Moonlight sonata... |D&R| [Valcor]

[Thaddeus]

The twin suns had set, those burning orbs now set fire to some other soil, for here in Mos Ila the soil bathed in the cold light of the stars. The moons hung in the cold fire of the black like pearls, and they lent their silent permission to all sorts of nocturnal comings-and-goings. Here an adulterer sneaked off to a rendezvous, there the soft footfall of someone breaking into a store, or over there songs and laughter of a cantina that hadn't yet reached closing time. And in the spaceport seated on the dirt crossed legged sat Balkk.

He could sense it all in the Force, like a delicate work of lace so intricate and impossibly fragile the Force wove through everything. Through the ground to the very core of the planet, there he could feel the immovable nature of things which had been here since the galaxy was still hot. Through his nerves and blood vessels, so youthful in comparison and yet so similar. And in his lightsaber too the Force intertwined with the crystal lattices, the nature of them forever changed when he had made it so long ago, they now shared the same sensation as his own muscles and skin. He reached out, the hilt levitated in mid-air, slowly piece by piece Balkk pulled it apart. Every single thing gently caressed in the Force as he did so. The Ilum crystal was still so cold, it glowed with the energy of the Force, it glowed as bright as it had over 40 years ago when Balkk had chipped it off. He opened his eyes and watched all the parts spin, bathed in the blue glow of the crystal. Slowly he reassembled it all.

It was well past midnight when Balkk stood and the completed lightsaber gingerly fell into his hand. He run his hand over the Lorrdian gems, smiling in the night as he did, then with a bright thrum the lightsaber came to life. Balkk closed his eyes and once again concentrated on the Force, unthinkingly he moved through the motions of Soresu. Everything seemed to whirl and twist, like a dervish he spun the dirt into a spiral around him. This was how Balkk meditated, and it was beautiful. He sensed a presence lurking behind some crates, it was watching him, and he knew who it was. Balkk performed a Su, his blade moving so fast and perfectly the blue blade seemed to smear into a solid wall, and then in an instant he deactivated it. Bowing towards the crates, he called out,

"Good evening Shorza." 

[Valcor]

    Shorza slowly emerged from the crates wearing the same clothing he had when he fixed Balkk's ship, his goggles bouncing around his neck as he walked towards the Jedi.  "Hey-uh Balkk... You seemed focused, I did not want to disturb you." Shorza replied as he slowly rubbed the back of his head nervously as he approached.  The sand around the Jedi was just beginning to settle, only for Shorza's work boots to disturb the soft grit once more.  "I-I did as you requested..." Shorza said, filling the silence with a referral to Balkk's request earlier to listen to his gut.  Shorza felt extremely uncomfortable and exposed without his tools, his droid and around a powerful towering being he felt he insulted previously.  The youthful Zabrak pushed the sand around with his toe as he looked down.

    "Why are you so focused on me?" Shorza said softly, asking the question that had been nagging him since the chase not but a few hours earlier.  Slowly the piercing blue eyes of the tattooed Zabrak rose to meet Balkk's, confusion, curiosity, and strangely trust emanated from them as they looked up at Balkk.  Perhaps it was just the Trandoshan's similarity to Shorza's father figure, but there was something else in the air that seemed to calm the child around the Trandoshan.  SHorza could not put his finger on it.  Shorza of course had heard of the force, but having grown up primarily around fringers and scum, did not believe in an all powerful force guiding everything.  If there were such a thing as the force, how would it allow a child to live the life Shorza had been forced into anyway? The young Zabrak pondered silently.

    Around the pair, now merely feet away, the sand whirled as the wind whipped down from the opening above the hangar.  The darkness combined with the dome of sand that seemed to be afraid to approach the pair, gave the situation a very intense tone.

[Thaddeus]

"No worriesss Ssshorza, I wasss jusst meditating." He clipped the lightsaber back onto his hilt and walked closer to the young Zabrak, extending a hand towards the crates, "Come, sssit." He would stand, Balkk always stood - a padawan of another Jedi had once remarked that when everything else would come crashing down Balkk would remain standing, an immovable object of certainty in the Force. Balkk smiled at the memory, he knew it was not true, he too would fall in time like all things he would wax and wane. But there was no death, and what he lived now was not life, there was only the Force.

Balkk nodded as Shorza remarked that he had used his 'gut.' His hands gently moved as always to illustrate his point, "Of courssse you would not be here otherwissse, we mussst lissten to the Force; it guidesss our actionsss, and shapesss our livesss." He looked at the sand which still hung in the air slowly settling to the ground, "But I imagine you are not interesssted in my philosssophy?" Balkk could still remember being young, and all the impetuous desire it gave to one, you weren't interested in rambling or questioning, no you wanted action and truths. Balkk looked down at the Zabrak who still wore the same clothes as earlier, he suspected he always wore those clothes, and in the Force he could sense confusion and uncertainty, doubt. Balkk hissed a sigh and then spoke slowly, "Becausssse when we and when I realisssed you could sssense the Force my instinctsss told me to find you and teach you. Our instinctsss, our gut, that is the Force offering guidance." Balk nodded an affirmation to what he said, knowing it would seem improbably to the boy, and then continued. "You cannot become a Jedi, we musssst begin our training very young. But you can learn to do more than jusssst trusst your gut, we are all of usss part of something immensssse and immutable, thosse of usss who can senssse it, feel it around usss, within usss, we have a duty."

He knew that Shorza would be hesitant, a life with the likes of Grozzack didn't enamour one of duty or higher purposes. But he knew that this was what the Force wanted, and so Balkk would prevail. "You mussst have more quesstions, pleasssse assk them." Balkk folded his hands in his lap, and loomed as large as ever in the night, his yellow eyes rested on Shorza gently.

[Valcor]

    Shorza hesitantly approached a nearby crate, one he recognized as the one Hex maneuvered earlier.  The young Zabrak took his seat with unusual caution, never in Shorza's life had he been so confused and curious at the same time.  He had no idea what being 'Force Sensitive' was or what it even meant.  But Shorza did know that something called him here, and it was natural, in his eyes anyway.  "The Force huh... Is that what you Jedi use?" Shorza asked, raising an eyebrow, trying to compare the Force to something he could understand, like a weapon or machine.

    The tattoed Zabrak crossed one heel over the knee of the other leg, taking a more relaxed posture as he looked up at Balkk, who clearly had no intention of sitting.  "This 'Force' how does it do all that?" Shorza asked, not understanding the spirituality of the entity on which Balkk spoke.  Shorza was never a spiritual, all he had and earned, he earned through logic, reasoning and effort, and he found it hard to believe some 'thing' had anything to do with that.  If such an entity existed, Shorza was certain it would not be pleased with the life he has led so far.  The child, still convinced the 'Force' was simply an ability Jedi possessed that Balkk was playing up, asked further.  "How does it shape us? What about those of us..." Shorza trailed off slightly to a hushed tone, "That aren't good?"

