifted by much, he felt quite a bit more at ease now that he was doing something, rather than standing around thinking of how bad things might turn out. The persistent problem, however, was that he still had no idea where he was going. He had chosen his direction at random and simply started walking, hoping that he would figure something out as he went along. Yet he had quickly discovered that in the thick underbrush the sun far above was all but impossible to see. When night fell, he sequentially made his way up the particularly tall trees, trying to navigate by the stars, yet this plan still only solved half the equation. Perhaps now, through the expenditure of a great deal of energy and time, he could keep his course, but he still had no clue as to where to go. Eventually, the student settled down to sleep in a thicket that wasn't comfortable to any degree, hoping that sunrise would bring a solution to his problem.

It didn't, and the second day was nothing more than a protracted period of wandering aimlessly, trying to ignore the fact that he hadn't had anything to eat since the previous morning. Granted, he had known periods of fasting earlier in his training, yet he couldn't quite remember that it had ever been during a period of such extreme exercise. When night started to fall at the end of the day, the student started to wonder what exactly it was that he was supposed to be learning. It certainly wasn't an endurance exercise. He had seen the seriousness in his master the day before. Dispirited, the student spent most of the nightfall in meditation, hoping that clearing his mind would point out the solution to him.

Three more similar days followed, and though still discouraged by his ongoing failure, the Padawan was actually slowly beginning to enjoy the locale. With nothing to direct him, and with no set time limit, Insway had slowed his walking pace, stretching out with his feelings in the force and investigating some of the abundant living presences around him. When he spotted a temple nearby during a foray up a tree to find direction, he went to investigate, and he was only slightly disappointed to not discover his master waiting for him.

Even so, there was a knot of worry at the back of his mind. It was the knowledge that he wasn't in the forest to sightsee, but to learn a lesson, and that his master would likely not be pleased if the Morganian spent the next few weeks dawdling around in the bush aimlessly. The only true comfort he had was that he had experimented with some of the fruits he had found, and found them quite edible. It was small consolation though compared to the incredible task he had no idea how to approach.

After near a week, the little resolve the student had was beginning to dwindle, and he found himself wondering more and more whether he'd be able to find his way back to civilization from where he was. He'd taken so many detours in the forest, but the night sky of Cilpar had grown familiar, and he had a good idea as to what direction he had come from. The real question, though, was whether he was willing to give up. He knew, deep down, that telling his master that he had tried his best would not count for much.

More and more, he was going over the conversation he had had with his master in the hovercar, trying to extract any information that might help him. The Morganian had always possessed a keen mind and good memory, but it wasn't good enough for this. Then again, he knew deep down that it wouldn't have helped even had he had a holorecording of it all. And so, slumped against a tree with night advancing in the sky far above, out of sight, the Padawan felt hopelessness creep over him again.

On the verge of turning back, however, he stopped. He had already stood to climb up the tree and find the direction to the city from the sky, when the words had returned to him. 'In this forest, you will need to decide whether you are a Jedi or not.'[/I]

Was that it? Was that the key?

As if seeing the world for the first time in his 14-odd years of being alive, the Morganian stood frozen, his mind racing. The realization was enough to lend Insway the feeling of a new day dawning on his life. Thoughts crashed through his mind, one over another, and he was shocked at how blind he had been to himself for so long. He realized how he had always hovered on the point of truly becoming a Jedi, how dedication to his training was not the same as committing to it. And that was the point of all this. He would either commit himself to becoming a Jedi, or he would turn back.

With a dogged determination he hadn't felt all his life, the Morganian departed the place he had intended to spend the night, instead speeding into the forest. A quick runner naturally, his force-enhanced speed made him nothing more than a zephyr along the forest floor, an inspired blur. Granted, he still had no idea where he was going, but he finally knew where he was coming from, what he was inside.

As if no longer caring that he was directionless, Insway spent himself on the night, sprinting for as long as he could. It was a draining exercise, though, and by the time the night was growing darkest, he found himself breathing haggardly and crumpled on the ground. Slowly, he started to give over to sleep, his eyelids growing heavy and his mind growing foggy. Yet in that fleeting moment that one realizes he's about to fall asleep, the feeling came.

To be truthful, saying that the feeling came to him wasn't correct in any way. In a sense, he realized, the feeling had always been there, always accompanied him. It had been there when he had started training as a youngling, had been with him in classes and in sparring matches, had stood resolutely by him on every mission he and his master had been on. Yet, it was only now that he realized it was there. To be truthful, then, one would have to say that he recognized the feeling.

It was subtle at first, only enough to keep him from drifting off, yet the longer he let himself experience, let his feelings dwindle on it, the more overt it became. It was more than that, though. It was becoming clear. He felt it pull at him, as if his entire body was willing him to move. To move...somewhere. The destination was unclear, yet the direction was obvious, and despite his exhausted body, the Padawan fought his way to his feet, and started walking. The destination was still far, and tired as he was, he wasn't moving very quickly, yet sunrise came and went and still he walked. Through the shade provided by the canopies high above he walked all the way through midday, and finally, as nightfall came once more, he knew he was starting to get near.

He had already cleared three steps up the side of the temple before he realized that his feet were treading on hard, flat stone, rather than ground. It was only then that he realized that he had arrived...

"Welcome, Padawan Insway."

[/B] came the familiar, purring voice of the Cathar Knight as the student crested the final step and arrived at the top of the temple. "I have been expecting you."[/B]

"You mean...you knew?"[/B] the exhausted student blurted out, collapsing on a cushion conveniently placed between the staircase and his master.

"It was not enough for me to know, Insway. You needed to know. But I'm sure you will admit that things are considerably easier when you finally realize what you are."[/B] the Cathar offered with a reassuring smile.

"Yes...considerably. So it was you guiding me here?"[/B] Insway responded.

The Cathar responded with a broad smile and a gentle shake of the head. "It was the force guiding you here."[/B] To this, the Padawan could only respond with a confused stare, prompting the master to explain. "What you felt guiding you was the will of the force. It was guiding you to your destiny. As I said before I left you at the edge of the forest, you would either find the path here or you would find the path back. It is the will of the force for you to become a Jedi. It is fate. If it was not, you would never have felt it pull you here."

"It is the single most important element to becoming a Jedi. Any force sensitive can learn to wield a lightsaber, heal an injury or leap over a building. Yet it is because we listen to, and more importantly, heed the will of the force that we are Jedi. From it stems the code. From it stems morality. Without it, we would be nothing more than the Sith with a different code of conduct."[/B]

It was a lot to think about, yet there was one thing that immediately came to the younger of the pair. "This is only the beginning, isn't it? What I felt today...it's the start of a whole new journey, not the end of the path to becoming a Jedi."[/B]

"If you would only use your mind like this more often, you would be far further along. You are right, Insway. It will take you many years to truly learn to listen. This is but a step in the path, albeit a significant one. Right now, you are still acting as a filter to the voice, and it will take a lot of training to get rid of that filter. Many Jedi find it the pursuit of their entire lives, learning to hear the will of the force as it is, rather than as they are. But you have started, and you will learn. I am proud of you, Insway."

"Now, get some sleep in. We have a long trek back to the city, and from there we will be returning directly to Coruscant, where the next challenge for you awaits. Now, young Insway, you begin along the path of constructing your own lightsaber..."[/B]
[/Quote]

The journey home was largely uneventful, and by the end of the next week on the galactic standard calendar, Reznan and Insway were back in the Jedi temple. There, the Cathar began instructing the Padawan in the construction of his lightsaber. According to the Knight, the lessons of Cilpar were a critical step for the construction of the lightsaber, as only by listening to the will of the force would the Padawan know how to build his lightsaber. Assembling the parts and putting them together could be done according to instructions, but only the force could show Insway what type of lightsaber to build.

And so, the student began to seek out the will of the force in meditation, trying to discern what it is he was meant to build. The process proved to be a lengthy one, though, as the student struggled to feel anything more than a cool breeze running into his room for the first week or two. Yet, eventually, he began to see, began to feel, and by the end of the month, he finally had an idea in his head of what it was he was meant to do.

His master had already assembled most of the parts he would need, and the Morganian wasted no time in acquiring the few extra things he needed. After he had finally assembled everything, from the crystal to the casing to the power assembly, he began putting things together under the careful watch of his master. Before he inserted the crystal, though, he first spent a few days meditating with it, imbuing it with his aura. After the crystal finally went in, he spent nearly a whole week more meditating on the weapon, binding the elements together and further pouring his essence into the hilt.

Nearly a full two months since his departure from Cilpar, the student finally stood ready to activate the weapon. The hilt had been charging for a good two days, and somewhat content at the work he had done, student stood before master, ready to activate the lightsaber for the very first time. As he slid the toggle switch into the on position, a blinding blue light emerged with a snap-hiss, settling into a humming bar of energy an inch longer than his training saber had been.

It seemed the pair's time away from duty ended around the same time the student's lengthy construction process had, as the very next day they were sent on assignment again. The changes that had occurred in Insway were obvious, though, as he approached the task laid before them with a new level of dedication that he had never known before. Inside, he was still very much aware that he was only just beginning to learn, yet now that he knew the path he was on, that didn't bother him much.

Over the next two years, the pair could be found criss-crossing the galaxy on assignment far more often than not. The halls of the Jedi Temple rarely saw the odd-looking combination of Cathar and Morganian, and free time became a luxury nearly unbeknownst to Insway. He had thought his training would become lighter now that they spent so much time on assignment, and after all he had learnt on Cilpar, yet it seemed that Reznan had become an even more dedicated teacher since then. If anything, his training hours had grown longer and far more intense, and weren't shortened even when the pair had spent a whole day in negotiation or investigating.

A few months after his sixteenth birthday, though, there was a surprising change to the dynamics of Insway's education as a Jedi...

[SlipLihte]

It was difficult to believe that the temple that had served as home for most of his life now seemed an unfamiliar sight to the Morganian's eyes. It was the first time they had returned in nearly seven months, though their previous visit had been so short that he couldn't quite imagine that it counted. This return had been a surprise, though. Apparently, master Reznan was to receive a new assignment, one that needed to be communicated to him personally and in private.

It was quite peculiar to the young Jedi, seated as he was on a balcony outside his master's room, waiting for his teacher to return from his meeting with the High Council. This was the first time in a while that Insway hadn't been asked to accompany his Cathar teacher in receiving the details of the next mission, something that irked him a little. Yet, even so, he felt a calmness about matters that had him believe that all was well, irrelevant of what mission the Knight brought with him when he returned.

It was a good hour more, though, before the student felt the familiar presence of the Cathar Knight coming closer. There was a surprise, though, as Insway could clearly feel that his teacher wasn't returning alone. This in itself, though, wasn't as big a surprise as how similar the two presences felt. As the doors to the room slid open, revealing the pair, though, Insway realized quite quickly why the signatures had felt so similar in the force.

"Master TekMi, it is most agreeable to see you again after all these years."

[/B] he stated as he made his way into the room to welcome them.

The figure of the Kushiban master was impossible to mistake, a tiny being compared to the Cathar next to her. Insway wasn't surprised at all to find the same grounded expression on her face as he had gotten used to during his years as a youngling, or to see that her silky white fur was as well kept as always. There was a definite majestic sense to the august master, enough so to make the usually inspiring sight of his Cathar master seem bland. It was to be expected, though. She had been a Jedi since very shortly after the Mandalorian wars, if master Reznan's accounts were to be believed, and teaching Jedi for most of the time since.

"Words like that would make a Jedi feel archaic, Padawan Insway. It has not been so long since you last stood in one of my classes, after all."[/B] came her reply. Although not exactly curt, it wasn't difficult for the student to tell that the Jedi Master wasn't exactly pleased. Whether it was his presence, he didn't know, though he hoped it wasn't. As far as he could remember, he had never done anything in one of her classes that she might have found offensive, with the exception perhaps of not showing much progress.

It was the Cathar who spoke next, though. "Please, master, we do not have time for this. It isn't my wish to do things this way either."[/B]

His voice seemed to penetrate the Kushiban's thoughts, though, who quickly switched from staring at Insway to leveling her gaze at the much taller Knight. "If I had my way, our roles would be reversed, Reznan. But, in the end, I believe we have reached this point as much by my choice as by theirs. We must make the best of what we can."[/B]

"Master, excuse me, but what point have we reached?"[/b] the Morganian offered, a small amount of concern growing in him.

Though he had addressed the senior of the two Jedi, it was his master that replied. "The Jedi Council has assigned me a new mission, Insway, one that requires certain very specific skills. Skills, I'm sorry to say, that will take me too long to teach you for you to join me. As such, I have asked Master TekMi to supervise your training while I am away."[/B]

All in all, it wasn't as bad as it had sounded from the conversation the two had been having, at least not to him. Despite knowing that the Kushiban was a difficult taskmistress, he also knew very well that she fell amongst the best teachers at the temple. Granted, his master knew him by now, knew how to best teach him, where his weaknesses and strengths lay, but if Master TekMi was anything near as good as master Reznan made her out to be, he would be able to learn a lot from her. "I see. I understand, master. Thank you, master TekMi, I hope I do not prove a difficult student."[/B] he responded, keeping his expression and tone neutral.

The Kushiban Jedi gave him a frown that for a second almost seemed pitying. Not for the first time since the two had arrived, Insway couldn't help but feel that he didn't know the half of what was going on. Yet, he had to trust that his master knew what he was doing, and so had to do his part in this affair. Although he wasn't sure whether he would like it, he would do his best to reflect everything his master had taught him in his time with the Kushiban trainer.

"We shall have to see whether you are still so eager after we have had our first session together. I am not quite as lazy as your master is."[/B] the Jedi Master answered, carrying a wry smile on her face. It seemed she had made an internal joke of sorts between herself and the Cathar, though, whom burst out in a fit of raucous laughter that the Morganian had grown to appreciate in their time together. It was enough to remove all worry from his mind and even bring a broad smile to his face.

"May the force be with you, my student. Heed your training, and you will not falter."[/B] the Kushiban said to the Cathar after the laughter between them had died down a bit. There was a definite seriousness to her voice, but encouragement as well. Her next words were to him, however, and they were not quite so encouraging. "You I shall see tomorrow morning three hours before dawn in the gardens. I have morning classes tomorrow, so we will have to get about half your training done before they start."[/B]
[/Quote]

The departure of the Jedi Master didn't precede the departure of the Cathar by much. Reznan revealed what little he could while he readied himself for the journey, and after a few words of reassurance to the Morganian, set off again. With nothing else to do, Insway settled for looking in on Maya, one of his oldest friends among the Jedi, before returning to his room for meditation and sleep. It seemed to him that he had a big day waiting for him. Mercifully, though, his master had said his mission shouldn't take him more than a few months.

Chapter III: Advent

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1362-1365 AHW:Mid Padawan Years


The sun had barely risen over the city the next day before Insway was starting to wonder whether he would survive even one month under the tutelage of Master TekMi. He had known her to push her students in a class of younglings, yet what she was doing with him took it to a whole new level. By the time she had departed to teach her class of younglings, she had thoroughly exhausted the Morganian to the degree that he fell asleep three times as he tried to sit his morning meditation session.

It seemed a lot of the methods Reznan had been using to teach him had been inherited from her, only softened up. Every task the Master set was more difficult than any he had known before. She required more focus, more skill, more endurance and finer technique that he had ever known before. Their morning sparring session had only lasted two minutes before the Kushiban had declared his form too poor and started him through a sequence of patterns and marks of contact. Altogether, he hadn't learnt anything new from her in the first morning, only that his skills were apparently not what they should have been.

For most of the first month, matters continued in this way, although the Morganian coped with the pressure of the Kushiban's training ever better and better as time went on. By the end of the second month, he was no longer falling asleep as the two meditated together in the gardens, and not much later the sparring sessions were resumed.

What worried him, though, was how little he and the Master talked. With master Reznan, there was a friendship in the master-student relationship, a degree of understanding between them. Master TekMi, on the other hand, never said anything to him that wasn't related directly to his training. Through everything, she remained aloof, only seeing him in their scheduled training sessions and rarely doing anything more than pointing out his errors and telling him how to correct them. By the time his 17th birthday came around a few months later, the Morganian was starting to feel a definite void left there where the friendship of his master had been.

It would seem that the two would really talk for the first time eventually, though, as Insway finished his meditation on a mid-Nelona evening...

Despite the little connection the two shared, Insway had grown accustomed to the signature of Master TekMi in the force, accustomed enough to know when she was coming his way. He had already washed up for the evening and was preparing to take to bed, yet her approach was unmistakable in the force, and he had no choice but to wait patiently for the Jedi Master to make her way to his room.

In the few minutes he had to wait for her, Insway's thoughts couldn't help but turn to questioning the reason for her visit. She had been training him nearly six months now, and had never before seen him outside of the designated training hours on purpose. That she was approaching him now could only mean something had changed, and that something could hold a great degree of worrying matters to the younger Jedi. If she was bringing news of master Reznan this late at night...

He opened the door just as the Kushiban stopped outside, doing his best to keep his mind calm as he welcomed the teacher in. "This is an odd hour, Master TekMi."

[/B] he said, only implying the question of her visit rather than stating it outright.

"We have lost contact with Reznan, Insway."[/B] the Kushiban stated simply, though her words still manage to hit him with the force of a torpedo. He spun to face her, disbelief clear on his face, suddenly a tumult of emotions he knew he should have had under control.

"Lost contact? You mean master Reznan has become one with the force?"[/B] he asked far more calmly than he felt.

"I do not believe so, not considering the mission he was on. But, whether he has or not, I do not believe he will be returning to us very soon. It could be months, but it will more likely be years. Many years."[/B] she said. For all the concern in her voice, one might think she was talking about the colors on the wall. "I have already spoken to the Jedi Council, and they have agreed to allow me to complete your training. You are fortunate for this. In most of these cases, a student is far more likely to be sent to one of the corps."[/B]

The reminder wasn't necessary, though. He knew all too well what happened more often than not in situations like this. His concern right then, though, was for his now former master. Even if he would no longer be taught by the Cathar, he still considered the gentle warrior a friend. Before he had time to voice his concerns, though, the Kushiban continued speaking. "Now, get your rest in. You are my student now, and there is much you have left to learn. Unless you want to be a Padawan for another 10 years, that is. Good evening, Insway."[/B]

It was another surprise. She had never called him by his name before. "Good evening..."[/B] He hesitated for a moment, but when he spoke, it was with surety and confidence. "...master."[/B]
[/Quote]

The change between TekMi the teacher and TekMi the master was quite a surprise to Insway. It wasn't that she had been cold to him before, but it finally felt like she was actively taking part in his training. Previously, it had been as if the Padawan had nothing more than a teacher giving him orders and correcting his mistakes. That very next day, however, he discovered what it was like when Master TekMi started to try and help him grow. The training was still incredibly difficult, and the master was still quick to point out his errors, but her lessons had taken on a whole new dimension. The pair was now finally communicating with each other, and slowly but surely, a real master-student relationship was beginning to develop.

After a few months, the Jedi Master declared Insway ready to finally start training in an advanced lightsaber form. Though she was quick to point out that he was far from anything close to mastery of Shii-Cho, she was also quick to point out that the determination form was wholly unsuited to his personality and strong points. Evidently, she and his previous master had taken note of his strengths, and discussed at length the lightsaber styles that might suit him.

First had come Makashi, yet it took only one morning of the master trying to educate the student on the fencing form for them both to admit that his skill was nowhere near good enough for him to learn the form. Though he possessed the dexterity and focus for the form, his personality kept interfering as he tried to learn, and it became clear that he would never be a true fencer. Somewhat idly, the master noted that Insway might be able to learn the form over many years, but that she still didn't believe it was suited to him.

The next form TekMi tried to teach the Padawan was Soresu. It didn't take long for him to prove quite adept at it, with his incredible ability to focus, force endurance and speed, yet there was a problem with this form as well. He soon discovered that his mind became bored as he practiced the form, a symptom of patience that still had some degree of growth to do. On mentioning this to his master, though, she was quick to declare that she knew just what form would suit him.

She revealed to him that he didn't possess the aggressive nature of an Ataru user, nor the physical presence suited to Djem So, but he did possess one thing he could apply to his lightsaber combat. The master told the student how the skilled practitioner of Niman often used his mind in combat, outsmarting an opponent rather than outsparring him. Where he lacked the natural talent of a lightsaber duelist, he would make up for it by applying his greater than average intelligence. This, combined with his superior speed and quickly developing talents to sense matters through the force, she believed, would see him become quite skilled with Niman.

It was said at the time that Niman practitioners were often the Jedi who did not wish to focus on lightsaber combat, and instead had other pursuits that interested them. Yet after a month, Insway would not believe a word of such sayings. He had expected an easy form that he would learn gradually, yet TekMi was pushing him day and night with the art. According to her, she was not planning on seeing him to Knighthood if he was going to treat Niman as a form for the easygoing Jedi.

If there was one thing Insway might have found to complain about, had it been in his nature to do so, it would have been the monotony to his life as a student under Master TekMi. As a teacher at the Jedi Temple, she never left Coruscant, or rarely even the temple itself, and as such, the student got fairly little real life experience. Granted, the master did keep his training both pressing and interesting, but it was still only training. It would not be until his 19th birthday that the pair would go on a mission together.