    Shorza still was not comfortable with how he last left Balkk, amid the cells of slaves Grozzack had captured.  Shorza was not proud of what he did, but he was a criminal, an outlaw, and there weren't many opportunities to do honorable work with that hanging over you.  The young Zabrak was not ready to confess his crimes to this Jedi, yet he wanted to explain himself, it truly was a conundrum that the child was struggling to solve.  "So I have a duty?" Shorza asked softly, curious as to why Balkk felt the child was fit for such a role.  Shorza was certain with how perceptive the Jedi was, that he had picked up on the fact that Shorza had a few demons.

[Thaddeus]

"I prefer to think of usss as being ussed by the Force, expressionsss of it. But yesss the Force is where a Jedi getsss their power." Explaining the Force was never an easy thing, Jedi Masters to this day still pondered what it was and its nature, but Balkk embarked on the task with his normal surety and gentleness. Balkk recognised though that Shorza was one who looked for parts and pieces, like someone solving a puzzle. "Within every being there are midi-chloriansss, these organismsss create life, they allow usss to sense the Force." Balkk hoped that the more grounded explanation might resonate with Shorza.

"The Force being in all thingsss connectss everything, so by attuning yoursself to the Force and the universsse... by quietening your mind and lissstening to Force we can do great thingsss." Balkk's hands moved as always as he spoke, and his eyes remained on Shorza throughout. "But the Force connectsss more than jusst uss, it connectsss everything what wasss, what might be, what will be, and what musst never be. Passt, presssent, future, all of it is linked by the Force." Balkk did not move his body as he spoke, some people liked to stride while speaking or rock from side to side, but apart from his hands and the occasional nod of his head Balkk was unmoving.

Balkk was not surprised when in a hushed voice asked about those that weren't good, he smiled softly and sat down next to the Zabrak. "My masster, who wasss a great and wisse Jedi, ssaid that there iss no being beyond redemption and that no matter how far we journey into the dark there isss alwayss a light for usss to return to." Balkk knew better than most Jedi the pull of the Dark side. "The Force hasss both Light and Dark, harmony and chaos. There isss an old tale from the earliesst dayss of the Jedi." Balkk looked at Shorza and with an eagerness began the tale, Balkk had long wanted to teach but had never been able to. "When the firsst of our order arrived on the planet where we were founded they sssaw it had two moonsss. One light, called Assshla, and one dark, called Bogan. The light of Assshla defined the darknessss of Bogan, and the darknesss of Bogan defined the light of Assshla. When the moonsss were not properly aligned, in balance, ssstorms and earthquakes ravaged the planet. So the foundersss of my order underssstood that there musst be balance, harmony, and that by maintaining balance in the Force they could find peace." He folded his hands into his lap for a moment as he let that sink in, "When we fall to deeply into darknesss we are unbalanced, but the light isss not gone we can return to it. Do you undersstand what I mean?" He said it without judgement.

Shorza asked after his duty, and Balkk nodded, "All of usss do, but we who can sensse the Force we have a greater duty. Oursss is to serve othersss. Becaussse we can sssense the will of the Force, becausse of our gutsss..." He reached a hand down and pointed at Shorza's stomach, "... We can do more, we can protect the weak, care for the sssick, keep the peace. We can resstore balance and harmony to the galaxy." He paused a moment before adding, "And to ourselves."

[Valcor]

    "Being used by it?" Shorza asked as he tilted his head to the side inquisitively.  This talk of the force had peeked his interest.  Shorza was not unaware of the Force, he had heard bandits and mercenaries talk about the mysterious Jedi and their magical powers before, but this seemed different to what Shorza had in his horned head.  In Shorza's mind, the Force was some kind of super power you were just born with and learned to use.  The moment Balkk began to give Shorza a biological explanation, Shorza nodded, understanding slightly better.  Shorza was not a biologist, however, and did not fully understand the Midi-chlorians.  This did not seem to be a problem however, as it did not seem that Balkk understood the strange explanation either.

    The young, Zabrak's blue eyes followed Balkk's hands as they waved through the air and added to his point.  Shorza was slowly beginning to understand, and was starting to understand it a bit more, "So... how come I've never... you know, like pulled over a bookshelf or anything?" Shorza asked curiously, all he had ever encountered with the Force were Holos. SHorza tilted his head slightly as he inquired, but remained seated, assuming Balkk would give him further instruction, as he did when Shorza arrived.  "So... you want to train me? Because the force told you to? What if-if I'm from the dark side?" Shorza asked warily.  Shorza never wanted to be evil, he had always wanted to do the right thing, but it seemed life was content to make the young Zabrak out to be the bad guy.


    Shorza averted his gaze, he wanted to tell Balkk that he was wasting his time, but Shorza desperately wanted to have a higher purpose.  He was tired of being a mechanic for scum and villainy, this was not who he had ever wanted to be.  Slowly Shorza lifted his gaze once more to meet Balkk's, gently biting his lip nervously as he did.  Like before he wanted Balkk's approval desperately, and he was not entirely sure why.


    As Balkk sat next to Shorza and spoke words of redemption, the child relaxed his shoulders and sighed before nodding slowly.  Shorze nodded when asked if he understood the importance of balance, despite the fact that he did not.  Shorza had spent nearly all of his adolescent life as a fugitive and a criminal living among those who were similar to himself.  Shorza knew little of what it mean to be good and just as Balkk spoke of.  Despite this, Shorza tried his best.  Shorza wanted to be in the light side desperately, both for himself, and to impress this new Jedi.

    Shorza looked into Balkk's eyes before finally speaking, "I wish to restore balance." Shorza did not specify whether he sought to restore balance in himself or in the universe, but he knew which one needed it the most currently.

[Thaddeus]

Balkk nodded and explained, "Yessss, the Force wishesss to maintain balance, and sssso we who can senssse it are lead by it to create balance." He tried to think of an explanation that might be better for Shorza to understand the idea with, "An electrical circuit hasss a ssset tassk, like turning on a light. Now to do thissss it hasss batteriess and ssswitchess, thingsss which either give energy or control itsss movement. Ssso it isss with the Force, we are the switchesss and batteriesss." He was stretching his knowledge of electrical engineering, but he hoped that it helped the Zabrak come to grips with the esoteric nature of the Force.

Balkk couldn't help but smile when Shorza asked why he had never knocked over a bookcase. With a rare and slight chuckle Balkk began, "There isss a great difference between sensssing the Force, and ussssing it to manipulate the world." Balkk's hand reached out and levitated several rocks, "To do jusssst that meansss I have to feel not only the Force flowing in me, but the Force that surroundsss me, the Force that isss in the planet itsssself. I have to losse myssself in the Force, but not be overwhelmed by it." Balkk gently lowered the rocks to the ground. "In time you will underssstand."