The experience was an interesting one, as he got chance first hand just how different his new master was to his old. TekMi, ever the consular, proved quite an interesting Master to observe and assist, and incredibly capable in her tasks. Yet one mission wasn't enough, and on their return to Coruscant she revealed to Insway that she would be sending him on missions with other Jedi Knights where she could, and even on his own once she believed he was ready for it.

And so it was that another new chapter in his training began. Though missions were still few and far in between, the Padawan found himself living far closer to the will of the force while he was out and about in the galaxy, performing services for the Jedi Order and the galaxy in general. Yet it was another year before an encounter of great significance occurred in his life...

"It was a pleasure to be of service, Master Jujona, Padawan Lei. May the force be with you further."

[/B] He waved in greeting to the pair as his transport departed to take him further into the city. The three of them had just returned from helping during a disaster on Abregado, yet even as their transport ship landed on Coruscant new instructions had arrived for the other two. As it was, Insway was returning to the Jedi Temple alone.

It was as he moved away from the doorway into the quiet cabin that he tensed, his force senses warning him. His lightsaber was already out, but the shadow that had appeared in the compartment with him had been to quick, blasting the weapon from his hand with a wave of force energy, drawing the weapon to his own hand. Yet, in that fleeting moment that his opponent had used the force, Insway had recognized his presence in the force.

"Master Reznan?"[/B] he asked tentatively to the shadowy figure. There was no question to it, though. Even in that glimpse, he had been able to recognize the familiar presence of his master. It was different, though, as if he had sensed it through a dirty filter, as if there was more than his master's presence to it. For the moment, though, he was too concerned about why the Jedi Guardian had approached him in such secrecy.

"I am impressed, my old student. It seems I was wrong when I said you were merely talented in sensing through the force, as your abilities are well above what I expected. Listen, I do not have much time to speak..."[/B]

"You said that last time as well, master, and ended up never coming back."[/B] the Morganian reminded him, a little more harshly than he should have.

"I'm sorry, my Padawan, but I discovered things on my mission that prompted my disappearance. I fear, my student, that the Jedi who sent me on this mission is working against the Jedi Order from inside. I need your help."[/B]

"You mean a dark Jedi, within the order? I doubt that, master. The Council would have felt something."[/B]

"You mean like you can feel my presence now?"[/B] his master answered. It was true, though. Even though he could see his master in front of him, there was no evidence of him in the force. Insway probed with his feelings, yet felt nothing. "You see, my student? I can hide here, even though I am standing right in front of you, and I am nowhere near as skilled as the Jedi I speak of."[/B]

Despite his master's words, despite all of the trust he still held in the Cathar's judgment, Insway could feel through the force that something was very wrong about this moment. He kept his concerns to himself, though. "What it is you would have me do, master?"[/B] he asked, somewhat tentatively.

"Jedi Knight Trin Yib, she was the Jedi who requested that I be assigned to this mission. She is the one I speak of. I want you to convince her to come with you to Tython in two standard week's time. There, I will make her reveal her true nature."[/B]

"Wouldn't it be better to bring your case before the Council, master? I could take you to them, or tell them at least."[/B] he stated.

"No, Insway. They will not believe a Jedi who has been missing for three years. Tell nobody about this, but do as I say. This is very important for the Order. Now, I must go."[/B] Before Insway could respond, the Cathar had opened the entry port and leapt out, his presence as absent in the force as it had been during their whole conversation.
[/Quote]

Young as he might have been, the Padawan was not blind to the will of the force. He was fully intent on telling his master everything that had transpired on the trip. As if thoughts of the Kushiban had drawn her to him, he had barely stepped off the transport in front of the temple before he heard her voice from near his feet. "So it was Reznan that I felt."

[/B]

"Something about him is different. I am not sure he is acting of his own free will anymore, master."[/B] responded the student. "Do you think he might have fallen to the dark side?"[/B] he suggested.

"I do not believe so. It is something else that you felt. But you are right, he is no longer choosing his actions. What did he have to say to you?"[/B] the master asked, leading the way up the steps of the Jedi Temple.

"He wants me to take Maya's master to Tython in a week’s time. He says that she is a dark Jedi, acting from within the order, and that he will force her to reveal herself there. She's the one..."[/B]

"...who requested his mission, yes. Jedi Yib is an investigator, and a good one at that. This matter is starting to make sense to me."[/B]

That was a surprise to the Morganian, who still had no idea what was going on, a fact he mentioned to the senior Jedi. "Go wait for me in our usual sparring chamber. I must find Jedi Yib, and address the Jedi Council. I will find you there soon, and all will be made clear to you."[/B] With that, the Jedi Master departed, purpose clear in her stride.

With no reason to do anything different to the instruction of his master, Insway found his way to the dueling chamber, though he did run into Maya on the way. The Diathim Jedi Padawan was three years his junior, but had still become a good friend of his. After telling her that her master might be involved in something, she was eager to accompany him to the room where he was to wait, providing company he was pleased to have.

The pair spent the hour or so they had to wait talking idly on matters of the force, recent missions and fellow students. The talk was light, though, something Insway appreciated, as he was in no mood to divulge to her his encounter with Jedi Reznan. Though he still believed the Cathar to be a good-natured Jedi, he knew that the Knight's reputation had not done well because of his disappearance from the order.

When master TekMi arrived a while after the sun had set, she was not alone. Insway was somewhat surprised by the sheer number of Jedi accompanying her, almost beginning to wonder whether the room had perhaps been booked for a sparring tournament. It was not so, though, as the 4 Jedi were obviously following the Jedi Master's lead. The Kushiban was not the first to speak, though.

"I suspected we would find you already waiting here, my student."[/B] It was the raspy voice of the Jedi Trin Yib, his friend's master. A tall humanoid, she had apparently been one of the Vahla before she had ended up with the Jedi order, nearly twenty years prior. Insway was somewhat familiar with her, having spent much of his free time at the temple training with Maya. He had not known of her involvement in his former master's mission, though.

After the group of arriving Jedi had finally sidled into the room, the Jedi Master took over. She started off by introducing the newly arrived Jedi to the two students, but skipped over any further pleasantries, something that Insway had gotten used to from her. "For the sake of those of you who were not with us during our session with the Council, I will recount the events leading up to this mission in its entirety. If you do not mind hearing everything again, Jedi Yib?"[/B] The Vahla responded with a gracious nod, prompting the Kushiban to continue.

"Three years ago, Jedi Knight Yib was performing an investigation on a slave trade at the borders of Republic Space, near Kinyen. Her efforts there were made difficult, however, as she was unable to discover anything of the organization she was investigating from without. It was because of this that she requested Knight Reznan to pursue a Shadow mission, to infiltrate the syndicate so that its true nature could be revealed. As you are all aware, though, Knight Reznan did not return from his investigation, and has been unheard of since by all of us, with the exception of one."[/B]

As his master's eyes fell upon him, he felt every head in the room turn towards him. Despite having stood in front of the Jedi High Council in the past, he had never been the center of attention quite like this. It was enough to make him feel queasy. "Earlier today, Knight Reznan came to Coruscant and approached his former student while he was on his way back to the temple, alone. He told Insway that he believed Jedi Yib to be a Dark Jedi, operating from within the order, and asked him to take her with him to Tython in a week's time, so that he could unmask her for what she really was."

"Yet I and my student felt a change to Knight Reznan, and the High Council has agreed with our conclusion that he is no longer acting on his own accord, nor is he functioning in compliance with the will of the force. Though we do not believe the Knight has fallen to the dark side, there is something unusual about his presence."

"As matters stand, we are forming this mission in the hopes of revealing the truth surrounding this mystery. Jedi Yib, Padawan Maya and Insway will travel directly to Tython to await contact with Reznan. The rest of us will depart Coruscant and take a round-about route to Tython. There, we will wait in orbit until we are required."[/B]

"Then you suspect that Tython is a trap? And we will be attempting to turn the trap on those who have set it?" voiced one of the Jedi Insway knew only by name.

"It is so indeed. Master Ven'han, you have a question?"[/B]

"Yes, master TekMi. By my count, there are three Padawan, two Knights and two Masters going on this mission. This is quite a large group of Jedi you have assembled. It will be an especially difficult task to hide this large group of Jedi, yet I expect you, and the Council, considered this fact. This leads me to the conclusion that you believe such a large group is necessary."

"There is more to this than Knight Reznan, master TekMi?"[/B] It was the Vahla Knight that voiced the question which occupied the atmosphere around them.

"We are uneasy about this mission, Jedi Yib."[/B] the Kushiban began, before turning her eyes towards the ceiling, as if she was looking to find an answer to a pressing question etched in the glazed ceiling tiles. "As you know, we are currently constructing a temple on Tython. While not the busiest system in the Republic, there is enough Jedi traffic going through the region to make it an unwise choice for an attempt such as this. Until we know why our opponent is so confident, we are taking precautions."

"We are fortunate, though. The presence of multiple force sensitives on the planet as well as in the sector will help mask our presence there. Now, if that is all, I would like all of you to get a good rest in."[/B] The Jedi in the room all nodded a vague affirmative and a 'good night' before departing, though Insway had only just joined the group bundling out of the door when his master called to him. "Not you, Insway. We haven't had a session today, yet."[/B]
[/Quote]


The hyperspace journey to Tython wasn't exactly eventful. In fact, as far as Insway could tell, everything about the mission was business as usual. Though he knew he shouldn't have expected anything different, he couldn't help but feel that an impending encounter with a Jedi Knight intent on trapping the three of them deserved more pomp and ceremony. Instead, most of the trip was spent either in meditation, or with Insway joining master Yib and Maya in practice.

The Diathim Padawan had always been superior to him with a lightsaber, even though she was his younger by a few years. He had hoped he would be able to make up a few bouts against her with his newly acquired Niman form, yet all he managed was to scrape a few wins in towards the end of each sparring session. Though by no means unfit, it was obvious that Reznan and TekMi's harsh endurance training had put him a step above his winged friend, though that didn't exactly make up for the fact that he was still obviously no match for her in a straight match.

He did, however, quite enjoy master Yib's appreciation for his technique and methodology. It seemed the investigator was quite impressed that he managed to hold out so long against the imposing Diathim, who stood near a foot higher than either of them, and was by far the bulkier in build. Apparently, his perception of her impending attacks was ahead of the curve for his level, a quality she intended to speak to Master TekMi on about improving. The praise, though, was little to reassure him. He was still quite aware that the three of them were sticking their heads' into the jaws of a trap, and he was the weakest combatant of them all.

Their arrival on Tython was as equally unremarkable as their departure from Coruscant had been, though they were at least greeted by a few of the local Jedi Corps representatives helping out with the temple construction. It was indeed as his master had predicted, as with the sheer number of force sensitives on the surface and in the sector he doubted anyone but a master would be able to tell who was coming and going. In fact, try as he might, he was unable to find a trace of the four Jedi who were waiting up in space for them to make contact with Reznan. Even though Insway could find his master's presence in the mass of force presences that was the Jedi temple on Coruscant, he had no luck here.

For a moment he considered mentioning his findings to the two Jedi with him, yet even as the thought crossed his mind he berated himself for having it. The chance was good that they were already being watched, and mentioning Master TekMi and her team would certainly tip their opponents off. Instead, the Morganian decided to focus his attention on something that he might actually be of use with: trying to ferret out the presence of his former master. He'd spent a good few years with the Cathar, and of everyone on the mission, he knew only his new teacher would have an easier time of finding Reznan among the many Jedi signatures. Even so, he anticipated that the Knight would be hiding his presence again, as he had on Coruscant.

It was this expectation that caused him to be surprised when he found that the Knight was not hiding at all. In fact, it took him only a few seconds to discern the presence of the Knight, no more than twenty-odd miles from them where they stood. He was quick to draw Knight Yib's attention to this presence, who immediately requested a transport from the local Corps unit. The journey took them less than 15 minutes...

"Whatever we find waiting for us in there, remember your training. If something happens and we do get separated, trust your instincts and the force."

[/B] It wasn't exactly an ominous warning, but there was a definite sense of anticipated trepidation to the multi-story temple they stood before. It appeared to be a now-abandoned site where the Jedi Order had met during its earliest years. The mighty white columns that lined the entranceway were alternated with statues of force users and fencers of old, though most were barely recognizable after millennia of disrepair. Even so, there was a definite sense of latent force energy about the place.

It was with a cautious gait that Insway made up the rear guard of the party, following in the wake of the intensely focused Jedi Knight and her determined student. Though he knew they were supposed to keep up the pretense that this would be nothing but a civilized meeting, and that they trio of Jedi did not fully know they were walking into a trap, he saw no harm in moving with caution. From what he could feel of his former master through the force, the Knight was fully aware of their presence, and not at all concerned about it. Even so, the Padawan still felt the same presence he had on Coruscant, as if the Reznan he knew had been covered by a thin film of something that wasn't him. It was a bit of a worry.

The Knight was waiting for them in the large central chamber, it seemed, and not at all bothering to hide. As Insway, Maya and Knight Yib entered the room, the Cathar stood in full view of them, waiting near the center of the domed hall. It was obvious that they were the only concerns of his attention, though, the Knight focusing quite intently upon them. "You have done well, my former Padawan."[/B] the Cathar intoned, his voice the familiar purr it had always been. The student could tell that there was focus, and strain, in the voice. The former was no surprise, but the second was a matter of interest to the Morganian. "Welcome, Trin."[/B]

"Let us not dance around in conversation, Reznan. I know you find little value in idle conversation, like myself. Tell me what business it is that you have with me."[/B] Though he was mindful of the conversation going on between the two Knights, there was a familiar tickling sensation to the Padawan's attention that he knew he daren't ignore. It had been the force that had allowed him to find Reznan's presence so quickly, and now it beckoned for his attention again. Cautiously, the Morganian allowed his attention to widen, allowing his feelings to stretch out around him.

Tython was a planet fundamental to the Jedi Order, a cornerstone in the history of the peacekeepers of the galaxy. Despite the millennia it had been practically devoid of Jedi, the locale still reminded him quite a bit of the Jedi Temple he had called home for so long. The light side of the force permeated everything, the very structure around him, from the crumpled columns to the marble seats that filled the hall. It was this, at first, that Insway believed the force was trying to show him. Yet, with the growing sense of urgency he could feel, the Padawan knew he was missing the point. He tried what he could, trying to look deeper, then wider, yet feeling nothing out of place.

"It is so indeed. Master Yib, could you please tell me what your motivations were in sending me undercover? How familiar were you, exactly, with the operation you were sending me to infiltrate?"[/B]

Insway found his master's words somewhat peculiar. It almost seemed as if the Cathar was going to keep the game going, and not going to reveal what was really going on. This was a nuisance, but he decided to let the Knights sort each other out while he worried about what he was supposed to be feeling that he wasn't.

It came to him like the stench of an unbathed Bantha. 'Not what I'm feeling...what I'm not.'[/I]

There were three distinct areas in the chamber where the overwhelming aura of the light side wasn't present, black holes where he could feel nothing. He doubted that it was coincidence that these three areas were in deep masses of shadow, where the sunlight filtering in from outside came nowhere near. As if his realization had triggered it, there was a sudden disturbance in the force, as if the path leading from one of the shadows towards them was being upset by movement. A path that lead straight to Maya.

As if by instinct, the blue bar of energy that was his lightsaber came to life inbetween the shadow and his friend. It was quite a surprise, however, to find Trin's yellow lightsaber blade was there with his, the pair blocking a bar of red light that materialized quite suddenly right next to the youngest of the trio. There was a second's surprise on the wielder's face, but he recovered quickly, taking several steps back and taking up a guarding posture.

"You were supposed to wait until I gave the order."[/B]

Judging by his voice, the Cathar was not pleased at all. Even so, he seemed to accept the way things had gone, his own lightsabers already out and ready. It was disturbing, however, how much his voice had changed, now resembling far closer to a growl than anything Insway had ever heard from the Knight. What was most shocking, though, was that Reznan had truly planned to attack them. He would have given the order. It was almost unbelievable that the beacon of light that Insway had once held so much respect for would turn on them so. For a moment, he wondered whether he would be skilled enough to fight the Cathar to a standstill while he convinced the former Knight to give up this new errant venture. His attention quickly returned to the present, though, as several more lightsabers lit up from the shadows.

The light was enough to allow him to discern that the trio of Jedi was outnumbered 5 to three, something he considered a bit of a worry, especially considering that they were up against a duelist as skilled as Reznan. He doubted that Trin and Maya combined would be able to defeat the Cathar, never mind what would happen should their attentions be divided. Insway couldn't help but reach out through the force again, this time to the giant area of space surrounding the planet where their reinforcements lay in wait. He still couldn't feel them.

"One of them felt me...I could tell..." the Rodian that had lead the first attack responded.

The Cathar responded with a confused look, before a smirk crept onto his features. "Insway? You have grown quite a bit since we parted ways. Why, I remember the days you had trouble sensing the difference between a Jedi and a common civilian through the force."[/B] After a few seconds of letting his gaze rest on the Morganian, the Cathar turned his attention to the Vahla Knight once again. "Not that I believe there is much chance of you agreeing to do so, but I might as well ask. Trin, surrender to me now and you will all three be spared."[/B]

"Oh, and before you decide..." the first attacker piped up again, "...you should know that your reinforcements are not going to get here in time. Yes, Jedi, we were fully aware of the ship you had parked in space. They are a little occupied, right now, however."

"You are arrogant and foolish. Even with those few Jedi tied up, this is still a planet filled with individuals loyal to the Jedi Order. Do you really believe your trap will succeed?"[/B]

"You are the fool, Jedi, for this is not a trap. This is murder."[/B]

The chamber came to life quite suddenly, though Insway was prepared for it. He only caught a glimpse of the Cathar moving in on the Vahla, though, before he had to turn his attention to his own battle. His Diathim friend had taken to wing the moment the Cathar had moved, her intent apparently to move on two of their would-be killers that had emerged from the same shadow towards the front of the chamber with her extended lightsaber. That left Insway against the last two, the one up close and the other further back.

He quickly engaged the bragging warrior that had felt Insway feeling them out among the shadows, relying on a mixture of his still unfamiliar Niman and his well trained Shii-Cho. It was quite a surprise to discover, however, that his opponent, while capable of wielding the force, was not very proficient with a lightsaber. Granted, he had definitely had some training in Shii-Cho, but Insway estimated that he would easily have been on par with his opponent during his initial Padawan years. As such, it wasn't long before the Morganian had his opponent on the defensive, backing him up with aggressive Shii-Cho attacks that the man struggled to counter against. A glimpse of Maya caught over his shoulder revealed that she was experiencing much of the same. In fact, the only combatant who seemed to be struggling was the Vahla Knight, who Insway could feel through the force already had several burns to her body.

What was more of a surprise to Insway, though, was that his opponent's friend hadn't joined the battle yet. Granted, if this final warrior was as poor a combatant as his current foe was, it would make little difference, but he had expected at the very least that the rogue would try to help his faltering friend out. Still, Insway was not going to interrupt his opponents to point out their mistake.

Even so, he knew that the general direction of the battle was still skewed against them to quite some degree. The battle between the two Knights was a far different story to the skirmishing between the Padawan and Reznan's accomplices. Though she was holding out, Insway could tell that Trin was fighting from a ragged edge against a superior duelist, and he knew that as soon as the Cathar finished her off, the two learners would quickly be overwhelmed. And still, what bothered him most was the single opponent that stood idly by, doing nothing to help his friend.

As if to test a theory, Insway spun out from an attack against his opponent, aiming a quick set of slashes against the fifth duelist. Though the blond-haired human countered perfectly easily, he did not pursue Insway as the Morganian spun back into his own duel. Three more times the Morganian tried, and failed to goad the final warrior to engage. Granted, the duelist seemed skilled. His parries had all been perfect, as if it had been no struggle at all to predict and defeat the Padawan's attack. From the few movements he had seen, the Morganian could tell that the blond force-user was far more skilled than his current opponent. Why he was doing nothing, though, Insway couldn't tell.

His attention returned once again to the battle between the Knights, and Insway could feel the balance shift even more towards Reznan's victory. He knew he had to assist the Investigator, even though he was certain lending his own weight to the fight would only stave off the inevitable some more. Making up his mind, he made an intentional mistake, certain his opponent would try to capitalize and counter. He did, and for a few seconds Insway was forced to fend off a set of determined attacks.

The Padawan waited in his defense, allowing his foe's slashes to grow ever closer, yet keeping him just far enough. Then, just as the warrior was about to attack again, he used his superior speed to move back, inducing the man to over reach, trying to make the tip of his blade reach the torso of the Padawan. It wasn't enough, though, and just as the blade swept past, Insway stepped in, his blue lightsaber blinking out of existence. The wild Shii-Cho slash had too much energy to be reversed, leaving his opponent near completely open. In a blink, Insway was standing right next to him, his fist flashing up to make contact with the man's chin. Despite making direct contact, the Morganian wasn't strong enough to knock the bulkier being out with a single blow, and had to follow his attack up with a knife-hand to the throat and a palm to the temple before the duelist crumpled to the floor. Insway didn't bother to check what his handiwork had done, instead spinning around quickly and dashing to join the battle between Trin and Reznan.