Balkk nodded his reply when Shorza asked if he wanted to train him, and whether it was the Force that told him to. He could sense the confusion that swirled in the boy when Shorza asked if he was from the Dark side. Balkk clasped his two hands in front of him, and more carefully than before spoke.

"Ssshorza, thessse linesss are at the heart of my Order, and they have brought balance and ssserenity throughout millenia: 'There isss no emotion, there isss peace. There isss no ignorance, there isss knowledge. There isss no passssion, there isss sssserenity. There isss no chaosss, there isss harmony. There isss no death, there isss the Force.' If you meditate upon them, allow the Force to fill your mind and body, and contemplate their meaning you ssshall sssee what I mean." Balkk's hands began moving again, "And remember Bogan and Assshla, there isss no darknesssss without light, no matter how far we fall there issss always light, alwaysss there waiting for usss to return." Balkk looked down upon Shorza kindly, "We are not defined by any one action, no matter how good or how evil, no being isss ssso evil that they cannot be redeemed, and no being isss sssso good that they cannot fall. If you are to train and ssstudy the Force you musst undersstand that. For to believe that you can never fall or never be redeemed isss to believe that you alone are infalliable, that you alone exissst dissstinct from the Light and the Dark. None of usss know, we are all ignorant; and none of usss exisst outssside the Force, we are the Force, what it isss we are." Balkk could sense that Shorza was hiding something in his past from him, but Balkk was a patient master. He trusted that his student would tell him in time.

Balkk looked intently at the young Zabrak who looked up so desperately, his statement almost a plea. Balkk reached a hand out and gently rested it on the boy's shoulder. "I am glad." Balkk rose to his feet once more, "The training will not be easssy, it will be hard, you will be pusshed to your mental and physical limitsss." Balkk never sugarcoated the truth. "It isss okay to asssk quessstions Ssshorza, thisss need not be a lecture." Balkk smiled, but then his features grew serious. "If I am to train you though you ssshall have to leave the employ of Grozzack." His voice was not angry, nor even chastising, it had the tone of slight disappointment but also of understanding. Balkk knew that Shorza probably had little choice of his employer, especially if he had been found in want of one so young. And despite his fellow Trandoshan's profession Balkk did approve of the way Grozzack had treated the Zabrak. "If you do thisss I will teach you to massster yourssself, to sssense and touch the Force, to ussse it... You will never have the sssame mastery assss a Jedi, but you will be able knock over a bookshelf." Balkk smiled, he wanted to put the Zabrak at ease as he could tell that for Shorza this was all very new territory. He was sure that the novelty of the situation would bring on many questions, and Balkk sat serenely and awaited them.

[Valcor]

Shorza listened intently as Balkk spoke, taking in every word and committing the important themes to memory.  The force wished balance, we are tools of the force, there is redemption, there is the fall.  All of this Shorza put away in his mind as he had with so many assembly processes for machines.  Shorza appreciated how Balkk attempted to compare the force to machinery, but from what he gathered, the force was far more complex.  Shorza smiled and looked up at Balkk, "The Force sounds much less direct than a circuit..." he quipped with a small laugh, hoping to lighten the intense mood that had fallen over the pair.

    Shorza watched in wonder as the rocks lifted up all around Balkk, the sand falling from them almost weightlessly, giving them a quite mystical look.  Aside from the cooling unit earlier, Shorza had never seen a Jedi use his powers before.  Some of the rocks that were being lifted were even behind Balkk, out of his field of view, blowing away all the preconceptions Shorza had about the force.  Now the young Zabrak was beginning to understand.

    The force was not a tool, or power, or weapon as he had previously thought, but instead it was a being, a creature that imbued certain individuals with its power to maintain balance over the universe.  Shorza tried his best to wrap his mind around that, with little success, but still, he tried.  "Are you going to teach me how to do all that?  Lose myself to the force I mean..." Shorza said quietly as he kept his eyes on the now settled rocks once they had been fully lowered onto the ground once more.
    
    Shorza slowly repeated after Balkk as he spoke of the Jedi code, "No emotion, peace, no ignorance, knowledge, no passion, serenity, no chaos..." Shorze then trailed off and looked up to Balkk for guidance as her forgot the rest of what the Jedi said.  Shorza laughed nervously as he tried to remember what Balkk said, but the words eluded him.  He was still rather nervous about this whole thing.  Now Shorza had to actually hold himself to something, be honorable and all that jazz.  The young Zabrak, despite spending almost all of his life as an outlaw, tried to do the right thing, but was never required to.  Shorza definitely had some life sorting out to do.

    Shorza smiled slyly at the comment on being pushed to his limits, the Zabrak had lived his entire life being pushed to his limits, this would not be the first time.  Despite this confidence, Shorza was suddenly struck by Balkk's next comment.  "Wha-why? Oh..." Shorza asked but quickly realized why he had to leave his companion.  "What about credits? Can I take jobs?" Shorza asked nervously.  He did not love his current living arrangement, but he would be lying if he said he did not care for Grozzack.  The big lizard was not nice to look at, scummy, and a slaver, but Shorza had befriended him.  This would not be easy...  Shorza averted his gaze to hide his eyes, fearing they might well up.  The red faced Zabrak quickly took back control of his emotions and returned his gaze to Balkk, "I will." He finally said with a calm but resolute tone.

    Shorza sat in silence for a moment, holding Balkk's gaze before smiling confidently, "I bet I'll be better than any Jedi my age." Shorza quipped with a small joking laugh before adding, "So what now?"

[Thaddeus]

"Yessss it isss a little more complex..." Balkk added with a gentle smile at Shorza's chuckled remark. He was glad that the boy wasn't treating the Force lightly or like something that could be quickly grasped, it spoke to his intelligence. As the rocks hung in the air around him Balkk's attention was on Shorza, he saw realisation dawn in his blue eyes and he saw awe. As the rocks slowly lowered to the ground once more and the Zabrak asked his question Balkk resumed in his normal tone,

"Of coursssse. The Force isss already within you, it already guidesss you, you jussst have to learn to lisssten more clossely to the guidance it offersss."

Balkk looked down as Shorza silently asked for the rest of the Code, "There issss no chaosss, there isss harmony. There issss no death, there isss the Force." He sat down, the dust still settling from the rocks. "Don't worry you will know it sssoon, more than that you ssshall underssstand it."