He was somewhat surprised, however, to find an immense wave of force energy crashing into him from the front, one he hadn't felt coming until it had almost collided with him. It was enough to knock him down only a few feet away from where his former opponent lay. He was quick to his feet again, though, but before he had even taken a step towards the battling Knights, his path was blocked. The blonde, bulky man had finally decided to join the fight.

For a moment, that is what it seemed at least, though it quickly proved to not be the case. Insway launched a renewed, and far more determined set of attacks against him, and again he was met with only token resistance. Though he couldn't be sure, he did get the feeling that the blonde man was only lending a small amount of his attention to Insway, and his attention was instead focused on something else.

Even so, there was little the Morganian could do. He tried hopping between his Niman and Shii-Cho, force-based attacks and even trying to get into range to attack with hands and feet, yet the blonde duelist’s defense remained solid. It seemed to be nothing more than a wall, preventing the junior force user from aiding his fellow Jedi. Insway couldn't get around, nor could he go through. Even in trying to reach out to the other battle through the force was he rebuked.

Frustrated, Insway started throwing more and more of his energy into attacking the man that barred his way. It helped little though, as the warrior easily continued to match him. What made the situation even more exasperating, though, was the way the battle between the Knights had turned. The Investigator was now sporting several deep gashes, and Insway could sense that she was growing ever closer to depleting her energy reserve. Maya was still in the process of subduing her two opponents, who had apparently been proving a handful, and so seemed ignorant of the plight her master was in.

His attention was split between his own battle, and that of the Knights. With every block or parry, Insway couldn't help but fear that the move had been the Vahla's last. It was not until he thought that the Knight would not last another ten seconds that the pain suddenly erupted.

All thoughts of the Knight lost, Insway looked down to his own left shoulder, where a cauterized lightsaber wound was now present. In disbelief, he looked around, wondering where his attacker had suddenly disappeared to. In the whole time that he had been trying to get past the blonde man, it had never occurred to him that he himself had been in danger. The riposte had come out of nowhere, yet it had seemed so effortless to his foe.

Insway caught a glimpse of him, kneeling next to his downed ally, before he disappeared into a shadowy doorway at the opposite end of the hallway to where the trio of Jedi had entered less than twenty minutes prior. A few seconds later, Insway couldn't help but grow morbid at the sight of a bulky figure following him into the shadows, Reznan. If he was leaving, that meant that he more than likely had succeeded in his goal.

Despite the searing pain of his own wound, Insway kept himself upright long enough to catch a glimpse of Trin Yib's body. His feet dragged, but the Morganian bit down and made his way to her. Yet, as he went, he could feel that she wasn't dead, although he suspected she was closer to death than he was. He had no idea what he could do for her once he reached her, but he continued on, pushing his body that was begging him to let go and collapse. A moment later, though, he felt his movement go easier. It took him a moment to realize that he was being assisted, a firm hand grasping him under his shoulder. He turned his head, and couldn't help but smile at seeing Master Ven'Han's face. As he looked ahead again to the body of the Knight, he spotted the furry figure of his own teacher by her side.

Their reinforcements had arrived.

As if the realization was enough to relieve him of all the cares he bore, his mind went blank, and with the elder Jedi aiding him to the floor, he felt unconsciousness take him once again.
[/Quote]

It was with a startle that the Padawan woke this time. He had been waking and falling asleep on and off for several days now, with a myriad of faces and environments surrounding in his brief moments of consciousness every time. This time, he recognized the room as the infirmary of the transport they had taken to Tython. Lying on his side, he could see the figure of Jedi Yib on a bed next to his. He was relieved to see her chest moving, a sure sign that the Knight was still alive.

"Awake, my student?"

[/B]

The Morganian used his right arm to heave himself into a seated position on the bed, before moving himself back a little so that he could rest against the wall. "How is master Yib?"[/B]

"Exhausted, a little beat up, but alive. I believe we both have you to thank for this, Master TekMi?"[/B] the Knight said from the next bed, though by the lack of movement from her body anyone could easily believe she was still asleep.

"Well, now that the both of you are awake, I would like to hear everything that you perceived. We have already spoken to Maya, but she has not been able to give us much to go on. Master Yib, if I could have your account first..."[/B]
[/Quote]


The Kushiban Master kept them occupied with recounting the details of the encounter, pressing both with questions as far as they went. For several hours, Trin, and then Insway, tried to remember every detail as they went along, everything they had seen, heard, experienced and felt. Insway was almost impressed that his master was able to drag the retelling of an event that had felt like mere moments to him into something that lasted so long, though he was quite disheartened at how many details the Kushiban asked for that neither he nor the Knight could recall. The Master seemed unfazed, though, and continued the questioning, though Insway could tell by the scowl on her face and the slight gray tinge to her coat that the Jedi did not like what she was hearing. Despite having heard both his own and Trin's accounts in detail, though, there was still a lot the Padawan didn't understand. It would not be until they had returned to Coruscant, though, that TekMi would fill in the gaps for him.

They had started training again the very day they had returned, though mercifully nothing extreme. In fact, Insway was almost appreciative of the furry Jedi Master seated in the training room with him, who had been helping him with his healing techniques to help him get his shoulder back in shape faster. Despite having only been at it a few days, the wound was already quite a bit shallower than it had originally been. Even so, it was only the physical wound that was healing so far. Inside, the Padawan was still confused, and more pressingly, disheartened. Even as he sat there, meditating with his master, the feelings were washing over him, quite far from being fully under his control. Worst of it all, he knew his master could tell his state without much effort.

"Master?"

[/B]

"Yes, Insway, I still do not believe Reznan has turned to the dark side."[/B] Her words brought only a very slight relief to him, though it was a relief. Though he wasn't sure what it really meant, at least he knew he and his master were still thinking along the same lines.

"Then my opponent..."[/B]

"Yes. I am not sure how, but he has seemingly affected the mind of Reznan, enough so that my old student is capable of attacking a fellow Knight. It seems, though, that it requires a lot of his focus to keep Reznan under control."[/B]

Insway had come to a very similar conclusion over the past few days. At first, it had brought him hope, hope that his former master could be returned to the fold. Yet, the more he had meditated on it, the more he had realized what a difficulty it was, especially because of what it meant of their true foe. At first, Insway had thought him a lackey that had banded together with his master, yet it had become clear that the blonde man had been the one who orchestrated the events on Tython.

"Our opponent is a difficult one, master."[/B]

"What conclusions have you reached, to make you say this?"[/B] Her tone was enough to reveal that she agreed with him, but was still curious to see how much he had figured out for himself.

"The wound he inflicted on me could easily have been a fatal one, but was intentionally not. He only wanted to put me on the verge of dying. He was buying himself time to escape. He knew you were close by."[/B]

The Kushiban nodded in response, waiting for a few seconds before speaking in turn. "It is so. I had hoped he would continue to believe that we were all still in space, where he had sent two freighters to engage us, yet he detected that Master Ven'Han and I had made it to the planet."[/B] At that, Insway gave the master a confused look, before realization swept across his face.

"You didn't travel with the other Knights?"[/B]

"Indeed not. Master Ven'Han and I are both Jedi skilled at concealing our presence in the force, a skill we used to make our way to Tython ahead of you, undetected."[/B]

"And you didn't tell us so that we wouldn't tip off Reznan when we encountered him."[/B]

"Correct again. With all three of you believing help would come from space, they couldn't help but be convinced that they had no immediate threat to them on the planet."[/B]

"Which they didn't. It took you and master Ven'Han quite a while to arrive..."[/B]

"A by-product of the technique. We could not reach out to you through the force when you arrived without revealing ourselves to them, and so we had to wait for you to become engaged in battle before we could figure out where you were. Even with transport ready, it still took us a while to reach you."[/B] the master explained.

"That man is fortunate he felt you coming when he did. I assume a few seconds longer and you would have been too close for him to escape."[/B]

"No. Things happened exactly as they were meant to happen. If he had not felt us when he did, he would have continued pressing his attack against Jedi Yib, and she would now be dead. I would not exchange her life for capturing him so easily."[/B]

"I'm sorry. You are right, master. But that doesn't leave us much closer to figuring out who he was."[/B]

"We were able to determine something, though. You remember the man you downed during the battle? Whilst his brain had been completely destroyed by some force-based attack, I presume to hide details of the operation, we were able to identify him."[/B]

"He was on Republic records?"[/B]

"No. He was on ours. Juniper Snell was once a youngling here. He was never taken as a Padawan, though, and instead joined the Exploration Corps. He disappeared a few years ago, though, a little before Reznan did. And now we know why."[/B]

It was a troubling revelation, though an enlightening one. It explained much about his opponent on Tython, including how Insway's comparatively ineffectual lightsaber skills had managed to lend him victory. It was not this fact that sprang to the emerging Jedi's mind first, though. "Master...I was on a mission with Master Jujona the other day. She was particularly troubled by..."[/B]

"...the recent rise of deserters among the Corps. I reached the same conclusion as you have, it seems. Although we have always had a trickle of force-sensitives leaving the Corps of their own account, the number has risen over the last ten years. It would seem this blond menace has been recruiting from our number without us realizing it."[/B]

"Only former younglings so far, fortunately. We should thank the force they aren't all fully trained Jedi."[/B] Insway commented, though after a moment's thought and by the look on his master's face, his words had been badly chosen.

"You would do well to remember that not all younglings who are sent to the Corps are sent there because they lack the skill to become Jedi. In fact, I have done some research on some of the recent leavers, and I have found a disturbing trend. The majority of the new number that is abandoning the Corps were younglings who were struggling to find peace with the Jedi philosophy during their time at the temple. They may be untrained, but they do have the potential to become a considerable threat."[/B]

"Do you believe he is controlling these converts the same way that he is controlling Reznan?"[/B]

"I find it unlikely, although we will have to find out exactly how he is controlling Reznan to be sure. It is a fact, however, that some former younglings grow ireful towards the Order for being turned away. I doubt it would take much to persuade a well-picked member of the Corps."[/B]

Insway's thoughts were dark. In a galaxy mired with political struggle, ever increasing levels of conflict between the Republic and the empires bordering it, and crime in general, he knew that this would be a trouble the Jedi would be hard pressed to find the numbers to fully combat. He knew they would be able to patch a few holes, and in time, discover the true identity of their foe, but he also knew that this problem would not likely get the full attention it deserved.

He also knew one last thing: He knew that every Jedi would have to do his duty. The time for being a tag-along student had come to an abrupt end.

"What would you have me do, master?"[/B]
[/Quote]

[SlipLihte]

Chapter IV: Part I : I, Jedi

1365-13 AHW: Later Padawan Years, Jedi Trials, Early Knighthood



Over the next few months, Insway started developing a theory. His theory was that every time something significant change took place in his life, things tended to get a whole lot more difficult. As with both his first and second apprenticeship, the greater part of the next year saw the Morganian struggle greatly. The difference, of course, was that he was no longer in training. At least, he didn't see himself as still in training. While he knew he was nowhere near ready to face the Jedi Trials yet, he also knew that there was little left for him to learn in a spar or in the safety of the temple. He needed experience, and he was getting it in overabundance.

It turned out that Master TekMi had been put in charge of the operation, with Master Ven'Han and Jedi Yib permanently assigned to help her. All things considered, it was a small team, but the Jedi Master seemed at ease with their number. In total, there were 6 of them, although 3 of them were still students. The pressing concern with this to Insway was that he was the eldest of the three Padawan. He had never had to set an example before, but now he did.

He had known from his early days he was no solid leader, yet he had grown out of his reasonable timidity to become more comfortable with himself during his later years as a youngling. As such, he grew into his position as eldest of the students quite quickly, and though the argument could be made that he wasn't trying to lead them as much as simply help guide them, Master TekMi did reflect on the matter a few times in private, thanking Insway for the effort he was making toward his fellow students. Granted, this was shortly followed by a reprimand for not having kept up with his studies as well as he should, but it still left him feeling at least a little like he was doing the right thing.

Missions over the next year were considerably erratic, even when compared with the time before his adventure on Tython. He was once again being sent out as much as possible, often with other Knight-Padawan pairs but sometimes not, and always with an assignment of his own to complete to help further TekMi's investigation. Though these weren't always dangerous, they were most certainly always difficult, and the student quickly found himself missing the training days on Coruscant. He found his skill and cunning tested to their limits on almost every mission, and over time, he could even feel himself growing tired due to the exhausted state he often returned in from missions. And, also more often than not, he only had the time of the hyperspace journey home to recover before being sent out again.

After several months, his master had finally managed to find a suitable Master to take over her classes, and started stepping out of her managerial position into a more active one on the team. The Morganian had thought it a blessing at first, as he finally found himself spending much more time assisting his master on missions, yet soon realized that the Kushiban still very much considered him her student. His training picked up again to a new level, and even the hyperspace journeys to and from missions soon offered him no respite.

Even so, it was another period of preternatural growth, one that Insway knew he would benefit from greatly. It also helped that he knew he was approaching the age range within which most Padawan learners were submitted to the Jedi Trials. Though he never dared to ask his Kushiban trainer how close she thought he was to ready, nor really cared much for the prestige most of the galaxy seemed to attribute to a Knight, it did help keep him focused during the harder times, those that brought him to the very edge of being broken.

After the shock he had experienced at his easy defeat on Tython, Insway had, to a degree, redoubled his efforts in combat training. That was not to say that he increased his efforts with a lightsaber, as he had long since learnt the value of playing to one's strengths rather than attempting to minimize your weaknesses, and so instead started focusing on training that would not necessarily make him better at wielding the blade, but rather better at combat in general. Then again, that was not to say that he neglected his lightsaber training either, as he still pushed himself as hard as he could imagine with both Niman and Shii-Cho. And then, we had reached the limit of his imagination and drive, the Kushiban Master stepped in, and pushed him even harder.

As his 21st birthday went by, he found a somewhat interesting difference had come about him. Jedi Yib, as she had promised, had spoken with Master TekMi concerning Insway's apparent talents, and the Kushiban had helped the Padawan develop them. The effect that this growth would have on him, Insway could hardly have expected. He found himself, quite suddenly, an equal to Maya in a spar, and soon after, he managed to defeat her outright with relative ease. Though not one to lose touch with modesty, especially considering that the Diathim was his junior anyway, Insway did accept that the change marked a significant step forward in his training as a Jedi. Finally, after 21 years, the hidden talents of the Morganian were starting to shine.

During a mission to the Hook Nebula with TekMi, Insway proved his natural strength in sensing through the force once again. Force to pursue a lead deep into the Nebula, it fell to the two Jedi on the transport to navigate, using their sense abilities to find a safe path through the dangerous Nebula. With the immense size of the Nebula, and not knowing how deep they would have to travel to follow up their lead, the Master declared that Insway would have to assist in the navigation, as she knew her own strength would not last out the days, and possible weeks, that the trip would take.

In a move that Insway would call the first time ever that he truly impressed his mater, Insway picked up on the method quickly, and proved more than extremely adept at the task at hand, so much so that he lasted a significant deal longer without rest than she had expected. It would be one simple sentence that illustrated the Jedi Master's approval.

"I believe it is time we start readying you for the Trials."

[/B]
[/Quote]


From the very day she had taken over his training she had mentioned the Jedi Trials only a handful of times, and Insway had always been painfully aware that she had never expressed any sentiment towards his ability to take them. What was more important, though, was that her words had confirmed his suspicions: he was finally starting to grow into the role of a Jedi. It wasn't just this one event that had showed the Kushiban, but everything he had displayed over the past few months.

Over the next year and a half, Insway's training started taking a new shape. Though much of the old had remained, there was a new degree to the depth of what TekMi taught. Her concerns, it seemed, had become those of the spirit, rather than skills and force abilities. It was an interesting time for the Padawan, who took the new teachings in as a parched man would take in water, and started to develop a new, deeper friendship with his master. Though the venerable Jedi appeared as enigmatic as ever, he could tell she was finally allowing the student to truly understand her. As Insway had shared his fears and regrets with her, so she started to reveal her past to him, including her own mistakes. Former students, her time as a Council Member nearly a century past, the times shortly after the Mandalorian Wars when she was only a student. It was like a window opening into a new world to the young Jedi.

His preparations for the Jedi Trials continued, though the Master made it clear to him that she would be the judge determining whether he was ready or not. Yet, unbeknownst to both of them, the Trials would be upon Insway before either of them expected it, shortly after his 23rd birthday...

He had been spending a lot of time in the company of his master over the past few months, which made the restful evening he was enjoying even more special. The Kushiban had departed on a covert mission the previous morning, and though he had remained true to his training regimen for most of the time, he had decided to take the evening off. To be fair, he had never really had a vacation during his life, and was quite content with working as much as his physical state would allow. Yet after the pressures of the investigation that he had been helping with, he had decided it wouldn't hurt to take a break.

The temple was a place easy to relax in, if you knew where to go. Obviously, the halls travelled by the younglings as they scampered between classes tended to be a little crowded, as well as some of the central parts of the temple. One needed to head for the fringes, the gardens outside the living areas or the innermost corners of the archives, to find real peace, quiet and solace. Granted, the meditation halls weren't busy, yet they were often quite crowded during the later hours of the day.

Lounging in a garden that was largely abandoned, Insway found himself quite intrigued by the approach of Master Ven'Han, whose force presence he had grown familiar with. Despite having accompanied the elder Jedi on a few missions as part of the investigation, Ven'Han's reclusiveness coupled with Insway's busy training schedule hadn't allowed them much time to talk. The only reason Insway could suspect that the man was approaching him now, would be to alert him of something to do with the investigation. 'But what can be so important for him to seek me out?'

[/I]

The Padawan rose to his feet as the master entered, allowing him time to bow formally before the elder Jedi came close enough to say anything. "Master Ven'Han, is there something I can do for you?"[/B] the Morganian asked as the Master strode toward him.

"Indeed, young Insway. I have an assignment for you. Unfortunately, all our other agents are off world, and I have other responsibilities that force me to remain here for the time being. Even so, I do not believe that this task will be difficult for you. It is quite simple, in fact."[/Color][/B]
[/Quote]


The Jedi Master had not been exaggerating. Evidently, Jedi Yib had uncovered evidence of a ship that had been detected near the systems where the Jedi Corps was most active. She had also learnt that the ship regularly stopped in the Farrfin sector for supplies and repairs. Unfortunately, she was too far away and had too many other pressing matters to attend to, but she did believe that investigating the lead was important. As such, it had fallen to the young Jedi-to-be to be the one to investigate this mysterious craft.

The journey to Farrfin was uneventful, though slower than the Morganian would have liked. Knowing that a Republic Ship in Farrfin space would attract himself far too much attention, he had been forced to make use of a civilian transport line, one which required that he change ship every four or five stops. Even so, he found the notion that his arrival at Farrfin would go largely unnoticed an attractive one. Oddly, his senses had been tingling since the moment he had sensed Master Ven'Han's approach, and it gave him the feeling that remaining unnoticed while on this mission would be a very good thing.

Upon arriving at the cylindrical station that served as the hub for space transport in the Farrfin system, Insway made his way onto the station as anonymously as he could manage, making sure to first make his way to the ticketing station to book himself space on a transport that would only depart in several hours. It was a flimsy excuse to be lingering on the station, but it would be better than not having an excuse at all should his presence be discovered.

He had only a rudimentary description of the ship to go on, and so had opened himself to the guidance of the force as he walked the corridors of the station. He had quickly felt its pull, the guidance of the force compelling him towards the top-end of the cylindrical station, a place he found far too quiet for his liking. Soon, he realized he was one of very few beings active on the upper floors, and decided that he could no longer risk walking around openly and hoping he would be mistaken for an annoying tourist should he be discovered. He slipped into the shadows, using a technique he had only just started learning from his master to subdue his presence in the force.

Visiting a few control rooms as he made his way through the shadows, he eventually found the information he was looking for, implanted in the mind of one of the technicians on station. Evidently, there was one ship docked that had been purposefully omitted from all station databases. Though his telepathic abilities were still far from matured, Insway managed to glean enough from the technician's mind to know he had found what he was looking for.

Even so, it was not enough to simply find the ship. All in all, he had garnered no useful information, and he knew it. As such, making his way through ventilation shafts and abandoned corridors, the Jedi made his way to the docking bay in question. In it, he found a rather sizable transport, one that the Jedi could detect held quite an air of menace. He boarded the ship stealthily, a task made difficult by the presence of mechanics and droids littered about the bay.

Still following the guidance of the force, the Jedi made his way deeper into the ship, until he found himself in a room large enough to easily take up the entire volume of a standard freighter. In fact, by the markings on the walls and floor where machines had been removed, Insway wouldn't have been surprised to find that this had once been its purpose.

In the place of the machines that had been removed, though, it was clear that something new was being put in place. Transparisteel modules lined the walls, held in place by machines that seemed oddly similar to carbonizing units. The Jedi made his way over to the near wall, and on inspection found that he had indeed been right. Though not finished yet, the units were definitely meant to hold living beings in stasis.

It was a matter that confused the Padawan. As far as the Jedi Order had been able to tell, all the former-younglings that had been converted had been taken of their own free will. There had never been mention of one being forced to come. The Jedi couldn't quite place out why the units had been installed then.

The change was sudden, but his supreme senses and well-honed reactions saved him, bringing his saber up just in time to block the twin blades of energy that came down upon him. Even though his former master could fully hide his presence in the force, the Cathar could not prevent the force warning Insway of impending doom.

At first, the Morganian and Cathar said nothing to one another, instead crossing blades as the skipped around the room, the far stronger former-guardian easily pushing the Morganian around. Insway had little on his former teacher. The Cathar was a recognized duelist, with who knows what training since his conversion. Insway, on the other hand, had only recently gotten to the point where he could keep up with his peers, and he had a significant disadvantage in size, training and combat talent.

As such, the battle was one sided from the start. Most observers would have thought the pair evenly matched, the Morganian managing to block or deflect most of the Cathar's blows. Yet, Insway quickly realized it was all that he could do to avoid being impaled or sliced. To make matters more difficult, the Cathar hurled force attacks at the Morganian constantly, telekinetic attacks that the young man was ill-equipped to defend against. It was only his mind that kept him alive, the young Jedi throwing what tricks and stunts he knew to keep the Cathar guessing while he hoped desperately for some form of respite.

Respite didn't come, though...

Insway could tell the battle was reaching its conclusion. He knew he had fought well, having used every inch of his knowledge of Shii-Cho and Niman, as well as trickery and subterfuge, to keep the Cathar at bay, yet he knew he would not be able to keep going much longer. The former Jedi had fought with a sound strategy, forcing Insway to defend himself against telekinetic attacks, which he had obviously known would tire the boy out more than any other type of attack. Within only a few minutes, Insway's energy reserves had been depleted, where they could normally last for hours.

And, unlike last time, he could not even hope for rescue. He doubted his master even knew where he was, never mind the danger that the student found himself in. No, Insway would have to find his own way out.

With renewed vigor, the young Jedi fought back.

Insway knew his strengths, and knew he had to play to them if he were to have a hope. He started relying on his speed, augmented greatly by his force abilities, trying to fight the Cathar to a standstill. And then, he did something he had never expected he would do in a lightsaber battle: he tried a mind trick. The first few attempts did little to faze the Cathar, and then, quite suddenly, the former guardian missed a step. It was enough of a gap for Insway to press himself into one, final Shii-Cho driven offensive.

Yet, even as he did so, he felt the strange presence in the mind of the Cathar. Though not the same as the Padawan's own technique, it did seem that Insway wasn't the only one trying to influence the Cathar's mind. Yet, he had no attention left to give to the other presence, having to focus all of his skill in his attack. He would not be cut down as he had been on Tython, because his focus had drifted.

Yet, the one mental attack was not enough. The momentum of the battle changed again, quite rapidly, and as Insway moved to block a blade, he realized it was over. From distant memory, he recalled the pain of a lightsaber touching his flesh. This blow, though, unlike the one that had preceded it on Tython, was far worse. From a point just below his right ribs to just under the socket where his shoulder met his arm, an intense burning pain overwhelmed him.

It was enough to cause him to stumble and fall backwards and to the left, though he managed to shift his lightsaber to his left hand and keep it as a barrier between him and the Cathar as he fell. It was an irrelevant motion, though, one last act of defiance in the face of certain death. He was nothing more than wounded prey to the Cathar now, and he knew it. As his green eyes stared into the orange of the Cathar's, both remained silent and motionless, the only audible sound in the large bay coming from ragged breathing and the hum of three lightsabers.

The silent standoff was broken by the applause of a single being standing on a catwalk above, a man Insway hadn't noticed until now. It was the blond that had stabbed him on Tython, and by the smirk on his face, he was jubilant at the Morganian's defeat. "Well done, my pet."

[/B] The words didn't seem to bother the Cathar at all, something that had the Morganian worried. He couldn't believe that anyone could break the powerful spirit of his former master so easily. The man spoke into a commlink next: "Let us be gone from this station, captain."[/B]

It was a struggle, but the boy found his feet, all the while keeping the blade of his weapon between him and the Cathar. He was satisfied that, for the moment, he would not be attacked. Apparently, this man was quite content to gloat about his victory first.

And then Insway realized it. It hadn't been Reznan's victory at all, but that of this unnamed figure. "Who are you? And what is this room?"[/B] He needed to keep the man's attention away from the Cathar, needed to distract him.

"Lucradis Kabe on the first, and none of your business on the second. I'm content in saying that this room is of import to me, but not to you. You will, however, soon be occupying one of those modules. You will be my first, and for a while at least, my best. Now, if you'll be so kind as to rid yourself of that."[/B] With a wave of his hands, the dark being ripped Insway's lightsaber from his hand. The boy kept track of where it flew, but made no motion to try and reclaim his weapon. For the moment, it would do him better service where it was.

"Why? What's the point of freezing me? You realize that you'll have half the Jedi Order on you for this."[/B]

"Perhaps. Though it will be far less if they believe you to be dead, which I promise you, I will make sure they do. I'm afraid your path ends here, pathetic little Jedi..."[/B] Lucradis gestured again, and one of the tubes rotated to reveal a hole big enough for a standard size humanoid to be inserted through.

And Insway made his move. He took hold of the lightsaber through the force, activating the blade and sending it arcing towards the roof, where tubes and power lines from all the wall-mounted units came together. It had the exact affect he had intended.

"No! Stop him, fool!"[/B] Kabe sent his own lightsaber blade hurtling to intercept Insway's, while the Cathar snapped forward, blade swinging horizontally. The blade burned its way into the Morganian's left arm, and stopped. It had cut a crevice nearly an inch deep, but the Cathar didn't kill him. Distantly, Insway could feel his lightsaber being cut into two pieces. He knew his blade hadn't managed to reach its target against the roof as he had hoped, yet the boy had achieved something far more important.

During Kabe's distraction, Insway had reached out with another telepathic attack, one aimed solely at breaking Kabe's hold over Reznan. He knew he wouldn't have been able to overcome the Dark Jedi's ability had his focus been present, yet with his attention on his precious machines, Insway had managed it. It was a testament to Reznan's skill and training that he had not followed through with his attack, cutting the boy in two, but instead stopped the moment Lucradis' hold over him had been broken.

"Insway?"[/B]

"We have to run."[/B] The words were barely out of his mouth before the Cathar hefted him and sped for the doorway. Lucradis, stunned for a moment, recovered quickly, but did not pursue. Instead, he simply called out after them. "Run all you want, Jedi. Our paths will cross again, and you will not escape me next time. Not after all the trouble you have caused."[/B]
[/Quote]


Their return to Coruscant was a quick affair. For his wounds, Insway had been treated to a bath in a Kolto tank for most of the journey, though to be honest he would have far preferred having been able to speak with Reznan. The Cathar had only checked on him once or twice since the ship departed from Farrfin, and had been keeping to himself mostly in single quarters on the transport, as far as Insway could tell.

They had met only token resistance during their escape, and with the ship almost departing through the airseal as the pair jumped from it, they had been fortunate enough to have no trouble again since. More than this, the younger of the pair didn't know much about, having passed out over the Cathar's broad shoulders. He had woken up in his bath, and had not been permitted to leave for the entire journey.

Arriving on Coruscant, Insway was glad to find his own teacher, as well as the entire team that had been taking part in the investigation, waiting for them. By then, the boy had recovered enough to walk on his own, though he did so somewhat shakily at first. A hug from Maya and a pleased grin on the faces of most of the other Jedi was enough to spur him on, though.

The next few days went quickly. Insway was taken before the High Jedi Council immediately to reveal what he had learned both about Kabe, and to tell what he could of Reznan. He was pleased, though, to hear from the Knight himself a few days later, during a personal visit by him and the diminutive TekMi as Insway recovered in the healing wards.

"The Council has concluded that my actions during my brief tenure under Kabe's control, were indeed not my fault. I have been fully reinstated.

[/B] the Knight stated.

"And assigned to help us with our investigation further."[/B] TekMi added from the foot of the bed Insway found himself on.

"All thanks to you, Insway. I thank you, young one. You showed great wisdom, skill and courage during our encounter, and it saved me from being a slave to that dark master."[/B]

The Morganian remained quiet for most of the exchange, answering only with a smile to the good news, and with a slightly deeper one to the praise. He still hadn't quite gotten over how fast things had moved since the encounter, how quickly his situation had changed from nearly dead to safe. His encounter had been enough to shake him to the core, and he wasn't sure whether he would recover from it as quickly as his wounds would.

"Thank you, master Reznan."[/B] the Padawan replied. "Speaking of which...Master TekMi, who is to continue my training now?"[/B] He wasn't sure whether the Cathar would become his teacher again, or even be allowed to do so. Yet, it was still a possibility.

"I have wondered much of the same. There is much I still want to teach my former Padawan, but I will understand if you would prefer to finish his training, Master TekMi. He is a student anyone would be proud to have."[/B]

"Actually, neither of us will be continuing his training."[/B] the Master began, though his words were met with confused stares from Insway and Reznan alike. "The council has reached the conclusion that your encounter with Kabe, and more than that, your handling thereof, have served as trials to you. In fighting on despite your wounds, you have completed the Trial of the Flesh. In launching a daring attack on Kabe's devices despite being wounded and unarmed, you have completed the Trial of Courage. In breaking his hold on Reznan, as well as surviving the battle, you have completed the Trial of Skill. Only one more remains, and you will face it tomorrow morning."[/B]
[/Quote]


The news came as quite a shock to the system. He was still somewhat weakened and far from completely healed, and even though the Trial of the Spirit was usually not a physical one, he knew it was exceptionally demanding. Then again, he somewhat suspected he would be in the same physical state had he faced the other three trials as most Jedi would. All in all, he knew that the force would guide him, and that if he were ready to become a Jedi, he would. The Morganian rested well that night, and though he wasn't taking a laid back approach to the test that would come the next morning, he knew that fretting over the matter would only serve to hinder his chances.

It was from dreamless sleep that the young man woke, the glimmering silver of the pre-dawn sky visible through the many sets of windows in the ward. Within a few minutes, he had dressed himself in his Padawan robes and made his way to the chamber he felt his master waiting for him in. It was a short journey, made shorter by his edginess. He wasn't exactly tense, but he made sure to keep himself wary, knowing that he would be tested on more than training and philosophy that day.

His arrival to the massive chamber went unremarked by the Jedi Masters present. He noted a handful of the members of the Jedi Council had clustered around his master, and were speaking in hushed tones and largely ignoring him for now. Furthermore, there were a few droids present, but they quickly made way to clear the room as he entered. After a few minutes, the circle of Masters broke up.

"Your final trial will begin soon, Padawan Insway. May the force be with you."

"Thank you, master."

[/B] His response was a tad automatic, yet he suspected the Jedi Master knew very well that the Padawan's attention was focused solely on the coming task. No further words were exchanged as the senior Jedi left the room, before the lights eventually dimmed to the level where the edges of the room fell completely into shadow. Uncertain as to what would come next, the Padawan let himself settle onto his haunches, and then his knees, falling into a light meditation, though with his senses alert to his surroundings.

He was surprised, though, to not sense, but hear someone entering the room the same way he had done so.

"Insway?"[/B] Her voice was close to a whisper, yet held quite a degree of urgency.

"Master? Is something the matter? Are you allowed to be in here during the trial?"[/B]

"Why else do you think I would be hiding my presence?"[/B] the master responded, her tone conveying a warning he was familiar with: they didn't have time for him to ask a barrage of pointless questions. "I have some...disturbing news, Insway. The three council members presiding over the test have already decided that you are not suitable to become a Jedi. They are going to rig the test and make it impossible for you to succeed. I have come to help you overcome what they throw at you."[/B]

He inhaled sharply, consternation gripping his heart. He wasn't sure what disappointed him more; that the Council members would rig the trial, or that they believed he wasn't capable of becoming a Jedi. "But master...if they discover you here..."[/B] he said, though with little of his mind in it. His mouth was simply trying to buy his confused head time to think the situation through.

"I have served more years as a Master than those three combined, Insway. They could be in here with us and they would not even know of my presence."[/B] the Kushiban stated. The matter-of-factness in her tone was enough to tell the Padawan that she wasn't boasting. Yet, her presence still felt wrong to him.

"Master...if they don't think I am ready, whether I am or not, perhaps it would be best if I take the test again at a later time. Perhaps the Council Members are right..."[/B] It wasn't exactly self-doubt, but instead the recognition that the leaders of the Jedi Order did not exactly get their positions by general election. If they didn't deem him ready, he was somewhat certain they would have a reason to do so.

"You do not listen, Insway. They do not think you are not ready now. They do not think you are suitable to become a Jedi. They believe you were not ready for your encounter with Lucradis, that it has broken your spirit. If you fail here today, they may never grant you another chance to become a Jedi. Look inside yourself, Insway. Look to your heart. You know you want this."[/B]

He didn't know why he listened, knowing that he shouldn't have, but he did. Deep inside, he could feel the low flame of desire, an ember that he hadn't allowed to flame in the many years since becoming a Padawan. He knew he desired to become a Jedi, knew it was as important to him as his precious connection to the force. The Kushiban was right. He needed to pass today, or he might as well die.

'No, that's not right.'[/I]

He wanted to do what his Master suggested. He knew it would be cheating, a dishonest method of coming by the title, but it was what he wanted. Surely after all these years of giving his all, he deserved this? He'd sweat blood and tears under two of the harshest trainers he could imagine, had survived two encounters with Dark Jedi and had saved Reznan. What did these Council Jedi know, they who barely knew him?

'No, desire is a trait of the dark side...'[/I]

After all, if his own master said he was ready, who were they to disagree? The Kushiban had been teaching Jedi for hundreds of years. He might even have taught some of their masters. And now they thought they had better judgment than one of the most venerable Masters in the Order? TekMi was right.

'I don't want it to happen this way...'[/I]

He didn't want to fail today. He realized, deep down, he was afraid. Afraid, not only of failing, but of being cast out of the Order. It was all he had ever known, his only future. Where would he go if he weren't allowed to become a Jedi? There was no other future for him, no other path.

'No, I am not afraid...'[/I]

He wasn't afraid any more. He was angry. It was one thing for him to consider cheating, but of members of the Jedi High Council to actually do it was despicable. He wanted to rage at them, to storm from the chamber and go ask them in person exactly what kind of Jedi they were.

'No, I will not let my vision be clouded by hatred...'[/I]

Slowly, he started to raise himself to his feet. He wasn't sure what the Kushiban would have him do, but he was ready to do it.

"No I am not!"[/B]

It came out as more of a shout than anything else, and the Morganian was amazed at how much energy there was in it. He could feel that he had broken out in a sweat, that his muscles were straining and tensing in his anger.

He sat back down again, allowing the tension in his body to filter out, while taking a deep breath.

"I will not do it."[/B] he stated quite simply.

With his words, the Jedi Master disappeared, a hologram cutting out behind him. It was nearly enough to make him laugh. He realized he should have known it was a hologram all along, yet his frustration and love of the Jedi Knight title had blinded him.

And it was then that he realized it.

He had never truly been tempted before, not by anything of this sort. What worried him, though, was that he had almost yielded. He had looked inside himself, and he had seen many of the things he knew he shouldn't have. He had desire, had fear and anger. 'What if I'm not ready?'[/I] He was supposed to have surpassed these base emotions long ago. How could he ever be a Jedi Knight with them floating around inside his heart? How could anyone who had a capacity for evil ever become a being of good, become the being a Jedi should be?

He felt his heart sink.

For all of his 23 years he had been entertaining the thought of becoming a Jedi, had been pursuing the one goal that purpose had seemingly given to him. Now, after all that time, it seemed that it had all been for naught. He wasn't Jedi material after all, irrelevant of what the Council, or his master, thought of him. Despite all the good he had done over the years, he couldn't rip out the evil inside, no matter how much he wanted to. At the end of it all, he was just another errant Morganian.

In the grip of anguish and grief, Insway made his way to the side of the room, before sliding his back down against the wall to find himself a seat on the unwelcoming cold and hardness of the floor. Slowly, his mind began walking the path he had walked so far in his life, going over his earliest memories, through to his youngling years. His first encounter with TekMi and Reznan replayed itself in his mind, details almost as clear as a holorecording would have been. He considered his early years with his first master, before the Cathar disappeared and left him in the care of the critical Kushiban Master. Then came his most recent memories, his first encounter with the blonde Dark Jedi he would learn to call Lucradis.

And so his thoughts continued until they reached the present. He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there, but the feeling of numbness throughout his body suggested it had been a while. With his new-found knowledge about himself, the Morganian wondered how he would proceed from there on. He had a well developed talent, and he knew he would have to put it to good use, even if it wasn't as a Jedi. He would have to keep his darker side in check, though, lest he succumb to it.

It was as the Morganian was entertaining the thought of becoming a teacher on one of the poorer outer-rim worlds that light returned to the room.

"You do like to take your time about things, don't you? TekMi warned us that this would be a long day. Come with us, Insway."

The Morganian's mind was still elsewhere, and so his response was close to that of an obedient droid, and just as clumsy. He stumbled as he got to his feet, before making his way to the doorway on the opposite side from the hall to where he had entered hours earlier. He was shocked to find as they lead him up several sets of staircases that the bright morning light outside had been replaced with the red that indicated the setting of the sun. He was not so shocked, though, to realize that the three council members walking with him was leading him to the upper levels of the central tower.

At first, he had thought he was being taken to his quarters so that he could collect the few possessions he had before leaving the temple. Now, he was far less certain.

"Masters...If I may ask...where is it that you are taking me?"[/B]

"You will spend the rest of today and tonight in meditation in the preparation chamber below the Hall of Knighthood, Insway." the elder female responded in a gracious tone.

"The Hall of Knighthood? But...I thought I'd failed the test..."[/B]

"No, Insway. The Trial of the Spirit is meant to force a Jedi to look inside himself, to see the darkness that is inherent in all us as imperfect beings, and to force the Jedi to accept this part of himself. You could only have failed it had you failed to accept these qualities in yourself, had you continued living in denial of yourself. No, young Insway, you have passed your trials. Tomorrow, you will be knighted."
[/Quote]


After the day he had been through, Insway couldn't stop tears from welling in his eyes. Even Farrfin came nowhere close to this. He was shaken, shocked, in a total emotional tumult. Yet, he had one comfort. Deep down, there was still that feeling that was the force's guidance in his life, that little reminder telling him that everything was exactly as it was meant to be.

He was left alone in the chamber, very near the apex of the tower. The Hall of Knighthood was the second-nearest to the top of the spire, and the place he had been left to meditate was just below that. And meditate he did. Eventually, he started to lose track of time again, and it was only when the chambers were opened again the next morning that he returned from his evening of unity with the force.

He was lead up one final set of stairs, before being instructed to wait outside the Hall. There, his master handed him a lightsaber hilt, apparently to temporarily stand in for the one Insway had lost on Farrfin. Finally, Insway was beckoned to enter the hall.

"We are all Jedi. The Force speaks through us. Through our actions, the Force proclaims itself and what is real. Today, we are here to acknowledge what the Force has proclaimed. Step forward, Padawan."

Insway took a step forward, before taking a knee barely 3 feet from the Jedi Master.

"Insway Nal, by the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, I dub thee, Jedi Knight of the Republic."

[SlipLihte]

Chapter IV: Part II : Unfinished

The next few months were relatively quiet in Insway's life. Lucradis Kabe's trail had gone cold yet again, and as such, Insway had been granted the time he needed to rebuild his lightsaber. The process was a slower one this time around, the young Jedi finding it easier to take his time this time around rather than rushing the project. In addition, he also sourced the parts for his new weapon personally, rather than relying on items provided by the temple. The process made the project take even longer, though Insway found himself relaxed with the tempo things were happening.

All the while, he was again accompanying his fellow Jedi on missions, although the occasions grew more and more frequent that he got sent out alone. He had remained with the investigating team headed up by his teacher, and he was keenly aware why. Other than Reznan, Insway was the only being to ever truly encounter Lucradis Kabe, and also the only one who had seen the Dark Jedi's ship. Yet, even so, it was the returning Jedi Guardian that proved the most useful in terms of information.

Although the Jedi's memory was spotty in places, an after affect of Lucradis' force technique according to TekMi, that which he could remember was still quite a lot more than they had known already. Despite this, for most of the year, the team was always several steps behind the enemy that they sought. Rather than trying to follow a non-existent trail, Masters TekMi and Ven'Han had opted to have the group try and predict the movements of their foe. Most of the time, though, they found that the Dark Jedi had long since come and gone when they arrived.

All the while, Insway kept working on his lightsaber. It was a far more elegant weapon this time around, a nimbler device with more aesthetic controls than its predecessor had been. It took him several months to complete, and then several months more to fully bathe in the force, yet when it was lit, it immediately gave the resounding hum that the Jedi had desired. An orange bladed weapon this time, the hilt resembled its creator in many ways.