Balkk nodded knowingly when the reason for his request that Shorza leave Grozzack's employ dawned. "I know he caresss for you, and you for him. But in order to find balance you cannot participate in sssslavery, to chain and abusssse another being issss to be abussse yoursself - the Force linkssss uss all." He said it gently, he truly did not judge the young Zabrak. He would deal with Grozzack after Shorza had begun his training. The question about credits and jobs was not unexpected, after all Shorza had had to deal with the wider galaxy from the earliest days of his life; the practicalities of existence were not alien to him like they were to younglings at the Temple. "I will cover your expenssses while we train, but after that you will have to find employ which allowsss you to keep your balance. There are Jedi who are healersss, farmersss, engineersss, we are all guided by the Force and there are many waysss we can ssserve." Balkk paused for a moment then added purposefully, "That which isss true, and therefore good, isss that which enduresss and cannot be upssset or losst. Therefore creditsss, wealth, all the little baublesss of life which we cannot keep when we become one with the Force are false or thingsss which can disstract uss from the truth."

When Shorza finally assented to Balkk's request he squeezed the lad's shoulder. "I am glad, I would sssuggessst telling him the truth of why you are leaving... But I leave it up to you Ssshorza." He did not offer to come with the boy, he knew that he would be fine - especially with Hex - and Balkk suspected that Shorza would turn down the offer.

Balkk sensed much potential in the young Zabrak, but he more than most Jedi was aware of the dangers of competition. "I am ssssure you will, but remember Sssshorza asssspiration iss good, for it isss the comparissson of oursselvess to a higher ideal. But ambition, the comparissson of ourssselvesss to one lower than ourssselvesss is dangerous." Balkk added a warm smile, he trusted the young Zabrak would discover in time what he had said, after all the young of any species were always ambitious - the great flaw and virtue of youth was overreaching. Balkk stood quickly to his feet as Shorza asked what was next, "Perhapssss you would like to join me in meditation?" It would be the boy's first true conscious attempt to connect with the Force, it would be a long night and if he was successful what the young Zabrak would feel would be nothing short of momentous. Balkk remembered the first time he truly felt the Force, it was as vivid to him decades later as it had been on the day in the Temple.

[Valcor]

    "No chaos, harmony. No death, the force..." Shorza repeated softly as his eyes followed Balkk all the way down as he sat in front of Shorza.  "I'm not sure what that all means, but if you say I'll understand it..." The Zabrak trailed off sarcastically with a small smile as he too sat down in the sand in front of the large Trandoshan.  The bright blue eyes of the Zabrak met the Jedi's as they sat across from each other, allowing the moment of silence to sink in.


    "I dunno, slaving is kinda fun." Shorza replied sarcastically with a laugh to Balkk's request to leave Grozzack, but once he noticed that Balkk was not smiling, Shorza halted.  The child coughed uncomfortably and added, "Kidding, kidding."  Shorza averted his gaze nervously, silently cursing himself.  All too often in an attempt to fill silence, the Zabrak found himself with his foot in his mouth.  The child thanked the force that he had facial tattoos and red skin to cover his guaranteed blush. 

    At the mention of abuse, Shorza visibly flinched, he was all too familiar with abuse.  The child quickly banished the thoughts from his head, forgetting had kept him going this long, and the Zabrak was not gonna break down now.  Slowly fear began to creep up on Shorza as he realized he would be expected to meditate with Balkk.  The Zabrak for years had forced himself to rely on little to no sleep so he would not have to venture into his own mind, but it seemed unavoidable now.  The child's mind, as it sat to it's own devices, soon began to venture to memories of slaves Grozzack had captured.  Shorza shook his head to banish the memories once again before they grew too vivid.  "I-I care for him..." Shorza admitted slowly as he focused on his hands in his lap, nervously picking at his nails.  "But not what he does..." came the soft child like voice of the Zabrak.  Truth radiated from his tone, it soon became clear that Shorza did not wish to harm anyone.  Another glaring fact soon became evident however, this child would do whatever it took to protect himself, an almost primal instinct now honed and sharpened by years of harsh surviving.


    In response to Balkk's offer to cover his expenses, Shorza quickly responded, rather loudly, "No!-I-I mean. I will cover myself, I'm not some talentless padawan. I can do repair work on my own..." Shorza once again smiled, hiding his inner turmoil from view of the Jedi, hoping his sarcastic snarky attitude and bratty smile would fool the Jedi as it did everyone else.  This mask held up until he felt the Trandoshan's hand on his shoulder, bringing him back to the reality of the situation.  Shorza was about to lose the only true, organic, friend he ever had so that he can pursue a life in service to an ethereal force he just found out existed.  Yet despite how ludicrous it sounded, Shorza was sure this was what he needed to do.  Shorza slowly nodded, agreeing with Balkk that he should tell Grozzack the truth, the big lizard deserved that much.  "Balkk... You must promise me... Do not try and bring Grozzack in." Shorza added quietly, his tone sounding as if the child did not want the Jedi to hear him.

    This was not the lowest point of this interaction for Shorza, however, as the Jedi soon offered to meditate with the young Zabrak.  Shorza had spent his whole life running; from the law, from his past, and from facing himself.   The child distracted himself in any way possible, work, tinkering, Hex, whatever he could, but now it seemed he finally had to face his own thoughts, and it terrified more than any beast could.  Shorza visibly began to pale and sweat as he looked at balk with his ocean blue eyes, his gaze radiating nervousness and fear.  Shorza was not one to back down and cower before challenge, however, and despite his fear, the horned head of the Zabrak nodded, giving Balkk the okay for the meditation.  Balkk seemed excited for Shorza, and yet the child could not see why.  He had to face himself, maybe when Balkk did it he was not afraid of what he would find...

[Thaddeus]

"The Code isss ssomething that mussst be lived to be underssstood. You will ssssee." How often had some stranger asked the Trandoshan Jedi to recite the Code, and how often had they nodded or looked puzzled. The Jedi Code was a complex and concise philosophy of the Force, it could not be truly understood outside of the Force.

The Zabrak's joke caused Balkk's features to fall into the stone-like look they usually had for strangers. To Balkk slavery was more than an affront to the Force, and truly it was that, but it was also the great blemish of his kind. Oh many other species practiced the infamous trade, but Trandoshans had a galactic reputation for it. Balkk remained impassive as Shorza quickly added an embarrassed 'kidding' he spoke in his even tones that rumbled through his throat. "We joke or jessst becaussse we wisssh to deny or hide from reality. Wilfull ignorance issss a dangeroussss path to walk, remember the Code: 'There issss no ignorance, there isss knowledge.' For usss there can be no retreat in the face of thingsss, we mussst sstand and brave it; trusssting in the Force, and knowing that all ssshall be assss the Force willsss it." Balkk's face grew softer once more, he knew that it was only Shorza's way of fending off the reality he ran from - how many souls before the boy and after him would use humour to hide, Balkk thought to himself - but still he must begin now to face it.