Insway himself bore a look quite dissimilar to that of his later Padawan years. Still wiry, he had a far more mature look about him now that his braid had been cut. He had let his hair grow freely, though he kept it in a tight knot at the back of his head most of the time. Physically, the Jedi had visibly lost some of his strength, the long months without a lightsaber as well as the many injuries taken on Farrfin taking their toll on him.

Yet, with his lightsaber rebuilt, the Morganian quickly returned to training in full force. Though it no longer held the same purpose as it previously had, Insway made sure he got himself in better and better shape than he had ever been previously. After his defeat on Farrfin, he made sure to push his training with Niman far harder than ever, sparring with whatever Jedi he could find.

Most interesting, and useful, were his sessions with his first teacher, the Guardian Reznan. The Knight was still far greater a combatant than Insway, yet he also proved an excellent teacher of the blade. In part, Insway suspected that this was because Insway had finally reached a level of competency with which the Cathar could work, rather than the skill, or lack thereof, that he had possessed while he had been apprenticed to the stocky Jedi. What made the sessions even more intriguing, though, was finally getting the chance to learn of all that had happened with Reznan after his disappearance from the known galaxy.

Finally, Insway discovered how Lucradis had managed to take control of such a strong-willed Jedi, as well as the many tasks that he was used for. On one hand, Insway suspected the Cathar found it difficult to speak of everything that he had done, and that had happened to him, yet he also knew that it was knowledge they would eventually need to try and defeat the Dark mastermind. That, and he also knew that it would help the Cathar get over the events, and find his way back into the Jedi Order.

He was on a mission with Yib and Maya when the first news came of Lucradis' new tactic. As he and Reznan had told their fellow Jedi he would, Kabe had started kidnapping Jedi Corps members, rather than simply recruiting them. It was a disturbing event, and what made it more disturbing, was how soon it was followed by another, and then another. The worst of it proved to be the fact that the strikes were made with such surgical precision. Every time, the person taken was on his own, far from help, and unable to defend himself. By the end of the month, nearly seven had been taken.

The Jedi knew they needed to find a way to predict the movements of their foe, and it was Insway who came up with the idea to compare the midi-chlorian counts of the taken individuals to the rest of the spectrum of Jedi Corps workers. His initiative proved to pay off, as it was found that Lucradis was taking only from the top echelon of force sensitives; those that had the most potential.

As such, the Jedi on the team, as well as several others that had been assigned by the Council to help them in their efforts, were dispatched to the worlds where the most promising of former students were working.

Insway was sent to Balosar, a world where rampant poverty had made the help of the Jedi Corps a necessity. Insway, though, would never get to see much of the world. Instead, he recognized the pull of the force the moment he stepped off his transport at the main landing platform, and followed it to a private hangar. He kept his presence a secret, sneaking his way in, and found there not the ship he was looking for, but the next best thing. Though he had no special knowledge of technology, he was easily able to recognize the design of the small transport as of a similar make to the much larger ship that Lucradis Kabe used. Though he suspected that it wasn't there on a kidnapping expedition, he did suspect that it was there to scout out a future victim.

The Jedi relayed his findings back to the Jedi Temple, before sneaking aboard the ship, where he stowed away and let himself fall into a meditative trance as he waited. A full day passed before the owner of the ship returned, though Insway was careful to not let himself fall into a situation where he was in conflict with the man. Instead, he remained a stowaway, observing silently from the shadows and compartments of the vessel, waiting for it to jump to hyperspace and lead the way to the mastermind behind the whole operation.

The journey was a precarious one for Insway. The Morganian had to step lightly, eat little, and remain wary constantly. Though his opponent in this duel of wits was poorly trained, and not even looking for him, the transport was small enough to make hiding quite a difficult task over an extended period. Yet, with both TekMi and Reznan making effort to teach him covert techniques, the Jedi was capable of safely avoiding detection, and several days later, the shuttle docked with Kabe's larger ship.

Knowing that he would have little chance of stopping Lucradis, or his operation, on his own, Insway used the shuttle's communication system to send an aid request to Coruscant, before sneaking his way off the shuttle. Using empty corridors, ventilation shafts and repair access hatches, the Morganian managed to evade detection, though there were a few occasions that he came close. He slinked through the ship to the engine room, which was, quite mercifully, crewed only by two at that point. He quickly dispatched them using his fists, knocking both unconscious and shoving them into nearby equipment lockers.

Though he had little clue as to the technology of a starship's engines, he did know what to break in the event that one wanted to keep said ship from entering hyperspace. He put a few quick slashes through the hyperdrive generator, making a somewhat messy cut in the object despite the elegant nature of his lightsaber. He was relatively certain that the module was beyond repair, and even if they had a spare, it would take the crew quite a while to install. He just had to trust that his reinforcements would arrive before they managed it.

Once again, the Jedi felt the pull of the force, and, rather annoyingly, he knew exactly where it lead. He had been careful to steer well clear of the room that he had dueled Reznan in during his last visit, knowing that it would be the most likely location to find the malevolent Lucradis. Yet, now it seemed that the force would have him go there anyway, irrelevant of the fact that he was certain that he would still be no match for the human Dark Jedi.

Even so, Insway knew and trusted the will of the force, and quickly followed its lead. Still careful about keeping his presence on the ship a secret, progress varied between bursts of speed and waiting patiently for crew members to pass his hiding place in their lumbering gait. Even so, the ship wasn't quite that enormous, and the Morganian found himself nearing the room he sought within a few minutes. He was somewhat surprised, however, to find that the bulkhead door had been sliced apart in the corridor ahead of him, and that he could hear the sounds of battle ahead.

He stepped up to the entrance and peered inside, just as the mighty figure of his Cathar friend disabled two lightsaber wielding Dark Jedi, though both seemed little older than he had been when Reznan had departed on his mission. The Morganian stepped into the room, letting just enough of his presence leak through the force to alert the Cathar that he was there. Insway knew that his former teacher had excellent senses, both in the force and physically. He didn't exactly want another set of wounds from the Cathar.

Reznan turned to him, deactivated his lightsaber and made his way over, while Insway started taking in their surroundings...

"Am I glad to see you. How many of you are there? I didn't think you'd be able to respond to my message so quickly."

[/B]

"It's just me. I stowed away on one of his scout ships. Reznan, what is all this?"[/B] the Morganian asked, indicating the frozen blocks on the wall. The Cathar shook his head in response, though.

"No idea. To be honest, he rarely ever brought me in here, and never told me what it was for."[/B]

Insway couldn't help but shiver at this. The thought of a being capable of binding a Jedi Knight like a dog and parading him around as if he was on a leash was a difficult one to cope with.

"Don't you recognize them? You Jedi should be ashamed, not even recognizing your former colleagues."[/B] Both Insway and Reznan's lightsabers had lit up the moment the voice echoed through the cavernous hallway, bathing them in a warm, yellow light. Keeping his guard up, Insway stepped his way carefully closer to one of the blocks. Though the details were difficult to make out, he was able to discern a face protruding just a little above the grey surface, though it matched its surroundings in color.

"These are the Jedi Corps members that you've been kidnapping? You're killing them, then freezing their corpses? What is this?"[/B] He did feel more than a little sick, but took care to keep his feelings in check. It was more than a little difficult to think that all of the frozen blocks of gray around the room were dead people, all who could have potentially been Jedi. For a moment, his memories returned to a day on Cilpar, where he had almost stepped from the Jedi path onto that of a Corps member. 'Could I have been one of them?'[/I]

His thoughts were interrupted by Reznan. "You realize we will not allow you to continue on with this, don't you?"[/B]

"My pet, you realize that you absolutely cannot stop me, don't you?"[/B] His red lightsaber blade sprang to life in a distant shadow in the room, approaching them quickly.

Reznan went in first, though Insway was less than two steps behind. The muscled Cathar spun into a heavy attack from the right, which Lucradis managed to block just in time to be able to then divert his blade to intercepting Insway's attack coming from above. The human was forced to bat Insway's lightsaber away completely to buy himself time to meet the Cathar's follow-up attack, which he diverted deftly before again returning to Insway, this time with an attack of his own.

The Morganian parried, but tried to keep his saber in contact with his opponent's, hoping to buy Reznan the time he would need to land a blow. It worked, with the Cathar making contact against the flesh of the human's leg before having his saber blocked. The blonde man took several limping steps back, though he kept his guard up well enough to keep them from blindly rushing him.

"You cannot beat us both, Kabe. Not like this."[/B]

"No...Not like this, it would seem."[/B] the wounded Dark Jedi responded, though he didn't seem at all distressed that he had just admitted that he would lose. "I suppose I have little choice then. I had this chamber would not have to be used for its true purpose for a while yet, but it is to your detriment that I use it now."

"You see, my clumsy Jedi pets, by freezing your friends in carbonite just after I turned them into corpses, I have managed to preserve much of their life, and connection to the force."[/B]

"Impossible."[/B]

"Or at least, highly unlikely."[/B] It would indeed be a strange thing for a corpse to maintain its connection to the force. Then again, he was the first to admit that he was still far from knowing everything there was to know about the force.

"Oh, I am afraid it is indeed, quite possible. Now, let me show you a little technique I picked up a very long time ago..."[/B] As he spoke, he pressed a key on a controller he had at his waist, and within mere seconds, one of the dark grey blocks turned red, allowing the body of a former Jedi Initiate to spill forth. Insway could feel the Dark Jedi reaching out to the body through the force, could feel the need to stop the man, but was too engrossed by the horror of the event to do anything.

The body began to shrivel up, and as it did, the wound on Lucradis' leg started to heal, much faster than by any force technique Insway knew. "Reznan...what is this?"[/B]

"He is draining the body through the force, using it to boost his own power. I have only ever heard of this technique, and hoped it had died out with the Sith."[/B] the Cathar said, speaking to Insway but keeping his eyes fixed on the Dark Jedi. Insway could tell that Reznan was just as worried about this sudden change in the game as he was. Without a doubt, this was the worst defilement Insway had ever seen.

He had little time to remain disgusted, though, as the blond man was quick to renew his attack again.

Lucradis was faster this time, his technique sharper and crisper.

The red blade swept up towards Insway's right leg, batted away by the Morganian before quickly switching to attack the Cathar. The trio danced around the hall for several minutes this time, sabers clashing in a violent display of light and energy. Yet, the human was still unable to stay on the offensive for long, and as he again made to switch targets from Insway to Reznan, the Morganian let his blade follow the human's, allowing Kabe to pull the orange blade into his own shoulder.

His reaction was faster this time. He leapt back, his hands already on the controller at his waist, two grey blocks heating up this time. The Jedi pair were not stunned this time around, though, an quickly closed in to continue their attacks. It wasn't enough, though, and within seconds the two new corpses were as shriveled as they would have been had they been left in a dessert for a hundred years.

'This isn't going to work.'[/I] Insway sent to his master, although the message was closed to a series of images than actual words. The Cathar responded with an affirmative, before sending Insway a somewhat different message: a plan.

Knowing instinctively what his former teacher wanted him to do, the Morganian broke off the attack, and made for the sliced-open entrance. He could feel Lucradis' attention shift to him, only to be cut off by a renewed attack from Reznan. Behind him, Insway could feel the tones of violence pick up, feel the sudden desperation from both parties in the battle. Now that he was on his own, Reznan would not be able to hold out for longer than a few minutes, yet Lucradis knew that Insway hadn't simply abandoned the battle. It was simply a new strategy, and without a doubt, that would be worrying the Dark Jedi.

Using the force to aid his speed, Insway sped his way back to the engine room, relieved to find it still abandoned. He quickly accessed the engine controls, setting the ship 's engines to overheat and cause the vehicle to explode, before tearing everything that resembled a control to bits with his lightsaber. As he was about to leave, though, his thoughts turned to the two unconscious crew members. Though he knew they couldn't possibly be innocent in this plot, he also knew that he could not simply leave them to die. Using the force to amplify his meager strength enough to carry one over each shoulder, he made his way back to the hangar bay, sending a telepathic message to Reznan as he went. Even with the burden of the two crewmembers, he knew he would arrive a few minutes ahead of his fellow Jedi, just enough time to get the shuttle ready to leave.

He locked the two bodies into the rear cabin before readying the shuttle for launch. Through the force, he could feel Reznan's approach, though by the slow going of it, Insway could tell that the Jedi was having to fight his way there. Obviously, Lucradis was intent on killing the Cathar now that he had the opportunity. Within moments, the pair were nearly outside the hangar entrance, and Insway started to lift the shuttle off the deck, just high enough so that he would be able to pull it out of the containment field quickly once the Cathar boarded.

The hangar bay doors opened, flashing lights the only thing visible through them at first, but soon replaced by the sight of the Cathar and the human, still in a pitched duel. Insway reached out to his master, both trying to aid him, while also emphasizing the need for haste. He doubted that they had more than seconds left.

In an opening between him and the Dark Jedi, the Cathar made a run for it, heading straight for the boarding ramp of the shuttle. He was not alone, though, as Insway could see the human's lightsaber flying straight after him, like an ancient arrow shot from a bow. Insway tried to reach out through the force, tried to divert the blade, but it was too little too late. The bright red blade impaled the Cathar from behind, causing him to topple and fall. The Morganian made to get up from his seat, knowing that the wound was not so severe that it could not be survived, but felt the gathering of the force before he could move. With a massive effort, Reznan sent a wave of the force in a massive push, strong enough to push the shuttle out through the containment field.

Insway managed to close the boarding ramp just in time, before the shuttle slipped into the vacuum of space. As he sat, watching powerlessly as his former teacher and friend was finished off by the blonde Dark Jedi. From his peripheral vision, Insway could see the rear of the ship starting to explode. He could also see, through the blue hue of the containment field, that Kabe had suddenly figured out what it was that the Morganian had been doing, and had figured out that there was nothing that he could do.

Insway was surprised. He had thought he would feel happy that the depraved being would be dead soon, yet all he could feel was sorrow for the death of a great Jedi...
[/Quote]

Chapter V: Eternal student

1368-1984 AHW: Knighthood

With the death of Reznan and Lucradis, Insway returned to Coruscant in mixed emotions. Even so, the long struggle with the Dark Jedi was finally over, and Insway was glad that he would finally be able to fully step into the shoes of a Jedi, that he would finally be able to pursue missions that required more than sneaking or investigating. It was not to be, though. With TekMi's team dissolved, the Jedi all started seeking out new assignments, but Insway's new mission was given to him almost immediately.

Throughout the course of the past few years, it had become evident that Insway's true talents lay in the areas of sense and telepathy. Granted, the way he used telepathic techniques tended to differ from that of other Jedi therein that they were not used as overt mind tricks, but instead as the implanting of subtle hints and misdirection through the force. With these particular talents, as well as the fact that Insway was already a long ways in learning the skill of masking his presence in the force, Insway was assigned to start training as a Jedi Shadow. Though not exactly training, per se, it did require him to go on several missions with other Shadows at first.

Though the Sith were gone from the galaxy, there were still elements of Dark Jedi and other force sensitive groups who would use the force for evil, and so the need for the Jedi Shadow continued. And so, a new part of Insway's life began, one not far dissimilar to what it had previously been. Deception, subterfuge and misdirection became his primary trade, though he was fortunate enough to find himself on the odd diplomatic or aid mission from time to time to help keep him balanced.

All the while, though, Insway was still struggling to a degree to come to grips with the death of his friend. He didn't feel anger at it, exactly, but he couldn't help but feel frustrated at it. Yes, it had also helped them to defeat the Dark Jedi Lucradis Kabe, yet he still felt as if he had no closure on the matter. Try as he might, he could not quash the emotions that had followed his friend's death, could not help but feeling things he knew he shouldn’t'.

After a very vocal, and very public outburst during which he shouted at a civilian who had mocked his Jedi status, Insway knew he could no longer deny the fact that there was something very wrong with him in his current state. As such, he returned to Coruscant, seeking out his diminutive yet boundlessly wise master. She had returned to teaching at the Jedi Temple, and stoically refused to take on a new Padawan, a matter of quite some interest to him.

"It has been a little too long, master."

[/B] the Morganian said as he found the elderly Jedi in a garden near the temple.

"Indeed, my student. I was beginning to wonder whether this visit would ever come."[/B] she returned.

It was a surprise to Insway how, even after all these years, the Jedi Master could say a single sentence and turn his world upside down entirely. Then again, he supposed he should have gotten used to it by now. "Then you know why I have come."[/B] It wasn't a question.

"From the very day Reznan told me that he wanted to take you as a Padawan, I knew you would be having this conversation with someone eventually. It is your past, you see, my student. While most of the rest of us were taken from our homes, had experienced loss first hand before we ever looked to becoming Jedi, you never had the opportunity to go through that experience. You never knew your family, never knew the pain or the fear of losing someone close. When Reznan died, it was the first real loss you had ever had to deal with in your life. No matter what training you've had, you cannot be made ready for such a thing."[/B]

"But I thought we were supposed to be beyond attachment. Beyond the emotions of loss."[/B] the Morganian responded, feeling all the more like a Padawan again.

"We are beyond being controlled by our emotions, Insway, not beyond feeling them. I could feel you suppressing your anguish when you returned here on that shuttle two years ago, and I have been waiting for you here ever since."[/B] The Kushiban got up from the meditative posture she had been seated in, turned to him and continued to speak. "You have been trying to avoid feeling the pain at losing your friend, rather than dealing with it peacefully. Insway, none of us can avoid feeling. It is the very core of our connection to the force. Do not be afraid to feel sorrow at the loss of a good friend and wise Jedi. Feel it, and let it go, acknowledging that it was the will of the force that caused matters to turn out as they did. Reznan died a beacon of light, at peace."[/B]
[/Quote]


It had been a short conversation, but it had meant the world to the Knight. Finally, after years of trying to suppress his emotions, he learned to let them go instead, and within a week he went on a mission a far more peaceful Jedi than he had been before. It was a somewhat sad departure, though, as TekMi had revealed to him that she would be leaving Coruscant as well. The Jedi Master would be teaching on Mustafar from then on, something that he expected she would be quite good at. Even so, Insway knew that her serene presence in the halls of the Jedi Temple would be greatly missed by a great many Jedi, and her wisdom would be missed by the many Jedi that often sought her for guidance.

Yet, it was also a beginning of sorts. Insway had finally made the grade to start solo missions as a Jedi Shadow, a pursuit he committed himself to. Though he knew he was still far from mastering Force Cloak, he used his other skills to compensate for this. Even in the den of evil, he was nothing more than a phantom to those he pursued. Granted, he rarely attempted to arrest dark side force users on his own, instead calling for backup from the Guardian caste, but he still knew he was making a significant contribution, and his skills kept developing.

Over time, Insway started to discover another skill that he had previously not needed much, the art of using the force for protection. With his relative lack of strength with force telekinesis, Insway had to find alternative ways to defend himself against Dark Jedi and the like. He found this solution in protection, and made great efforts to develop his skills whenever he could. He quickly found that this skill, complemented by his already extremely well-honed senses, made him a significant nuisance to potential attackers. Though he was still no martial genius, he managed to keep opponents guessing long enough for help to arrive.

Later that same year, Insway went on a mission to Shili with Trin Yib and the recently Knighted Maya. Though the mission itself proved to be a difficult one, the dissuasion of conflict between two particularly individualist tribe leaders, there was a bonus to the mission in general. On Shili, they discovered Saphano Tor, a baby Togruta and force sensitive. Though separating him from his parents was difficult, the parents were eventually convinced that it would be the best path for the baby to take, even if he would never return.

For the next year or so, Insway continued performing his duties as a Jedi Shadow quite diligently. Along with this, he continued his training in Niman, as well as with his force abilities. By this point, he was near a master of sense, and also quite capable in the fields of telepathy and protection. Physically, the Morganian had managed to remain in excellent shape despite no longer having a master to "motivate" him. This was largely because he knew he wouldn't survive long in the environments he commonly operated in without being in excellent condition. He'd started furthering his techniques of his own accord, trying to emphasize the fields he had developed in most.

Late in 1372 AHW, Insway finally found his missions quieting down enough for him to consider taking a Padawan of his own. He had been a Knight for four years, yet assignments had always kept him to busy, and most Jedi Shadow missions were not the sort one could take a Padawan along for. As such, he returned to the Jedi Temple, and almost instantly felt his intention manifest in the force, as he was guided to a class being taught by the Jedi Battlemaster. There, he quickly recognized a young human girl that Reznan had pointed out to him shortly before his death. The Cathar had said that he would take her on as his second Padawan, and at the time Insway had felt no special connection to her. Now, though, he could feel the force guiding them towards each other.

He sought permission from the High Council, and after having it granted, made to re-introduce himself to the girl. He had only met her once before, yet he was surprised that she remembered him quite well. He had met her while she was attending a class TekMi had been instructing. Not for the first time, Insway couldn't help but think that the more that things seemed to change, the more they remained exactly the same. The girl, Ani Dubbel, showed him quite a lot of gratitude as he revealed to her his intentions, though he knew all that would likely change when her training began early the next morning.