"Even Grozzack hasss Light and Dark, Sssshorza, and even Grozzack can be redeemed. Hisss affection for you isss proof of thissss."

Balkk shook his head as Shorza quickly refuted his offer to pay for him as they studied, "I am ssssure you would, and will be able to care for yourssself, but Sssshorza I did not joke when I ssssaid thisss training will be hard; you will not have much free time I am afraid." Balkk recalled his youngling and padawan years, it was rare for him to have more than one or two hours a day not given over to training or meditation. He had no intention of allowing Shorza to get off lightly, he would train him as he would any other.

Shorza's request made Balkk inhale and close his eyes a moment. Yellow eyes opened and rested on Shorza, he did not let go of the shoulder. "Sssshorza I cannot promissse thisss..." He held up another hand to silence any protests, "... But if he leavesss before tomorrow night I ssshall not be able to purssssue him until I have finissshed training you." He looked meaningfully at the boy, he would not say anything more than that, he had given Grozzack more leeway than he had ever given in his life. Balkk would check tomorrow, and if the Trandoshan slaver was there he would indeed bring him in. But he had paid the appropriate honour to his relationship with Shorza, "Do you underssstand?"

Balkk watched the young boy, and he could sense and see the fear that rippled across his features and in his presence in the Force. Balkk motioned with a hand for Shorza to stand, and he walked away from the boxes somewhat. "Sssstand like thisss." Balkk turned his body slightly, and one foot forward and the other pointing away, he relaxed his body and bent his knees slightly. It was the On Guard stance for Shii-Cho, Balkk found meditation easiest while his body was also actively moved by the Force like his mind. "Now classsp your handsss behind your back." Balkk did as he had instructed Shorza. "Now clossse your eyesss, focusss on your breathing, feel the air flow in and out, feel it fill your lungsss and feel it leave them." Balkk opened his eyes, and stood normally once more watching Shorza. "Now lunge forward, but only focusss on your breathsss, in and out, back asss you were."

Balkk watched the lad's stance, "Sssshorza, relax focusss on your breathsss, allow your mind to fill and empty with them... and now lunge again, and back, again..." Balkk repeated himself over and over again watching Shorza closely, waiting for when he sensed that Shorza was truly in the moment; when he felt and sensed only himself as he stood and moved, not Shorza, not his life before or to come, but just a physical movement. Balkk would know it when he sensed it.

[Valcor]

Shorza slowly nodded, he believed and trusted Balkk. The Zabrak wanted to believe he could come to understand the force and the Jedi code, it was a welcome change from machines and slaving. Despite how much Shorza disliked slaving, he had to agree with Balkk, he did turn a blind eye too it. How long had the Zabrak ignored the pleas of prisoners as they begged for their freedom to him? Shorza did not know, but he knew it was far too many. "It was not ignorance Sish... I knew what was happening..." Shorza admitted quietly as he averted his gaze once more.  

    
In his mind, Shorza justified slaving by telling himself that he had no choice, and for a while he did not have one.  For the Zabrak in his early years on the run, it was between slaving, or prison, and the child was not about to give up his freedom for escaping the hellhole of a family he had.  However, after years spent evading the law, the need to participate in slaving dwindled, and yet Shorza continued.  Slaving had become his comfort zone, whether or not he actually took part in the slaving, and it would take a significant jolt to spur him to leave it.  It seemed Balkk was just the jolt Shorza needed.

    At the mention of Grozzack having a light and dark side Shorza's hopes rose, "So-so he can be saved? Then why do I have to leave him? Maybe I could-or..." Shorza's quick excited tone trailed off as he realized just how ingrained slaving was in Grozzack's personality.  It would take more than Shorza requesting he stop to turn the slaver away from his family business.  The Zabrak did not finish his thought as he realized how futile it would be to try and save Grozzack himself.  Even before Shorza spoke, it seemed Balkk already made the decision that Shorza must leave Grozzack's employ, no matter what.  "You think he will pull me back to the dark side... Don't you?" Shorza said in a low tone as he thought to himself.  He really cared for Grozzack, and did not want to leave him.  Grozzack was his friend, no matter his profession, and it would be hard to tell him he had to leave.  Shorza teared up slightly but quickly wiped it away and quickly recomposed himself.  "I'll do it..." Shorza said softly.

    Slowly the child rose to his feet and nodded understandingly as Balkk informed him of how arduous and time consuming the training would be.  After a quiet sigh Shorza relented, "Fine... I won't refuse your credits..." Shorza had supported himself for almost 4 years now, and did not like taking anything for free, but he knew his new life would not be without hard work which might just justify the credits.  Shorza smiled slyly and quipped, "But you better keep count of every credit, because I'm paying you back." Shorza laughed slightly before Balkk moved back onto the topic of Grozzack, one Shorza was hoping to avoid until absolutely necessary.

    The child held his tongue until Balkk was finished speaking on how he was going to handle Grozzack, desperately wanting to hear that his friend would be safe, but he was not given the relief.  Without saying a word, Shorza nodded, knowing Balkk's word was final and there would be no changing his mind.  Hopefully Grozzack would be willing to at least leave this port as Shorza doubted the Jedi would put too much time into finding his friend.  Before Shorza had too long to think on this, he was being instructed.  The child quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts as he tried his best to follow Balkk's commands.

    The stance seemed easy enough, and yet kept his mind focused so it did not wander as far as Shorza feared it would.  The Zabrak looked at Balkk intently, copying his stance perfectly.  Years of memorizing and mimicking machine work had given Shorza exceptional memory and imitation abilities as often times making machines required significant dexterity and intelligence.  Shorza lunged forward on command keeping his eyes closed and attempting to "feel" the force as he had been instructed.  This form of meditation helped focus Shroza without allowing his mind to wander too terribly far, helping keep him at his center.  Slowly Shorza began to smile, glad to finally be doing something he can be proud of.

[Thaddeus]

Balkk said nothing when Shorza admitted to knowing what was going on, the Jedi looked down upon the boy who was looking away and added at last. "Sssshorza remember that we live only in thissss fleeting moment; all of the resssst of our livesss are either passst and gone, or not yet known to usss. We cannot allow ourssselvess to become trapped by the passst or enraptured by the future, we mussst live now." For Balkk was a follower of the Living Force, he understood it not as intricate destinies, but instead as directing balanced and proper behaviour in the moment. Though he knew there was truth in the Unifying Force, he also knew that there was little serenity to be found in ephemeral and improbable destinies.

He heard the excitement in Shorza's voice after he mentioned that no one was beyond redemption, and Balkk's yellow eyes rested on the young Zabrak with warmth. As the boy trailed off he concluded, "Even Grozzack may be redeemed, but it will take a great effort and Sssshorza I do not think you will be enough to convince him. But perhaps in time." He smiled adding physical sincerity to his words.