-------------------------------------------------------------

Two years passed at a blinding pace, though the newly formed Morganian and human pairing weathered them well. Ani proved to be quite an adept learner, very capable both with a lightsaber and in the force, though she did struggle at times to understand deeper philosophical meanings to lessons. Even so, by the time she turned 14, Insway felt she was ready to take the important journey he had been planning for her: the trip to Cilpar.

It was his first return to the planet since he had been there with Reznan, though little seemed to have changed in the intervening time. He rented a speeder from exactly the same shop as his master had, and drove his Padawan to exactly the same location on the edge of the forest. There, he explained to her that she would have to find him, and through it, she would find something much more important. The girl handled the situation much better than he had, though, and was set off into the dense jungle almost eagerly.

Despite how eager she might have seemed to learn this lesson when she set off, it still took the girl a full week and a half to find him atop one of the temples he had been meditating on for days. After he explained to her the true purpose to the lesson, though, quite a big change came over the girl.

Upon their return to Coruscant, she started excelling at her studies of the force and Jedi Philosophy, the areas she had previously struggled with. It was clear that the journey to Cilpar had helped her training on quite a bit, and Insway was pleased at the progress of his first student.

The master, though, did not cease his training either. Soon after their return, he started studying Soresu, although he would have been the first to admit that he was yet to fully master Niman. Even so, his nature had started drawing him to the form, and he quickly proved to be quite adept with it. He even managed to conscript his old friend, the Guardian Maya, to help him with his training in the form. All the while, Insway and Ani performed their Jedi duties, travelling to the many sectors of the galaxy on missions for the Jedi High Council.

Among the most significant missions that the pair went on during their early years was a crisis on Druckenwell. A civilian cruiser had crashed into one of the wide oceans that separated the planet's overpopulated landmasses. The craft had sunk before anyone had been able to escape it, and as such, the Jedi had been called on to aid the rescue operation in the extreme environment. Though it was the kind of thing Insway was used to, it would be the first time Ani found herself facing a task where people would die should she fail. Though she was shaken by this knowledge, the Padawan performed her duties admirably, and Insway couldn't help but appreciate the fact that the girl had become a much better student than he had ever been.

Now 17, Ani started training in Soresu with her master, though he was admittedly not far along himself yet. Even so, they made an avid pair of learners, and within a few years they were both becoming quite skilled with the form. Both still relied heavily on forms they had more experience in, though, Ani with Shii-Cho and Insway with his own brand of Niman. They did so especially in situations of conflict, as the odd Jedi Shadow type mission started to creep into their lineup. On one particularly difficult battle with a force cult in a temple on Zaadja, Insway and Ani proved to be quite skilled combatants, the pair defeating a number far greater than their own.

Insway was growing in ways other than simply learning a new lightsaber form, though. His force techniques were still his strong point, the Jedi very capable with telepathy and sense, and not far behind with protection and body. He had mastered Force Cloak, and had even started moving on to the far more advanced version, Force Concealment. He had also started focusing on a different aspect to his training. Though he had always known that the lightsaber forms were still applicable even when unarmed, Insway started seriously practicing these skills during his years of teaching Ani.

In 1380, Insway and Ani were sent to Dorin on an escort mission. Their stay on Dorin proved to be an extended one, though, and Insway resigned himself to investigating the Baran Do sages while they were there. Though not exactly welcoming, Insway managed to befriend them well enough to learn from them. By their help, he greatly improved his skill with Force Concealment, as well as improving his understanding of the force in general. By the time their protectorate was ready to return to Coruscant, Insway had improved quite a bit, and also taken the first few steps on a new path in his life.

For most of his Jedi career, Insway had followed the path of a Sentinel, learning new skills and doing what he thought a Jedi should do in the galaxy at large - keeping the peace and serving justice. To a degree, he supposed his balance view had been due to the fact that he had been taught by both a Guardian and a Consular. Yet, as time had passed, his connection to the force, the thing in his life he had trusted most, had started interesting him more than being an intergalactic policeman. Though he knew he would always have to do his duty as a Jedi, he was slowly starting to lean towards the path of a Consular.

The next event of significance in Insway's life was an especially trying mission to Balosar. While there on a diplomatic meet, he and his Padawan were shocked to find that their governmental hosts had been taken hostage by a local terrorist, one that had an especially vehement hate of the Republic and the Jedi Order. Threatening to destroy the whole governmental block, whereby he would be killing hundreds, he forced Insway to take a vial of a very serious poison. Separated from the terrorist by too much distance, Insway was unable to mind trick the man, and was forced to do as he ordered.

The terrorist was so overjoyed at having succeeded in his plot that he forgot about the hostages he had with him, who, inspired by the Jedi's act of selflessness, attacked and overpowered the criminal. They managed to wrest the controls for his explosives from him, for which Insway was very glad. Even so, he could already feel the effects of the poison.

Knowing that his own skill with healing would not be enough to overcome his affliction, he asked his Padawan to take his body to Coruscant and put himself in a healing trance, fighting a battle on a microscopic level inside his body to keep himself alive long enough. He was aided by the force, though, and managed to stave off death until he arrived on Coruscant, and could be healed by one of the skilled Jedi healers. He was nursed back to health, but ordered to rest on Coruscant a while before returning to active duty. In the few weeks they had off, Insway and Ani concentrated on her training, as the girl was slowly but surely getting to the point where she would be ready to face the Jedi Trials.

A while after returning to active duty, Insway and Ani were sent to the Alliakan spire to help the local police investigate a possible slave trade. The mission wasn't all that difficult, and with the slavers discovered and arrested, Insway and Ani were given presents by the local government to thank them. Though both were beyond personal ownership, they knew they could not refuse without greatly insulting the Alliakan.

They had barely boarded their ship, though, before they received new assignments from the Jedi Council. And so, just like that, things started getting very busy for them once again. Once again, they were travelling the galaxy from end to end, doing their best to see the will of the Force done. Yet, all the while, Insway felt a disturbing new change come over him.

He had thought he had gotten passed it, had almost been sure he had, but once again, thoughts of Reznan's death returned to him. It was subtle at first, a stray thought during an evening meal, yet the feelings escalated and expanded. After a few months, he could feel himself changing. He had no idea what it was, but he knew he was growing angry, almost violent. During a particularly unJedi-like outburst during a mission, the Knight realized that something was very seriously wrong with him. He knew that there would be only one person to go to for help, and so he told Ani that they would be dropping her off on Coruscant while he continued on to Mustafar, though he did not reveal to her why.

Yet, on the journey there, in his bed and about to go to sleep, he realized what was affecting him, something that nearly froze his heart...

Insway knew his Padawan would be startled as the door slid open, yet he had no choice in this matter.

"Master? What's going on?"

[/B] The girl had grown attuned to him, and she knew he was a little distressed as he stood there in her doorway, lightsaber in hand. He didn’t' answer her, though, an instead stretched out with his feelings in the force, stretched out towards her lockers.

"There."[/B] He beckoned, and the door to the locker right on the end bent itself open, revealing a small, yellow alien inside. He was unfamiliar with the race, but couldn't care for his ignorance just right then.

"What in the force are you...oh..."[/B] she said as she spotted the small creature. "Master...who is that?"[/B]

"Oh, I am nobody of any importance, just a stowaway. Really."[/B] the little creature said, stepping out of the closet. He tried to hide the wave of his hand in his step, but Insway spotted it. Ani didn't, though.

"Just a stowaway. Really. See, master, there was no need for the fuss."[/B]

"Ani, go the cockpit now. Stay there."[/B] His tone was serious, more so than he had ever known it to be.

"No, Ani, why don't you stay."[/B] He didn't even bother to try and hide the gesture this time.

"I think I'll stay master..."[/B]

"He's using the force on your mind, Ani."[/B] Insway responded.

"Oh no. You haven't seen me really using the force on her mind. Watch...this."[/B]

Insway could feel the being reaching out, but reacted too slowly to try and counter. The moment his notion touched the Padawan's mind, though, her lightsaber snapped to life, coming at him. Her attack was ferocious, true Shii-Cho form, but not powerful enough to bypass his defense. Thinking quickly, he allowed her to back him into the central chamber of the transport, the largest room on the ship. It also, quite conveniently, provided access to all the other rooms.

He allowed a particularly powerful slash from the girl to sweep past him, before tapping her on the back of the head just hard enough to cause her to lose balance. As she stumbled, he stepped in behind her and force pushed her into the open doorway that lead to his room. She collided with the wall hard, and he could feel her go groggy in the force. Using a dash of speed, he closed and locked the doorway, before turning to face the little yellow creature that was now marching into the chamber quite as if it owned the ship they were on.

"You have been touching my mind, pouring feelings of anger and hate into me."[/B]

"No, no, no! You would have realized immediately if I had done that. Honestly, I thought you of all Jedi would know something of subtlety. No, little Insway, what I did was far more difficult, but also far more powerful, and very difficult to detect. I am rather impressed that you managed it."[/B] Under different circumstances, Insway might have mistaken the little creature for a very pompous senator by his demeanor. Right then, though, Insway knew that it was probably the most dangerous being within 10 parsecs.

"Why? What were you trying to achieve?"[/B]

"Just a little recruitment. A Jedi Shadow makes quite a useful ally, you know."[/B]

"You wanted me to lash out? To attack and kill someone? That's it, isn't it? I would be so stricken by anguish, I'd be far easier to convert."[/B]

"Ah, a smart one as well. Too bad it didn't work. I came ever so close. All that time since Alliakan spoiled."[/B]

"Then you snuck aboard in one of the packages they gave us. But you couldn't stay there forever, though, since you knew we would offload that junk on the first planet that we thought it could be of use. So while we were off the ship, you moved into my Padawan's locker, allowing you easy access to us in our sleep. You know, if she hadn't mentioned how one of her lockers had been malfunctioning for nearly a month now, I would not have suspected."[/B]

"Ah! First of the class, little Jedi. Well done. To be honest, I have been following your movements for quite a few years now, but it was only at Alliakan that I decided it was time to try something more direct. Ah, they are going to be so displeased."
[/B]

"They? Who is it that you work for?"[/B]

"Now, now. You do not genuinely believe I will tell you everything, do you?"[/B]

"Whether you want to or not, you will reveal this to me, or to the Jedi Council."[/B] Insway stretched out in the force, touching the mind of the child-sized being. He pushed, trying to convince the being to reveal his secrets, but it was not enough.

"There is a very important lesson in your failure here today, little Jedi. Never try to trick a trickster."[/B] He felt the attack coming, a mental push that formed the being's rebuke. It was powerful, a telepathic attack quite unlike anything Insway had felt before. He resisted it, though, using protective force powers and counter-telepathy to keep the dark force user at bay. "I am afraid you will not be returning me to Coruscant."[/B]

A bright red blame snapped to life, shorter than the standard saber to match its user's size. Insway's own blade was alive again just as quickly, the Knight stepping into battle with the alien.

At first, he struggled to come to term with his opponent's size. He was far closer to TekMi in size than any of Insway's other sparring partner, but not quite as short, and with a much different style. Rather than relying on Ataru, as TekMi did, this creature used a mixture of Shii-Cho and Niman. Yet, it was a very mature, very well developed form of Shii-Cho, and very dangerous. If not for Insway's advantage in size, the Jedi knew he would have been pushed back. The duelists were nearly matched in speed, though the small creature was far more agile due to his size. As they exchanged blows, the telepathic attacks continued, and Insway quickly found the battle to be quite a trying one indeed.

What was more, he could feel his student recovering, and he knew he couldn't afford the little monster chance to influence her mind again. He needed to end the battle quickly, or he would have a hard time keeping Ani alive and her saber at bay while he fought with the intruder.

His solution came from a technique he had started practicing shortly after Reznan's death, though had never really focused on. Tràkata was a dangerous method of combat, yet it suited Insway's technique quite well. He was a trickster, and Tràkata was the biggest trick he could think of just then.

He launched another mental attack on his opponent, though a far subtler one than those that had preceded it. It wasn't subtle enough, though, and the being diverted it, before sending a force wave at the Knight. Insway diverted this in turn, before stepping in to engage his enemy in saber combat again.

He used Soresu at first, keeping his defense up against the being, parrying attacks as they came. Then, suddenly, he changed to Niman, and did so quite aggressively. He suddenly had range, and his opponent stumbled as he tried to avoid being caught in the path of the orange blade. Insway pressed his advantage, using the balance of Niman and his natural speed to launch a set of planned attacks at the creature. He battered at the little being's defense, doing so to the point where the invader could no longer simply dodge or parry, but had to block.

Then, as he brought in a low arcing blow that the creature moved to block, his lightsaber winked out of existence as he switched it off. It passed the point where the red blade was up to meet it, and Insway brought the blade to life again. His opponent tried to react, but wasn't fast enough, and Insway's blade cut a deep gash into his shoulder, though not deep enough to kill. Insway swept his blade down again fast enough to remove his opponent's blade-wielding hand, causing the being to collapse in agony.

"Give up. You are beaten."[/B]

"Oh no, Jedi. If we both die, this is still a tie."[/B] The creature stretched out in the force again, activating the controls to the main boarding ramp off to the side of the room they had been dueling in. Insway could feel the ship drop out of hyperspace in response to the sudden loss of containment, and then, the vacuum came.

The Morganian pressed his fingers into a groove on a nearby wall, cementing them there with the force, while the vacuum of space claimed everything from within the cabin. Insway stretched out with the force, activating the controls to the boarding ramp, but wasn't quick enough. The child-sized creature was sucked into space, disappearing through the closing ramp.
[/Quote]


His encounter with the unknown attacker, brief as it might have been, still had a profound effect on the Knight. He could now finally say that he had learnt Niman as well as he ever would, and that any further progress in using the form would not be in fine-tuning his technique more. After nearly twenty years of practicing the form, he had mastered it. During the encounter, he had also learnt a new application for Jedi telepathy in a pitched battle, a technique he was surprised he hadn't thought of himself years earlier. All in all, he could almost say that his opponent reminded had reminded him a bit of himself.

Ani, fortunately enough, seemed to recover well from the encounter, though Insway did make pains of pointing out that she had allowed herself to be influenced far too easily. Even so, he was thankful that the encounter had resolved itself the way it did. For all he knew, it could have turned out far differently, and far worse.

Not all that the Jedi took from the battle was positive, though. There was the worrying knowledge that somewhere in the galaxy someone had an eye on him. Someone knew his name, and had sent someone to try and recruit him. He didn't like the idea of being someone in the galaxy's focus at all. He was a Shadow, enjoyed being ignored by people in general. This was more than enough to make him uncomfortable. What made it worse was that he knew this 'group' now knew they had underestimated him the first time around, and that they might not do so a second time.

He met with the Jedi Council to discuss his apprehensiveness, but found little comfort there. He was told that, for the time being, he should do his best to try and lure out his pursuer, to reveal the true identity of those who were after him. Of what he was supposed to do should this happen, all they said was that he would have to trust the will of the force. As such, he and Ani returned to active duty, with the Knight constantly looking over his shoulder as he went.

After a few months, though, he did manage to get himself to move on. Their assigned tasks were difficult enough to distract him, and Insway had concluded that there was little else to be done anyway. He would simply have to trust that he was capable of dealing with matters, however they turned out. It was peace balanced on a fine line, but it was peace.

Later that year, they returned to Coruscant, after the Jedi Council had called for them. There, the pair learned that Ani Dubbel was to take the Jedi Trials, something that satisfied both the teacher and the student. Her first attempt did not go spectacularly well, though. She managed to clear the hurdle of the first trial, but proved to be lacking in her Trial of Skill. All in all, though, Insway believed that the girl's focus had been out, and after a few days of counseling, she retook the trials, faring far better this time. Ani Dubbel was knighted the very next day, declaring to her master her intent to follow the path of a Jedi Sentinel, even though she knew he would not be walking it with her.

[Kella]

Dec 5, 2009 23:55:51 GMT -5 Kella said:

Ah, you'd best be wary. Anything that breaks 50,000 words officially hits 'novel' status, and I would therefore demand a summary under 10,000 words. xD Just 'cause I can.

I wasn't kidding. and I do believe, all told, you did indeed break the ceiling...

[SlipLihte]

Chapter VI: Servant of the Force

1385-1398 AHW: Jedi Master Years

She was, indeed, right. Along with being promoted to Jedi Master, Insway also started to fully follow what he believed to be his purpose as a Jedi. Several years prior, he had started the path of a Consular on Dorin, and he knew he would now have to walk the path. As such, he ceased his activities as a Jedi Shadow, and instead started focusing on learning from the Force itself. He started pursuing missions aimed at garnering knowledge, though he still went on diplomatic and aid missions whenever called to do so. For the first time since he had been Knighted, Insway was truly following the path he felt he was most suited to, rather than the one that he had been required to follow. This pursuit was one of his own choosing, guided by the force, not one that had been chosen for him.

Even so, the Morganian had to admit that his time as a Shadow had not exactly failed in preparing him to follow the path of a Consular. The multitude of force techniques that he had learnt and seen gave him a background that was more than suitable for his new forays into the endeavor of really understanding the force. He was now 40 years old and dedicated to knowledge, although he did over time begin to realize that knowledge without application was as useless as it would have been the other way around. He found himself once again relearning the lesson that stood paramount to understanding the force - everything in balance.

Rather unexpectedly, Insway discovered a youngling later that year that he again felt the same calling to teach as he had felt with Ani. Originally, he had intended to allow himself several years away from teaching so that he could pursue assignments that were not suited to Padawan. Yet, with the pressing urgency of the force, he accepted that matters would not be as he willed them, and so took on his second Padawan. Ubhana Tor proved to be the younger brother of the baby he had discovered on Shili nearly 14 years prior, though he had almost forgotten about the discovery entirely.

And so, the student was a teacher once again, now pushing himself to grow as a teacher, mentor and Jedi in general. Ubhana was a somewhat different student to what Ani had been, though. Where Ani had been balanced in her ability with a lightsaber and the force, Ubhana proved from the beginning to be more of an academic student. Though he didn't seriously lag behind his age group, he had little talent with a lightsaber, and little drive to develop his fencing skills. Insway, however, made it plain to the student that he would have to keep himself developing with a lightsaber, as the Jedi path was not one for those who preferred their personal desires over the needs of the force.

Their assignments proved to be quite conducive to learning, and Ubhana learnt well from early on. In everything, he seemed to have a keen mind always looking for new lessons in all he experienced. After most days, despite being exhausted by the training regimen that Insway had set for them, the Padawan and master sat together for hours discussing matters of the past, the present and the future. Insway kept a firm hand on matters, though, making sure that his Padawan did not succumb to a desire for knowledge, nor fell prey to the weakness of curiosity. It was an odd turn of events, though, as Insway knew quite well the traits he was seeing in Ubhana were very similar to those he had shown shortly after he had been apprenticed to Reznan.

Insway had already started planning the journey to Cilpar the moment he had taken Ubhana, but only took the journey with the Padawan after he had turned 14, and Insway could tell he was ready. Ubhana reminded Insway, as Ani had,of just how uncertain he had been as a Padawan himself at that age, as the Togruta mimicked his previous student by taking to the assignment without question. The boy proved to be slower in learning the lesson, though, taking several days longer than Ani had to arrive at the steps of the temple where Insway waited for him. The student had learnt his lesson, though, probably one of the most important lessons of his life.

Over the next two years, life as a Jedi Master and student was just that. Ubhana's skills developed well, and though the master could no longer learn new things quite as fast, Insway was far from stagnant either. The Jedi Master focused much of the time he had free on studying the force, both in person and through the writings of ancient masters. He focussed on manifestations of the force in the three areas he knew he was the most skilled: telepathy, sense and protection. His lightsaber skills improved steadily as well, with him both incorporating Tràkata into the forms he had already mastered, as well as continuing to study Soresu.

All in all, he knew that both through the missions he undertook for the Jedi and by his new path as student of the force itself, Insway had taken a big step forward to becoming a vassal of the true will of the force, a duty which he felt was his true purpose as Jedi, albeit only for the time being. As a master of sense, Insway knew the future was changing. He knew his future was changing. He knew that the events that followed the Alliakan Spire had started him on a path, one that he could see was coming to an end. Yet, the Jedi knew that despite the very great likelihood that he would find only evil and danger waiting for him at its end, the Jedi knew he would have to see the road through to conclusion. It was the will of the force, and his duty as a Jedi.

During a mission to the libraries of Obroa-Skai, where he and his Padawan had been sent on a critical research mission to discover the true history concerning a war between two planetary systems, Insway felt the all too familiar sense of being watched return. It was barely a breath of a change in the force, but it was these subtleties that the Jedi Master knew best, and as subtle as this one was, it was as bright as a lit torch in a dark corridor to the Morganian. Whilst sending his Padawan to pursue their mission, Insway disappeared from the force completely, and in the eyes of his tracker, in the physical world as well.

Although he did not truly disappear from sight, Insway had latched on to the mind of this would-be spy, making his own presence a slippery thought. Every time the observer tried to focus on why he was there and who he was watching, the thought would slip away, as if he was suffering a severe case of attention deficit disorder. It was enough to mask Insway's approach, who quickly tracked the observer to a hovercar. He had the man arrested by local authorities and had them ship him back to Coruscant, where he knew the Jedi Council would know what to make of him. Meanwhile, he rejoined his Padawan to complete their mission.