Shorza's low tones and concern for himself, and for his paternal friend, were not lost on Balkk. "Sssshorza, attachmentssss can cloud our judgement and upssset our balance. Love isss noble and good, but it can become possessive and make usss do horrible thingsss to keep it. Attachmentsss are illusssionss, there isss nothing in thisss life that lassst, all returnsss to the Force in the end." It was perhaps this lesson that was the hardest for even Jedi to learn, after all how could love the most noble and beautiful of emotions and attachments be bad? The line between selfless love and selfish love was so narrow. The tears that quickly flowed and sooner stopped made Balkk take a step closer and kneel. "Perhapsss in time you will find Grozzack again, and you will help him find hissss way. In time." He rose to his feet once again.

Balkk shook his head in defeat, clearly it was important to the boy that he maintain his independence. "I have no need for the creditsss, I own nothing except my blade, and everything I need is provided to me by the Order." Balkk held up both hands in surrender before Shorza could protest and offer to pay him back any more. "But if you wissssh you can pay me back, I will donate the creditsss to the Order." He smiled and shook his head once more at Shorza's insistence, Balkk had forgotten how headstrong the young could be. Balkk was glad that Shorza did not protest his refusal to promise to let Grozzack go, giving the Trandoshan a day to leave was more leeway than Balkk had ever given. If Grozzack listened and left he could be on the other side of the galaxy by the time Balkk finished training Shorza... if he didn't Balkk would end his slaving tomorrow. But such thoughts were not for now.

He watched Shorza closely, the boy had copied his stance well - though he still hadn't totally relaxed into it yet. But after several minutes Balkk saw the muscles grow accustomed to the stance, and watched as Shorza trusted the guidance from them. The ready stance and lunge becoming muscle memory. Balkk watched his breathing become more steady, less forced, and more like a silent mantra. The Trandoshan Jedi could sense the peace begin to fill the boy, it did not escape him that it seemed to be flowing around some immovable darkness, but Balkk was glad that Shorza was beginning to sense something of the balance that the Force could bring.

"Sssshorza concentrate on my wordsss and your movementssss, reach out and lisssten to the Force." Balkk stood in front of the young Zabrak, just in front of where he lunged. In rumbling tones Balkk began to speak, as he did each word flowed through him, grounding him, and he could sense the planet itself whispering back an echo.

"Emotion, yet peace." And slowly he closed his eyes and the words guided him to look inward. He could sense the Force throbbing with each heartbeat, flowing and filling him.

"Ignorance, yet knowledge." He felt how small he was, and yet how infinite; how brief was the light of his life, and yet how bright.

"Passssion, yet ssserenity." Balkk could feel all the troubles of existence like wounds, and the Force flowed over them like a balm. The waves of light enveloped him, warmed him, made him strong and yet reduced him. He was at peace with it all.

"Chaossss, yet harmony." His vision was turned outward, he looked upon the Force as it flew out before his mind's eye. The world was alive and burning with a hundred million lives, all struggling, and yet he was not concerned. For in the chaos the Force showed him harmony, balance and an order to all things.

"Death, yet the Force." Balkk's vision flew back to himself, and he realised that even now his life was slowly ebbing away. But he saw that it was but a skin, a vessel to contain the Force, and peace followed for he would resolve at last into the grand spectacle, no longer a spectator.

[Valcor]

    "What if the past is not as easy to lose?" The young Zabrak asked as he continued to repeat the movements Balkk requested him to perform, eyes still closed.  Return to stance, lunge, return, lunge.  It was simple, fairly easy, yet kept Shorza's occupied enough that he could meditate and keep his thoughts together.  After what seemed like an eternity of repeating the same movement over and over, Shorza finally allowed himself to relax into the motions, his muscles memorizing the movements quickly and replicating them more and more finely each time.  The speed at which Shorza picked up on the first step of the form was quite astonishing, then again most of the students starting to learn this movement were small children, so it was expected that Shorza would be a bit quicker to learn.  

    The young Zabrak, after growing comfortable with the movements, slowly tried to open himself up to the force.  He was not entire sure how to do that as he did not wish to open his mind in any way.  Shorza tried his best, and slowly as he let his mind relax, it came to him.  Shorza was not sure what he felt, but it was strange and alien, yet felt as if it had always been with him.  It was as if millions of small fibers extended from the Zabrak and now flowed around him.  Shorza suddenly felt as if he could feel what was around him. including Balkk, despite not having his eyes open.  It was the strangest feeling Shorza had ever felt, and yet it felt good, and he did not want it to go away.  Shorza tried his best to focus on the feeling, but it seemed the harder Shorza tried to focus on the force, the more it slipped from him.  

    Shorza listened to Balkk's words closely as he continued to meditate, but did not respond to any of them, wanting more to feel the force than to make conversation.  Balkk's words were not lost on Shorza however, he knew he could not save Grozzack himself, despite how badly he wanted to.  Slowly Shorza came to accept that he could not change who Grozzack was, only Grozzack could do that, and all the slaver would do is pull the child back towards the dark side of the force.  The young Zabrak withheld tears this time, he knew what had to be done, crying would not change anything.  Shorza tried to distract himself with his exercises, but the movements took on an aggressive tone as Shorza tried not to let his emotions show.

Slowly Shorza repeated after Balkk while lunging, "There is no emotion." Another lunge. "There is peace." return to the stance. "There is no ignorance." Lunge. "There is knowledge" Return.  Shorza finished the rest of the Jedi code and finally opened his eyes, remaining in the ready stance.  Shorza felt an amazing sense of calm come over him as he had truly felt the force for the first time in his life, and he felt as if everything was right in the universe.  Shorza looked at Balkk and smiled wide, "I'm ready to learn Balkk." Shorza said softly before adding the last line of the Jedi code, "There is no death. There is the Force."

[Thaddeus]

Balkk's features took the shape of one who had lived many long years, who had weathered storms and tempests of his own making as much as those wrought by others, if one looked past the alien strangeness of the Trandoshan's face there was a timeless eternity about it... what was once bright and gaudy now worn into something quieter and more elegant. He spoke gently, watching the boy move, "In the end all thingssss are lossst, what we are Sssshorza isss jussst passing flamesss, bright and warm but o sssso brief. In the end we resssolve into the great fire, the Force. Nothing made by ussss, felt by usss, dreamt of by usss, nothing remainsss... only the Force remainsss." His words were not mournful, nor proud, they just were. To Balkk this understanding had been cultivated over many years, his utter belief in the fullness of the Force was his strength as a Knight, this philosophy brought him peace and serenity.