They returned to Coruscant only a few days after his watcher did, but Insway knew that matters had already taken a significant new turn. He knew the council would want to see him, and so went their directly upon his return. There, he would find a new mission, one of the type he had thought he would not need to perform again...

He stood before the Jedi Council, although only a little more than two thirds of it was present in the flesh. The other masters appeared only as a faint, blue hologram, with voices imperfectly replicated by the technology of the transmitters. He knew he had arrived without direct summons, but had found himself called here as much by the force as by the will of the masters themselves. He was not the only Jedi not on the Council present, though. Maya, a Jedi Master herself now, stood with him, though he did not know why.

"It is good that you have come, Insway. There is much we need to discuss before you pursue your next assignment." an aged Bothan said.

"I understand you have questioned the man that was following me on Obroa-Skai. Then the questioning has revealed his master?"

[/B]

There was not even a glance between the masters, nothing to give away that they perceived that the conversation that was coming would not be of matters that Jedi preferred to discuss. Insway did feel it though. "Not...directly." another master said. "But it has given us reason to believe that we were right about who we suspected of this all along."

This was a surprise to Insway, though not an unwelcome one. "All along?"[/B] It was interesting that the Council had never mentioned this before, either while in session or when Insway spoke to a member in person. Although he had never felt the attention of his pursuers as directly as he had on Obroa-Skai before, he had always been aware that he was being monitored from the shadows. "And you have chosen to tell me who?"[/B]

He could tell that his response had been the correct one. A slight unease, the little bit of tension that had been present in the room, lifted. Clearly, there had been some suspicions that he would not take kindly that the Council had allowed him to continue to believe that they had no idea who was watching him.

"We believe Yureal Sesh is the one who has been watching you."

This surprise was an unwelcome one. He knew the name, had often spoken with TekMi about it in the time shortly before he had been Knighted. Yureal had been Reznan's predecessor, a student of TekMi's, and had failed the Trial of the Spirit in the worst way possible. Having her dark, inner nature revealed to her had proven to be more than the student could handle, and she left the Order the same day as it had been conducted. After the failure, TekMi had decided that she would not take on another Padawan, and had stuck to her decision for nearly fifteen years before she felt the force guiding her to Reznan.

"If you believe that she is the hand reaching from behind the veil, then you must have a reason why."[/B] Insway stated simply.

"Indeed, Master Insway. After leaving the Order, Sesh went into hiding beyond the Outer Rim. We lost track of her for a time, until she reappeared twelve years later. As you are probably aware, Master TekMi was training young students on the Jedi Training Ship at the time. When Sesh returned, she sought out her former master, telling TekMi that she had rediscovered ancient Jedi teachings in the form of a Holocron, but that there were Dark Jedi pursuing her. TekMi, however, detected a strange uncertainty in Sesh, and on revealing this to her, her former Padawan attempted to attack her."

"As I am sure you know, Master TekMi is no slouch with a lightsaber" another Master continued. "She fended off Yureal's attack, but was unable to capture her, and the woman escaped and went into hiding again." The Master spread his hands, indicating that he found it disturbing that Sesh had found it so easy to hide from the Jedi Order. "Only TekMi glimpsed her again, once, through the force. It happened shortly after the mysterious attack on you and your former Padawan. She reported that Yureal had been overcome with her anger, and had lost control of the dense fog she used to hide her presence from us. TekMi also reported that Yureal had a new feeling to her in the force. A dark, sinister presence."

"We believe Yureal has become an agent of the Dark Side of the Force. We also believe that she is aware that you were one of TekMi's students once, and that is why she has been pursuing you."

"She still seeks revenge against Master TekMi?"[/B]

The Bothan nodded solemnly.

"Then I am to pursue her?"[/B]

"We need you to find Yureal and discover what her plans are. If possible, try to capture her and bring her to us. We might be able to help her remove her rash desire for revenge against your former master, and the Jedi Order. Master Maya will accompany you on this mission."

"As you wish, master."[/B] Insway replied, bowing before moving to leave. He sensed a tingle, though, one that alerted him that there was more to be said. He stopped and turned to another master, one who had been silent throughout the whole session. "Is there something else?"[/B]

"Insway...there are some of us who believe that Yureal might not have been deceiving TekMi about the Holocron she discovered. There are very few fully trained Jedi Masters that can hide from the Jedi Council so eloquently. You are one, Master TekMi another. There are a handful of others. A handful. For a force user with only the training of a Padawan to do so, is quite unlikely. Be careful in pursuing her, Insway. May the force be with you."
[/quote]


The warning had been a grave one, but apt. Insway had started thinking along the same lines as well, before the Master had spoken. Even so, he already stood ready and willing to depart by sunset that evening. Ubhana had come to wait with him at the transport center, while he awaited the arrival of Master Maya. Ubhana would not be travelling with them, something Insway had realized quickly after the session with the Council had been adjourned. Instead, Insway had already made arrangements for his Padawan to travel to Mustafar and take lessons from his own former teacher.

Maya arrived shortly after, though having recently had her first Padawan knighted, she had no student of her own to send away. To a degree, Insway found peace therein that his long time friend, and one of the most capable duelists he knew, would be accompanying him. Granted, she didn't have much talent for hiding or subtlety, but Insway had a disturbing feeling that it would be her skill with a lightsaber that would be most important on this mission. The Morganian had many misgivings about this mission, some of which he shared with Maya after they had departed.

"I must say, I am impressed with how you handled the Council's briefing. I would not have been so calm myself had they told me they had been hiding something so important all along. It was a little...rash of them, don't you think?"

[/B] the Guardian said. She had taken to a comfortable looking recliner that had enough space for her to sit with her wings folded neatly behind her.

"On the contrary, I think it would have been rash for them to have told me when they had found out."[/B] Insway responded. The expression on his friend's face was one of mild confusion and curiosity. "Had they told me during those years, while I was still a Shadow, I believe I would have thought myself capable of finding this Yureal myself. If I had pursued her, I would most probably have perished. I doubt, after all, that the Council are sending two Jedi Masters after her without reason. It is not their way, after all."[/B]

She considered this for a moment, before nodding in agreement. "That still makes me wonder, though, why they did not send someone else after her right away. If she is so dangerous, would it not have been imperative for them to stop her as soon as possible?"[/B]

This was another question Insway had anticipated, but not one he could truly believe he knew the answer to. After all, on matters of his own thoughts and feelings, he could be certain, but not with matters of how the Council thought and felt. "I have a few ideas about that one, but nothing certain."[/B] he started

"I believe the Council were merely expressing a lesson of the Jedi Civil War. Instead of acting hurriedly upon learning of Yureal's presence, they took the path of patience, believing that it would be better to wait until they had learnt more before pursuing action. Second, I think that they, as I, do not believe that Yureal revealing herself to TekMi had been a mistake on the Dark Jedi's part."[/B] Insway paused for a moment. "Yureal wanted TekMi to pursue her, as she wanted me to pursue her after Obroa-Skai."[/B]

At this, his fellow Jedi sat upright, flashing him a smile. "A trap? I love traps. Typical of them to send you on this mission. The Master of unpredictability falling straight into a trap. You'll have to be careful, Insway, or you'll lose your reputation."[/B]

"Sometimes, the most unpredictable thing one can do is to be predictable."[/B] Insway responded. He did not need to mention to Maya that he had no interest in maintaining any kind of reputation. He may have been a master for several years now, but he hadn't lost his sense of humor yet.
[/Quote]


Insway had thought pursuing Yureal would have been easier than it turned out to be. To a degree, the Jedi had even started to suspect that the whole ploy wasn't a trap, that no being would leave such a difficult trail to follow when they wanted to be found. For the better part of a year, Insway and Maya traversed the galaxy, venturing nowhere near Republic Space in all the time they pursued the few leads they had.

From questioning the man he had captured on Obroa-Skai, the Jedi had gained little, only the slightest hint as to the path they should follow to find his master. They had been following that path diligently, getting themselves into difficult situations in good measure, and nearly getting themselves killed several times. After the first month, Insway decided to send the two Republic Officers that had been piloting their shuttle back to the capital, after he started to realize that the situation had become too dangerous to risk endangering their lives as well. After all, Maya was a fairly good pilot, and Insway himself had even gotten hold of most of the basics over his many years as a Jedi.

Mercifully, in all their travels, they rarely caused enough trouble to provoke local authorities to pursue them. Insway had realized early on that government entanglements would delay them enough to risk allowing the trail to go cold, something they could not allow to happen. As such, the path forward had grown even more treacherous and difficult. As was the case with most parts of the galaxy, where there was no government, there was lawlessness. Run-ins with pirates were difficulties that nearly had their shuttle adrift without power several times.

Due to the nature of the assignment, he had been careful about keeping his presence in the force quite completely hidden from the moment they had left Coruscant. With his focus on hiding himself, Insway had a harder time than usual in sensing anything in the force at will, and as such had to resign himself to following the will of the force blindly, as well as the clues and leads that presented. It was a test of mental agility, all in all, a challenge he found quite intriguing.

After nearly a year of seeking, though, he knew their path was coming to an end. Although it was unclear in the force, he could feel something coming, racing toward them as they raced through hyperspace from planet to planet. Although he was eager for the chase to come to an end, eager that they should apprehend Yureal for the good of the galaxy, he also knew that the most difficult part of the pursuit was only now to befall them. Knowing this, Insway stepped up the training between him and Maya, knowing that they both would need to be the sharpest they had ever been.

And so, the day came. As they came out of hyperspace, only a short distance out from a space station that was seated between Roche and Concord Dawn on the Perlemian Trade Route, the feeling in the force of something coming closer suddenly changed to one of it having arrived. It was a strange place for a Dark Jedi to hide, a busy space station on a busy trade route. But it was where the trail lead...

Insway had been travelling the turbolift for five minutes now, headed for the lowest point of the massive space station. It provided an ideal hiding place, he had realized on his journey down, due to the new additions being added to the station to enhance its capacity. Nearly a quarter of the lower levels were all but abandoned so that space constructors could work without fear of injuring careless workers or spacers. Officially, the level he was travelling to was off limits, but the turbolift computer had been as easy to convince as most electronic security measures were to a Jedi Shadow.

He and Maya had split up upon arriving at the station. It had been his idea, and though he knew it was a precarious and danger one, even the girl had to agree that it made better sense than anything else would have. Maya, although capable, could not hide herself nearly as well as he could, not only by the nature of her species, but by her abilities with the force as well. Insway, on the other hand, could disappear into the shadows and remain there at will. Maya's arrival would certainly trigger some kind of reaction from their foes, should they be present on the station, and it was for this that Insway would watch.

And watch he did, until the moment the message had found its way into Maya's hands. Dropped into her pocket by a passerby, Maya read it to herself before scrunching the roll of flimsy and carefully tossing it against the edge of a nearby waste receptacle. Insway had picked up the message from the floor where it had fallen, but even upon reading the message inside he had continued his pursuit of the messenger rather than return to his friend.

I await you on the lower levels, Jedi - YS

Insway knew Maya would do as he had told her, first returning to their shuttle to broadcast a message to Coruscant, before travelling to the lower levels herself. By then, he would hopefully have had time to study the lower levels himself, so that they could handle the encounter with Sesh together.

The messenger he had been following proved to be useless after all. Whether by order or because he really wasn't aligned with Sesh, he had headed into one of the station's many cantinas and by the look of him, had no interest in leaving soon. As such, Insway had headed for the nearest turbolift that travelled all the way to the lower levels, overrode the computer and started the long journey down, towards destiny.

In the time on the elevator, he considered the message from Yureal. She had been unspecific about her exact location, something that concerned Insway. Quite suddenly, he realized that he had indeed made a mistake by not returning to Maya the moment he had read the sheet. If Yureal was being unspecific, then she was likely doing so because she knew Insway was there as well, because it was her intention to keep them apart. There was little for it now, though, the Morganian realized, resigning himself to having to take matters as they came, now. He was still quite uneasy about all of this, quite aware that there was far too much they still didn't know.

He stepped out of the elevator, and straight away could hear the sounds of combat coming from close by. Lightsaber combat. Whilst taking care to keep his presence a secret, but not dithering either, Insway quickly rounded a few corners until he had a direct view of the battle.

At first, he was confused, and then surprised. One combatant was indeed Maya, her blue lightsaber illuminating her features clearly enough for him to recognize even in the partial darkness. Her opponent, though, was not Yureal. It wasn't a woman at all. It was in fact towering Wookiee wielding a bladed weapon of some sort, and wielding it well. As if the thought jolted all his senses to life, Insway suddenly started taking in the details, even though there was a long corridor separating him from Maya and her foe. He could see shiny spots on the floor near where the two were dueling, specks he realized instantly could only be blood.

Maya's blood.

Stretching out through the force, he could feel her injuries. She already had a gaping wound to her left shoulder, and the rest of her body was full of little blood-letting wounds. He realized quite suddenly, and quite shockingly, that his friend was losing, and losing badly. He broke into an all out sprint. He may not have mastered body as well as his other skills, but his natural speed combined with his talents with the force were enough to make the long corridor a blur around him. He was nearly halfway through before he felt it. It was not his normal senses, but his senses in the force , a technique he had been training since shortly after being knighted. He felt the blade come through the wall before it did.

He dived, rolling underneath the spot where the lightsaber blade suddenly burnt through the wall. Skilled as he was, he lost control of his roll and hit the ground hard. He managed to spin himself to his feet, a little shakily but still up. His orange lightsaber blade was already lit. Slicing her way through the flimsy temporary wall came Yureal Sesh, a human female, wielding a red lightsaber blade.

For a moment, Insway considered saying something, but he knew he daren't. All too quickly, the situation had turned against the Jedi, and he knew he would need all his focus to get himself and Maya out of the situation alive.

The woman pressed forward, her red blade coming at him in a careful and precise set of strikes that he managed to turn away. He quickly realized that her deft style was Makashi, a fencing form that he had only trained in for a day before realizing that it was not for him. Still, at least it gave him an idea of what to expect from the woman.

He quickly started pressing in attacks of his own, using his well versed Niman form. He knew he would have to be smart about his attack, though. Using Makashi, chances were good that the woman would have better speed than he did, so he would have to put her on the defensive and keep her there if he wished to rely on Niman. And he knew all too well how to do that.

Suddenly, he changed his style, quickly lashing out a set of Shii-Cho strikes. The first two surprised the woman, but well trained Makashi skills saved her from both, before she realized what he was doing. Then, just as she stepped back to allow the third blow past, something quite logical for a Makashi duelist to do against a Shii-Cho practitioner, he changed his attack again. Before she had time to launch the attack that he knew she had thought would finish the duel, he reversed his strike and spun forward, launching a quick mental attack as well.

It was something light, only an attempt to tickle her senses by causing her to hear just a touch of noise behind her, but it was enough. The woman spun into a block toward her rear, taking her out of his range but also exposing her rear to him. She cursed loudly as she realized his diversion, spinning back again quickly to block him. Her attempt was fast, but not fast enough, and she was rewarded for clumsily following her physical senses with a deep gash into her left thigh.

From there, the battle quickly went one way. He continued attacking, but added more aggressive movement to his style, causing her to stumble several times as she tried to keep his attacks at bay by moving backward. Next, he added a new element to his attack.

As the woman made to parry one of his blows coming from below, he let his lightsaber blade wink out of existence, before bringing it back again a second later beyond her blade to singe her right shoulder. He let his blade disappear again, before activating his blade again a moment later, coming at her from below, a strike to her other thigh. She moved to parry, but he quickly switched his lightsaber off again, bringing it up and attacking her arm again with another slash.

She was quick enough to parry this time, but not by much, and Insway continued in this fashion for several seconds more, until the former Padawan made her final mistake. The woman had allowed herself to fall into a pattern of trying to block all of his attacks as soon as she could. He didn't blame her, knowing full well how difficult Maya found it to fend him off when he was using Tràkata. But this woman was not as well versed with a lightsaber, and as he feinted an attack coming from over his right shoulder, she moved to block.

He spun, using the force to speed him through his maneuver, bringing him around and his lightsaber through to cut both her legs out from underneath her. As she toppled, her body fell into a state of shock that was more than enough to cause her to lose consciousness, a consciousness he more than suspected she would never regain.

He turned to face the battle that had been going on behind him as he had fought, just in time to see Maya take another cut to her torso. As he sped forward, Insway considered how dangerous this enemy was to Maya. He had always managed to outlast his friend's poor fortitude, and the many bleeding wound that a normal sword left would have drained her reserves even faster as usual. He was glad his duel with Yureal had been quick, as he doubted Maya would last much longer.

As if his thoughts had called it on, he watched in shock as the Wookiee's blade found its way through an opening and into the Diathim's chest. The puncture was high enough to miss the heart, but Insway had a terrible feeling that this fact alone would not save his friend.

He sped into the room as the Wookiee used a hurling force technique to send Maya crashing into the wall behind her, the blade stabbing into the wall and pinning her there. As he did so, the towering creature removed a lightsaber hilt from a utility belt around his waist, igniting it and beckoning Insway on.

The Morganian was not so easily provoked, though. Careful to keep his defense up, he made his way to where his friend was pinned to the wall. Careful not to cause more damage, he used the force to pull the blade from her shoulder, catching her as she slid down the wall. He inspected the wound briefly, already knowing what to do. "This is going to hurt, Maya. Your wounds are bleeding too much, I have to seal them."

[/B] From the pained expression in her eyes, he could tell she knew what was coming. He didn't flinch, though. Using precise technique, he quickly cauterized her wounds with his lightsaber, using the force to keep his friend's body from twitching so much that she would injure herself further on his blade.

Now, all he had to do was to fend off the Wookiee and hope that his attempt at keeping his friend alive would be enough. He knew, though, that fending off the Wookiee would be no easy task.

"Forget it. I have beaten your master. You cannot hope to stand against me."[/B] he said, turning his attention back to his new foe.

The Wookiee answered him in Shyriiwook, a language Insway had learnt only the basics of during his years as a youngling. The words the Dark Jedi spoke were simple though, translating to basic roughly as:

~"Not the master. I am."~[/B]

Insway already suspected this, of course, but he needed to be certain. TekMi had warned him that there was more to the mystery that even the Jedi Council could see, and it had been then that he had started suspecting that Yureal was perhaps serving a new master.

He had little time to think further, though, as the Wookiee suddenly launched into an attack that Insway had never experienced before. He was attacking with his lightsaber, but the sheer ferocity and the speed of the savage blows were something he had never experienced before. What was more, all manner of hatred and anger came with it, as if the Wookiee was expelling all his dark side emotions as he dealt every savage blow. Insway quickly fell into Soresu, using the technique as best he knew how to keep the beast at bay. There was no hope in turning to Tràkata or Niman, as he knew full well that he would not last more than a few seconds against this strange form. What was worst about it was the disconnectedness of it all. If not for his heightened ability to sense attacks coming in battle, he would have had no way to predict where the next blow would come from. Every attack seemed separate, yet joined.

'Juyo?'[/I]

It was undoubtedly so. No other form could be so erratic and vented while still being dangerous at the same time. Insway felt like he was the eye of a very intense storm, and it was all he could do to keep himself alive as his bright orange blade met the seething red all around him. He was losing ground, though, and he could tell. His opponent's far superior strength and reach was driving him back into the corridor in which he had battled Yureal. He needed to stop the onslaught, and he needed to do it quickly.

It turned out Maya had the same idea. She summoned the bladed weapon to her hands, before force whirling it at the Wookiee's legs. The beast was too fast, though, spinning around and batting the sword aside with little trouble. As he turned back to face Insway, though, the Morganian was gone.

At the Jedi Temple, Insway was renowned for being able to disappear in an instant even in a well lit room. Here, hiding his presence and slipping into a shadow was not even difficult.

"Why me?"[/B] he asked, using the force to cause his voice to amplify, making it sound as if he was hiding in every shadow in the room.

The Wookiee answered with a serious of grunts and howls Insway didn't understand, before saying:

~"Yureal had no spirit. You, on the other hand, would have made a fine student."~[/B]

That was odd, and for a moment Insway wasn't sure whether his recollection of the Wookiee was as good as he thought it was. "This is a strange way to try to get me to join you."[/B] Insway said.

~"This?"~[/B] The Wookiee snorted loudly, his contempt obvious. ~"No, little Jedi. Years ago, when I sent Seypr to you. That was when I wanted to convert you. I was not too happy to hear that you defeated his attempt."~[/B]

This was strange. Insway suddenly felt quite uncomfortable in knowing that he had no idea why he was there now.

~"No. Now, it is your student I am after. Ubhana will make a far better apprentice.~"[/B]

'Ubhana?'[/I] That was exceptionally strange. Insway knew the boy was more than just gifted with the force, but he wasn't exactly exceptional. The boy still had much to learn, as well.