As he finished Balkk looked at the Zabrak once more, he was doing well in fact he was doing very well. He had relaxed into the en garde stance though his lunges were still too forceful; Shorza's muscles were still working against the Force, pushing their way forward, a duellist should use the Force to push and pull their muscles. Their body should be time with the rhythm of the Force. Still it was a very good start. And moreover Balkk began to sense the Zabrak reach out in the Force, it was like chamelon on a branch: each step forward was hesitant, and his hands hovered for sometime in mid-air before grasping the branch.

But as he began to repeat the Code Balkk could sense the Zabrak's movements become more certain, each lunge more graceful, his stance required less attention, and for the first time since the Trandoshan Jedi had known him there was a sense of calm about him. Though he noticed that Shorza did not turn himself inward, he had looked only about him, the sensation and illumination that the Force brought was not yet directed towards the boy. Yet Balkk thought to himself, in time he would have to face what he hid from even his own mind.

"I can tell." Balkk smiled and then pointed at the Zabrak's legs. "Keep going." He then stood in front of Shorza and gracefully performed the same, "Whatever I do mirror it, I ssstep left and you ssstep right, alwaysss begin and end a movement in thisss stance." He smiled, almost roguishly, and then with his right foot leading took a step to the right. "Between any two beingsss in the Force there isss a connection: the diameter." With left foot leading he stepped to the left and resumed the en garde stance and lunged. "Enclossssing thessse beingsss are the connectionsss between each of them and all the Force: the minor circle." This time Balkk stepped forward, toward Shorza. "And between any two beingsss the Force not only connectsss them, it alsssso definesss the dissstance by which they can obssserve and react to each other: the linessss of infinity." He looked right but with his left foot stepped left. "And sssurrounding each one of usss isss the Force, connecting usss to all thingsss: the great circle." Balkk stepped forward and left, leading with his left foot, following the minor circle. "Now clossse your eyesss, and keep going. Remember all that isss in thisss life isss a lie or fading, only the Force issss real and enduresss. Trust it." Balkk gave a nod to Shorza for encouragement. What he had been describing to the boy was more than a philosophy of the Force, it was also the rudiments of footwork. When Shorza had closed his eyes Balkk made his move.

[Valcor]

The young Zabrak's movements were slow to begin with, but began to pick up speed as the training went on. Shorza had sparred with his older siblings before to help them practice their martial arts and had picked up a few things here and there, but this was the first time he had ever actually been trained himself, and he was loving it. The feeling of physical exercise combined with the memorization of footwork made this quite the enjoyable time for Shorza and it showed. The child was practically smiling ear to ear the entire time he was moving, not that he noticed with his eyes shut. It was not until Balkk requested that Shorza open his eyes and mimic his movements that the child realized how wide he was smiling. The Zabrak quickly halted his grinning but could not keep his excitement tempered for long as he watched Balkk move.

Feet moved in sync as both Master and new apprentice danced around in the sand. Slowly the tan grit that surrounded them began to hang in the air as their pace increased. Shorza's movements picked up slowly to try and playfully outpace Balk's, all the while focusing intensely on keeping absolutely perfect form. Shorza was a competitive child, but his small wish to beat Balkk was dwarfed by his wish to be precise and exact. The child did not thrive as a mechanic by being hasty and sloppy, and neither would he thrive as a duelist by being so.

Slowly Shorza learned the areas of the duel ring, the loops and zones for attack and retreat, it was like a battle field for a warrior's feet. Shorza soon found himself tracing the ground with his feet, using his mind to plot out where he would step next before returning to his guard. The attack, counter, defense all had their place in the sand for Shorza's feet, and he commited them to memory, allowing his muscles to recite the literature of combat as he moved.

Soon the pair were kicking up a torrent of sand as they moved, forming a blinding cloud around the pair as they both moved, neither faltering once in their steps despite the blinding storm of grit. Shorza's smile soon returned to his face as he closed his eyes and let Balkk's words sink into his movements. The Zabrak finally let himself go to the fibers running off his body into the Force, letting the subtle ebbs and flows guide his movements through the steps and circles of his training. This kept up for quite some time, until Shorza began to feel the fibers guiding him away from the concentrated and defensive circles of Shii-Cho. Rather than fight it, Shorza allowed the Force to guide him.

Small steps became longer ones, lunges became small leaps and only when the Zabrak returned to his guard, was it even recognizable that he was performing Shii-Cho. With his eyes closed, Shorza was not aware of what he was doing, as he was simply following the subtle cues of the force, unaware of how acrobatic and aggressive his movements had become. When Shorza finally faltered in an attempt to return to guard, his relaxation into the force faded, and the blue eyes of the Zabrak opened. Shorza found himself drenched in sweat, with the sand around him whirring like a tornado, and strangely his once standing guard had been lowered into almost a crouch. Shorza presumed he had slipped or fallen, but to the trained eye, it was a different stance all together.

Shorza looked up at Balkk as his smile faded, "Balkk... I-I'm sorry I didn't mean to..." He trailed off as he lowered his gaze and stood back up slowly, brushing the sand off his body that had adhered to his sweat.

[Thaddeus]

Balkk offered a clawed hand to help heave the boy up, he lifted the lad with ease that some lifted a sheet of paper. The dust still hung in the air, and Balkk shook his head as the boy apologised.

"It isss okay, you lissstened to the Force and it guided you." But with his hands moving slowly to explain what he said, Balkk continued quickly before Shorza could interrupt. "But you lossst yourssself in the Force, you became unbalanced and were tosssed along its currentsss. Ssssuch a thing issss very enticing, but it makessss you weak and ssssloppy, eassssy to defeat." He had seen it often, and Balkk had defeated more than his fair share of Force-users. "You mussst focussss, and keep your balance. To be lossst in the Force isss to be lossst to the presssent moment, the Force exissst at all moments and issss at peace with that, we however are not capable of that. We mussst exissst now."

He stopped the lecture for a moment, and considered what he had seen. His footwork before he had lost himself had been very good, a little slow in some parts, but not bad for a first time. The acrobatics and aggression reminded Balkk of Ataru, albeit one without the awesome grace and blinding speed of a true disciple of the Form. A pity he hadn't been found by the Order when he was of age Balkk thought for he could have been a great master of Ataru if he had had the proper training. But such had been the will of the Force, he reminded himself, all things having their place and time.

Balkk resumed, "Focusss on thissss moment, on thessse movements, what we learn here isss the difference between victory and defeat." Ultimately for all the showy swordsmanship what truly decided the outcome of any battle was the combatants footwork, and their ability to listen to the will of the Force. A fancy parry or acrobatic leap was worth nothing if you landed in an awkward stance, or if you failed to listen to the Force telling you not to. "How did it feel though?" Balkk asked with a warm smile, partly in anticipation of Shorza's answer and partly in recollection of his own first time of truly feeling the Force.

[Valcor]

    Slowly red tattooed skin met scaly claw as Balkk helped Shorza to his feet.  The strength of the Jedi was quite staggering, but Shorza was used to the strength of Trandoshans with Grozzack around. As Balkk spoke, the red head of the Zabrak lowered, feeling a bit embarrassed to have let himself go the way he did.  He felt foolish for messing up his very first lesson when he craved absolute perfection and nothing less.  "How can I balance being with the Force as you say, and resisting it so I am not taken by it?" Came the curious, still energetic tone of the young Zabrak.

    It was amazing that the child still had the energy in him to remain as up-beat as he did.  The boy was drenched in sweat that had already changed his once rather clean tank-top into a wet stretched out mess.  Slowly the panting of the child became less and less audible as his heart rate slowed.  Slowly the horned head of the child nodded as Balkk finished his short lecture on the force and it's dangers.  Not a word the Trandoshan spoke was lost upon Shorza, who took every line to heart and committed the themes to memory.  "Exist now..." Shorza repeated slowly as he closed his eyes and remembered the words specifically as he had down so many times with blueprints.  


    "I will go over the footwork again mister Balkk." Shorza said softly with an obedient nod, still slightly unsure what to refer to Balkk as now.  The young Zabrak slowly lifted one hand and scratched the back of his head nervously before adding,  "I really should get back to Grozz and start getting my stuff together..." In sync with his comment, Shorza's blue piercing eyes also looked towards the main door of the hangar, as if Grozzack might walk through on cue.  Although, despite this, the doors remained shut and as silent as the rest of the small city, save the cantinas.

[Thaddeus]

"You mussst anchor yourssself, focusss the Force inward upon your mind and body. If you do not look inward you are sssswept along by the Force, but by channeling it into your mind and body you become balanced, moving and yet stationary." He dusted the boy's shoulders somewhat, and added, "In time it will become clear."

Shorza was an enthusiastic learner, not just to prove himself Balkk thought but also for the pure sake of learning. He would go far, Balkk sensed something about him that held great portents... of course greatness could come with the rising or setting of the sun, as the saying went. Only the Force knew if Shorza's future heralded light or dark, Balkk however could only listen and follow the guidance it gave him. His eyes rested on the boy's figure for a moment, though they seemed to be looking not at him but through him, but a second later they appeared as normal as ever.

"Pleassse jussst Balkk." While Balkk was not the sort who believed titles frippery, he did not feel that the relationship between him and Shorza had a title for it. So it would just be Balkk for the Zabrak. He nodded at Shorza's suggestion. "Of coursssse. I will be here meditating ssssome more."

He walked away a little, and unclipping his saber said before ignited it, "I will ssssee you ssssoon." Blue light illumined his features, and the thrum of the blade whirled through the night air.

[Valcor]

    "See you soon Balkk." Shorza said softly with a small smile as he bowed.  His lowered head and posture mimicked what the young Zabrak had seen the Trandoshan do in similar roles, and showed how much the Zabrak wished to emulate the Jedi.  Yet despite the child's smile and content look behind the sweat, it was easy for anyone attuned to the force to sense the anxiety and worry that swirled around the Zabrak.  This was quite possibly one of the most difficult things Shorza would ever have to do, tell a long time friend that he can no longer see him, yet friend seemed like the wrong word.  Grozzack was more than that to Shorza, he was a teacher, a role model, despite what one might think, and the one who saved the child.  No, Grozzack was more than a friend to Shorza, which would make what the child had to do a hundred times harder.

     As Shorza approached the ship he had called home for so long, his emotions turned from anxiety to dread.  He had never felt quite the fear and sadness approaching 'home' as he did currently, and it made every one of his steps a small battle to put forward.  In spite of this feeling, Shorza's will won out and he strode forward.  First thing was first, Shorza had to pack, he did have quite a few things he wanted to keep.  The boot clad feet of Shorza slowly made their way through the silent freighter Shorza had called home for almost 4 years towards the engine room.  Shorza had walked this route hundreds of times, passing all manor of creatures in various states of imprisonment, and yet he never felt worse than he did currently.

     Shorza could not reach his room fast enough, and the moment he entered he quickly shut the door behind him.  Rather than pack, the child leaned back against the door and sank down the cool metal until he was seated.  Slowly the black tattooed hands of the Zabrak made their way up between the horns protruding from his head, gently supporting it as his blue eyes clenched shut.  Inside the room with the child another being stirred, Hex.  As the boy sank, the machine rose.  It's charging complete, and it's auditory sensors activated, Hex turned to face Shorza.  His creator was balled up in a fit of what seemed to be sorrow, yet the machine could not sympathize, only comprehend.  Slowly Hex extended his hand to his creator, hoping to help him feel better, but his gesture was pushed away as the Zabrak spoke, "Just pack my things Hex..."

    Hex could see the tears running down his creator's face and nodded slowly.  He did not enjoy seeing the boy in such a state, it did not make the machine feel good, yet it could not place it's finger on why.  There was nothing functionally wrong with the droid, yet Hex felt as if something was out of place.  Hex curbed this strange feeling for the moment and obediently began to pack all of Shorza's belongings into whatever bags the droid could find.  In no time at all, the bags were filled except for the hammock that the droid assumed his creator wished to sleep in, yet during all of this, Shorza never spoke a word, which put the droid even further on edge than it already was.  Not a quip or joke or remark exited the Zabrak's mouth, strangely few sounds seemed to be coming from the boy, not even the sharp exhale that often followed when Hex did something the boy found humorous.  

    As Hex finished the last bag, Shorza let his hands fall from his head, his blue eyes rimmed with red from crying as he looked up at his companion.  Slowly a familiar smile splayed on the red face of the child as he finally spoke, "At least I still have you Hex..." The phrase was lost on Hex who quickly dissected the sentence.  'Of course he still has me, who doesn't he have, he has not spoke a word, perhaps something medical is wrong.' The droid thought as it turned towards it's creator, now visibly worried.  Slowly the droid approached, it's head lowered as it tried to look over Shorza, searching for a wound or something to explain the strange behavior.  Shorza, extremely familiar with his droid's body language commented, "I'm fine Hex, jeez, just let me rest, I'm just tired." Hex did not seem convinced, but could not find a reason to not trust his creator so he relented, standing up to his full height once more and extending his hand to Shorza.  The Zabrak exhaled quickly, putting the droid's 'nerves' at ease, happy to hear a familiar sound.  Shorza decided he would deal with his troubles tomorrow, that would still give Grozzack time to leave, and it allowed the child to put off the task he greatly feared.  Slowly Shorza took Hex's hand and patted his companion on the back as he rose, "Night Hex." He said with a smile as he climbed into his hammock for the last time.