~"I have already seen to it that he is aware of your demise here. I am quite certain he will pursue me here, seeking revenge, and then I will take him to replace my student. You see, Insway? You, a Jedi so fond of balance? You killed my apprentice, now I will take yours to replace her."~[/B]

All in all, it would not have been a bad plan, with the exception of one problem. TekMi. Insway knew the Jedi Master would never let Ubhana come after him, not after he had asked her to take care of him. Obviously, this Dark Jedi was not as well versed in the dealings of the Jedi Order as he pretended to be. "Your plan will fail. Ubhana is training a long ways from here, under the supervision of someone far more powerful than you or I."[/B]

~"Is that so? Why don't you find out for yourself. Stretch out with your feelings."~[/B] It was a play, Insway knew. Even as capable as he was, and with his familiarity with TekMi and Ubhara in the force, he would never have been able to find them on Mustafar. In fact, that he would have reached for his student on Mustafar is probably what the Wookiee wanted: for Insway to reveal where his student was hidden. Well, that, and to reveal where he himself was hidden.

The Wookiee let out an angry howl, realizing that his plan had failed. Looking for something to release his anger on, his attention turned to Maya again, who had passed out lying against the blood-stained wall. Without thinking, the Morganian moved. As the red blade made to come down on the Diathim, Insway force pushed her body out of the way, before bringing his own blade down on the Wookiee's, pinning it to the ground. He quickly launched a string of melee attacks, deftly striking the Wookiee on several nerve clusters, allowing the force to harden his attacks.

The Wookiee sent a wave of force energy at Insway to drive him away, but Insway quickly threw a protective barrier up, before responding with a set of telepathic sensory attacks. The Wookiee had freed his blade, moving to attack Insway, but didn't realize the trick immediately. He blocked a blow that was not coming from his left, allowing Insway an opening through which to attack from the front.

The Morganian stepped in, burning the Wookiee's fur with a quick jab to the torso before the creature could fend him off. He started his furious attack pattern again, but Insway had moved in too close, and the Morganian found it far easier to defend himself now that his opponent's reach advantage had been removed.

He moved so as to stay in close, all the while keeping to Soresu and waiting for his opponent to make a mistake. And the Wookiee did.

In his rage, the Wookiee pulled back on a blocked attack too quickly, and let his blade follow his opponent's to his body.

Only, it wasn't to his body, and suddenly Insway realized that it had not been the Wookiee that had made the mistake. The giant creature took hold of Insway's overextended hand, and sent a spark of force lightning into the lightsaber hilt. It was enough to send the Morganian flying back, and destroyed the lightsaber instantly.

The Wookiee did not stop there, though. In an instant, he followed Insway with his hand, sending another bolt of lightning towards the Morganian. Insway had anticipated this, and quickly brought up a protective barrier to absorb the energy. It was a difficult feat. Skilled as he was, his opponent’s attack was far more powerful than any force attack he had ever defended against. Still, his barrier held, and Insway quickly sent a set of very forceful and convincing telepathic attacks to allow him a moment's freedom. The attack worked, causing the Wookiee to pivot and strike at a non-existent foe, breaking his attack on Insway.

Using his chance, Insway called Maya's lightsaber to his hand, thumbing the heavy blade to life before spinning to meet the Wookiee again. The blade was longer than his, but not by so much that it would be an encumbrance. It did, however, give Insway the advantage. As far as he had been able to tell, Maya had not had the chance to use her coup de grâce, her lightsaber's hidden secret.

Stepping into the Wookiee's attack again, Insway set about defending himself again. This time, he would not be caught so easily. Using his uncanny battle precognition, Insway waited and defended patiently, allowing his opponent to move him when necessary, but standing bolt still otherwise. The Wookiee was growing frustrated, but his frustration was only making him stronger, the Morganian could tell. He was feeding his dark emotions into his attacks, making them stronger. And the moment came. His opponent relented in his attack just long enough for Insway to bring the hilt to bear, and Insway could feel every part of him want to push the button.

It was this that made him stop.

Insway knew he wanted to save Maya and Ubhana, but he also knew he could not do this because of them. If he let his desire to protect his friend and student be the cause of the Wookiee's death, it would send him spiraling into the darkness he had been combating all his life. He knew he needed to put his emotions aside, to let the force guide him.

And so he did. He took up his defense again, feeling a calm come over him since the moment he had seen Maya impaled on the Dark Jedi's sword. To be honest, had he not been fighting for his life against an opponent with far superior skill with a lightsaber, the Jedi would almost have called the situation meditative. He let himself be guided by the force, parrying the blows aimed at him until another opening came, one which the force beckoned for him to use.

He activated the control on Maya's lightsaber, extending the blue blade by a good meter in length in an instant, impaling the Wookiee.

Yet, Insway felt nothing at this. There was no anger, no chaos inside of him being let out in his strike. All was at peace.
[/Quote]


It took a long time for Insway to recover from his encounter with the unnamed Wookiee. He was glad that, even though he had sent word for his Padawan to return the day he had returned to Coruscant, the boy had been too occupied by Master TekMi to return for several weeks.

Maya had survived the encounter as well, if only just. Unlike him, though, who was only exhausted, the Diathim had been physically scarred far worse than he had thought would be survivable. Jokingly, she conceded that his missions were always more fun than any of hers when she woke, something that the Morganian appreciated greatly.

His debriefing with the Council was brief. Glad that the whole episode behind the Jedi Order, they assured him that they would assign someone to discover who the mysterious Dark Jedi had been, very likely quite a few Jedi. Further than this, the congratulated the Jedi for his handling of the problem, as well as his efforts to return Maya to the Temple alive.

Two months later, he could feel his body was well enough again to resume missions, and so set about first thing to yet again replace the weapon he had lost to the Wookiee. To a degree, he was starting to wonder jokingly whether he'd be better of building a whole handful as he seemed to have picked up a knack for losing his lightsaber at inopportune times. His third lightsaber was a radical departure from his previous two weapons, though.

Taking him a month to assemble, weeks to construct and many days and hours' worth of meditation to imbue, it was certainly the most definite representation of his personality that any lightsaber had ever been. Nothing but a slim, dull-grey rod on the outside, all the controls of the weapon were hidden inside and could only be activated by touching it with the force. On activation, a grey-green blade sprang forth. It was a weapon both simple and complicated, commonplace and unpredictable, hidden in plain sight. It was Insway.

In the time that followed, Insway's missions were of a different type again. Mostly diplomatic or exploration, the Jedi was glad that his return to Jedi Shadow duties had been short-lived. Though he recognized that the talent he had as a Jedi Shadow were a part of him, he knew that it was a course that often lead to far too aggressive and rash actions for his liking. Instead, his missions sent him exploring ancient libraries or old Jedi enclaves thought long forgotten.

As he went, he taught, and he was slowly starting to realize what it was the Wookiee had seen in Ubhana. Yes, the boy had no special connection to the force, but his ability to learn had only increased threefold in the time Insway had been away. The boy had an exceptional ability to learn, something Insway knew any dark master would pride in a student. Shortly after turning 22, Ubhana took the trials and was knighted.

Insway, now a somewhat aged Morganian, though still looking young due to his race's nature, decided to take up teaching at the temple full time. He quickly grew to appreciate his new position, passing on knowledge, wisdom and experience to students of all ages, and also finding time to do research of his own while at the temple. The end of the next year, though, he was quite surprised by the return of a familiar presence.

TekMi returned to Coruscant, sought him out and asked him to travel with her to Cilpar, where his training would be completed. The Morganian realized what his master was telling him, and gladly travelled with the Jedi Master, returning to the very same forest and very same temple that he, Reznan and TekMi had been using to teach Padawan to listen to the force for generations.

"There are a few techniques that you are still to learn, Insway, techniques that I have learnt over decades and now must pass on. But first, we must talk of the future."

[/B]

It was a surprise. During his entire apprenticeship, the Kushiban had been careful about talking of the future. Yet, he had been a much younger being then, far less restrained and careful. At his age, Insway knew it would have been dangerous for him to know too much about the future, especially as the future was a difficult concept in the first place.

"Something worries you, master. A disturbance in the Force."[/B] Insway stated simply.

The Kushiban looked at him appraisingly, as if only just realizing that he wasn't the foolish Padawan he had been nearly 40 years prior. "Then you have sensed it also. I had thought you would."

"Insway, my days are over. I have lived a long, full life as a Jedi. Many students have passed under my tutelage. Now, as the end comes closer, I fear that it all might have been for naught. There are difficult times coming for the Jedi, Insway, times that I wish I could be there to help them through. Yet, death is not the end, and the only way that I can touch this future is through you. Here, I will finish your teachings as my student, so that when I pass, you may carry new strength and will to help the Jedi, and the galaxy, through coming times."[/B]

It was more than a little irking to hear his master speak of such matters. Yet, he suspected that she was right in all she said, and that it was his duty as a Jedi to learn all he could, while he could.
[/Quote]


On Cilpar, the pair spent several months, Insway learning to take techniques he thought he had already mastered and bring them to new heights. For the first time in years, he felt as if he was truly learning as a Padawan again. He realized that he had believed he had grown close to the apex of his force abilities, yet he was still only a student. It would be the greatest learning experience of his life, and after the months had rolled by and TekMi told him that their time on Cilpar was over, he could almost feel niggling regret at not having more of it.

They returned to Coruscant, the Kushiban to say goodbye to old friends and lend council to those who needed it, and Insway to return to teaching at the temple. They kept in close contact, always discussing the force and where it would lead the Jedi after TekMi's passing. Yet, for it all, they both admitted they could see too little to know what was coming.

Shortly before the end of the year, TekMi became one with the force.

Astoundingly, despite the many tearful diplomats, counselors and senators at her funeral, there was an overwhelming air of joy about the event. All the Jedi present knew the master had given much to the Order, had taught well and served dutifully. They all knew that her return to the Force was not one of sad passing or loss, but one of a great Jedi taking the next natural step in her life. Even so, Insway knew that many would be disconcerted to no longer have their friend to turn to for council, leadership or teaching. Despite losing a good friend and master, Insway was glad that the Kushiban had returned to the Force, her long-time ally.

Insway himself continued to teach, not taking a Padawan again over the next two years but deciding, instead, to wait and allow the force to guide him on the matter. Late in 1399, one of the long time council members passed away, and Insway was invited to join the Jedi High Council as a short term member. The Morganian didn't accept the duty lightly, knowing that it would be an immense new responsibility. Yet, he felt guided by the Force to the Council, and took the seat willingly.

[Jenno]

You need to change the thread title from 'Insway Nal [Ready for review]' to 'High Council Member Insway Nal'.

Hopefully Kellaishleya will be getting around to this shortly.

~Jenno

[Meira]

Ok, Meira here... former Jedi mod just wanting to make a quick comment or two.

Just to let you know, I'm only reading the summary. This bio is by far the longest I've seen and though I might read some here and there... there's no way we could mod the long version.

However, your summary is quite nice on it's own. So props for that!

The one thing that has struck me so far is the whole battle with Reznan and the blonde guy on Tython. My big question here is why Tython? It wouldn't be a place they'd be able to escape easily. In fact... I'd say it'd be the hardest place to escape, being a Jedi world and all. Is the location so important? If not, might I suggest a more neutral world? It would just make more sense to me.

And yes, that's how far I got before I saw something that was off to me... so congrats on doing so great so far.

I'm sure kells or I will be back to continue the read through soon. I hope you understand that such a bio is likely to take a while.

[SlipLihte]

Revised-

Ok, good point. The original reason for choosing Tython was because it had lots of latent light side aura and it was(or at least I thought it was before coming to this site) abandoned. I tried to fix things so that it would still make sense when I noticed it was actually an active planet on SWURP, but you're right, that didn't make much sense. As such, I've moved events to Alaris Prime, a largely wild world which happens to have an old, destroyed Jedi Temple there that I can use. If that doesn't work, I'll try something else, so just give me a head's up.

Additionally, I've moved the summary section to the second post in this topic, since it's the primary reviewing source. In it, I've added a line to keep track of where the review process has gotten to. Just hi Ctrl + F and enter Reviewed. It should take you straight to it.

Thanks for the thoughts so far,

Cheers,
Slip

[Triss-chan - ... KAWAII!]

.... *gapes* excuse my french but HOLI SHIT! ... that is a major Bio

*salutes* you just won yourself my respect, and all within about 100,000 words lol I ALMOST did Sirius's history like that, A hybrid of RP and Words but ... it would have taken too long, and I have the eternal, everlasting patient of a Gundark(joke) .. and oMG .. Legolas ... *drools ... then realizes where she is* oh yeah ... dude that is an EPIC bio ... I would LOVE to cross blades with him at some point *purrs* ... now back to MY epic.

[Kella]

You have been so patient! For that, I thank you very much. I am determined to get through this whole thing tonight, but that may or may not happen... for time's sake, what follows is a stream of consciousness. But it is better than nothing. So, without further ado, onward and upward!

_______

Bio:

Chapter I

--"...although he did also become a noted hand-to-hand combatant, not capable of winning a spar against some of his larger peers, but still quite capable and cunning."
Minor over-use of the word 'capable'. Nit-picky, I know, and it sure as heck isn't going to stop you from being approved, but when grammar and content are good enough, I tend to shift to spotting writing quirks as well. Consider it a compliment. X)

Overall Comments: I very much like the way you start off by recognizing the fact that your Padawan has weaknesses! Yay! Anyway, Kudos for that. Now we shall see if the proper balance lasts... *pushes reviewing spectacles higher onto beak*



Chapter II
All is simply peachy here!

Chapter III
Knight Yib: Now, it is implied that she turns out being innocent, however, for reasons of closure, it would be best to insert something about the masters trusting her, or her reputation being cleared of all suspicion once it was revealed that it was the Cathar who was the scheming one. Not big enough to delay approval, though, since the reader does eventually figure it out.

Lucradis Kabe: Excuse me one moment, I need to squeal.
EPIC BADGUY NAME.
*Hem* Anyway...

A small matter: Reznan saved Insway from the ship, but he didn't return to the temple... I detail I suspect was in your original version, though I'm still curious as to how Reznan evaded returning to the Jedi -- or did he?



Chapter IV

--"Yet, he was still not strong enough, but proceeded to continue thawing out bodies to refresh himself."
Gee, this sounds familiar...
*mystical voice* You are not thinking of KotOR...
I'm not thinking of KotOR?
*mystical voice* You are not reminded of Darth Malak...
I am not reminded of-- Hold up, wait a moment, Who said anything about Darth Malak?
*mystical voice* Ummmmm....

Do excuse me, it's after midnight. Anyway, an excusable correlation, but originality's worth a million moons. Or something like that.


Chapter V

--"Around the same time, TekMi travelled to Mustafar, where she would teach young Jedi for many years more."
Mustafar? Seems like an odd place to go train Jedi... unless it's some secret enclave or something. Though, the Jedi of this timeline already have one of those -- it's on Dantooine. There's also Arca Jeth's school, buried in Arkania, but it's pretty self-contained.

--"After two or three years, though, his life started quitting down again..."
Spellcheck is such a fickle thing... quieting vs quitting. X) Dun take this as condescending, though -- all night long, I've been misspelling 'cliche' as 'chiche'. Stupid 'h' key...

--"Insway finally had the opportunity to start passing on what he had learnt."
You took the past-tense, and instead of adding 'ed', you added a 't'. ...
OMIGOSH I LOVE YOU.
I thought I was the only one that did that... ^^

--"Unwilling to be taken captive, the being opened the airlock and was sucked into the vacuum of space before Insway could seal the ship."
Epic suicide. ^^ Unless one is a Kel Dor. Then it's genius.


Chapter VI

Nothing particular here!


_______

And as for your stats, everything looks splendid, save for the Force attunement... I can't quite decide if I think a +8 is justified... I'm leaning closer to a +7... if you want the 8, you'll have to talk me into it, buuuuuuut... I'm open to that.

Okie-day! I know it took me three months to get to this, and I feel horrid for it, but at the same time... that's what you get for having a summary technically over the word-limit. ;) Though, I think that in the end, that summary was paced just about right.

Anyway, I'll leave you to mull all this over, and seeing as next week is spring break, you shouldn't have to wait so long for the follow-up. X)

'till then!

[SlipLihte]

Chapter I
Modified section to read
Insway proved to be most adroit in the area of sense, although he did also become a noted hand-to-hand combatant, not capable of winning a spar against some of his larger peers, but still skilled and cunning enough to put up quite a display.

Chapter II
Yay for Peaches!
Chapter III

Knight Yib: Now, it is implied that she turns out being innocent, however, for reasons of closure, it would be best to insert something about the masters trusting her, or her reputation being cleared of all suspicion once it was revealed that it was the Cathar who was the scheming one. Not big enough to delay approval, though, since the reader does eventually figure it out.

Only added a one-liner here, please say if you want more
Upon arriving with several Jedi in tow, TekMi told them all that they would set up a mission by which the hoped to reveal the mystery behind Reznan's disappearance. As the Jedi Council was certain of her loyalty to the light side of the force, Jedi Yib and her Padawan Maya, as well as Insway, would all travel to Alaris Prime and await contact with Reznan, while the rest of the party would travel by another route and wait until called for in space.

A small matter: Reznan saved Insway from the ship, but he didn't return to the temple... I detail I suspect was in your original version, though I'm still curious as to how Reznan evaded returning to the Jedi -- or did he?

Indeed, forgot to mention Reznan in the shortened version:
Insway and Reznan’s return to Coruscant brought with it intriguing news. The Jedi Council deemed that Insway had passed all trials but the Trial of the Spirit during his confrontation with Lucradis and Reznan, and that he would be tested the next day. Despite still being injured, Insway prepared himself as best he could spiritually, and approached the test the next day with only a slight edginess to him. His arrival was unremarkable, and a few minutes later the other Jedi cleared the chamber, allowing Insway's trial to begin.

Chapter IV

Yes, I did blatantly rip KoTOR off with all the presence and efficiency of a dinosaur. I was just trying to keep to what would be realistic for the time and place, and making something up by myself might have gone totally off the reservation.

I hope this cookie will help excuse me:



Chapter V

Mustafar? Seems like an odd place to go train Jedi... unless it's some secret enclave or something. Though, the Jedi of this timeline already have one of those -- it's on Dantooine. There's also Arca Jeth's school, buried in Arkania, but it's pretty self-contained.

From the site’s Outer Rim page:

Mustafar
Currently a lush and green world, the Jedi have established a large enclave here and help keep the peace between the citizens. Jedi Order

From Wookieepedia:

Jedi Enclaves were small, satellite training and defense facilities of the Jedi Order, as proxies of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.
...
Mustafar: Enclave which housed such luminaries as Chu-Gon Dar.

I was kinda under the impression that Mustafar was a Jedi Academy of sorts on this site…

Spellcheck is such a fickle thing... quieting vs quitting. X) Dun take this as condescending, though -- all night long, I've been misspelling 'cliche' as 'chiche'. Stupid 'h' key...

Fixed…thanxors

And as for your stats, everything looks splendid, save for the Force attunement... I can't quite decide if I think a +8 is justified... I'm leaning closer to a +7... if you want the 8, you'll have to talk me into it, buuuuuuut... I'm open to that.

Hmmm...to be completely honest, I don’t mind it much either way since I chose the stat according to how I wrote his biography, not the other way round. Whether he gets accepted at 7 or 8 isn’t really going to change how I play him. I suppose if I had to try and motivate the +8, the only points I’d really have to stand on would be
1. He only actually kills one person in the entire bio(far as I can remember)
2. He does so in complete peace and
3. He has a propensity for saving enemies rather than letting them die in horrid explosions.

Those are the only 3 points I wrote in specifically aimed at illustrating his alignment, so tell me whether you want 7 or 8 and I’ll put it in.

Okie-day! I know it took me three months to get to this, and I feel horrid for it, but at the same time... that's what you get for having a summary technically over the word-limit. Though, I think that in the end, that summary was paced just about right.

Over the limit? My count from the words Background: Kieran and Betha to enough for the coming times... isn’t even 9000 words(8410 to be exact). What am I missing?

[Kella]

Omigosh, forgive me for the whole Mustafar thing... that's what I get for staying up past 1, it seems. You're completely right, in our timeline, Mustafar is nice and lush and green and Jedi-y. Anyway. xD

As for attunement, I do think I'd like you to drop it to a 7, but I don't think that's any reason to make you wait up.

In regards to the word count, I did also have to read his personality and appearance. That puts dear Insway over. I counted those. Why, you ask? Because I can, simple as that.

Everything else looks fine and dandy!
*noms cookie*

Let it be known, however, that I do not accept bribes. >.> If I denied bios for moments of unoriginality, I'd lose have my section. X) And half my own characters...

Anyway, I now dub this with the...



Go forth and guide the council with over-explanation, my novella-esque friend!

... btw, I hereby dub thee, officially, Spaceolas. >.>


JENNO EDIT: I have already decided upon Splegolas, sorry Kella.

[SlipLihte]

Mar 25, 2010 23:33:35 GMT -5 Kella said:

As for attunement, I do think I'd like you to drop it to a 7, but I don't think that's any reason to make you wait up.

Done

In regards to the word count, I did also have to read his personality and appearance. That puts dear Insway over. I counted those. Why, you ask? Because I can, simple as that.

Good point, I guess I sort of just considered them reading candy. Thanks for the review, hope to see ya'll on the board soon!

[Jenno]

Moved to Inactive.