Jedi Rising... (ATTN: Ava, but AW)

Avadedra stepped into the room and took the power cell, dropping to the floor beside the door. Sucking in a deep breath, she released the old cell and let it drop into her lap. Carefully, she slipped the new cell into place. She glanced at Meric as he dropped into a crouch across from her. Letting out a deep breath, she set the projector between them and activated it.

The image that it produced was grainy at first, jittery and broken, but as the inner mechanism caught up with itself, the image steadied. A woman bearing a striking resemblance to Avadedra took shape, her high cheek bones and lightly waved red hair giving her a youthful look. Atdanna was attractive, and her bearing was strong, self-assured. Ava recognized what her mother had affectionately called her "work duds" and smiled.

"Hello, Avadedra." Her mother's voice carried the metallic edge of the recording, but it was still very much hers. "I wondered when you'd find this. I know it's a little shocking, seeing how little we had for so many years, but you see... I think by the time you see this, things will have changed. More than likely, I'm gone and you're alone. And if that's true, then I'm sorry." The image shook with static for a brief moment. "I want you to know, Avadedra, that I always, always did my best. But, all that aside, there are some things I want to tell you. All of the stories I told you when you were growing up, about Yoda and Mace Windu, and even Obi-Wan... there was a reason for that. My daughter, you are the last of our line, the last of a long line of Jedi. Our name might not have been among the well known of the Knights, but we did our share. I was there when my Master was killed. I went into hiding, denying everything about me that was Jedi, just so I could lead a normal life. I found a way to get around the Force, even though it almost tore me apart. Then, I met your father. And then," Atdanna smiled, "I had you. And I knew right away that you'd be special, that you'd carry on our legacy. When your father found out... well, he was a little less than pleased. He feared what the Emperor would do, if word ever got out. Avadedra, I know how hard it was for you, and I can only imagine what you're going through now, and I wish so much that I could be there with you. I only hope that you can forgive your mother for what she's done. And... I pray that you find your way. If someone out there can find you, can teach you all the things that you need to know, maybe... maybe you can become something more. I forsee great things for you, Avadedra. Great things and so many adventures, just like you dreamed you'd have as a little girl. I don't want you to be angry, or afraid. You've got such a pure and open soul. I only want the best for you. I love you, my daughter. May the Force be with you. Always."

The image shifted and faded, leaving Ava to stare dry-eyed at the place where her mother's image had just been. Silence fell between Apprentice and Master like a thick veil.

Meric said nothing, letting the silence hang between the two of them. Atdanna's face was familiar, but he could not recall seeing her except at a glance. Thoughts of his past he pushed aside however as he glanced at his Apprentice.

At last, he reached forward, placing a hand upon her shoulder. "Jedi discourage such strong emotional ties," he said carefully, "But this... Atdanna has left you the greatest possible gift. She's given you not only the materials to build your saber, but she's given you words to keep with you for as long as your journey lasts... and she has given you her love." He smiled drawing his hand back. "She would be proud, you know... proud of the woman you are becoming... the Jedi into which you're developing even now."

"Funny, Master," Avadedra said softly, slowly. "I know I should celebrate my mother's legacy... but right now, I really don't feel like it." She carefully picked the projector up and climbed to her feet. "If I may, Master."

She turned and left, making her way slowly away from Meric's quarters. Her mind was numb, full of buzzing questions and not a single answer in sight. No, she wasn't angry, but she was lost, and a little off kilter. Still, she knew, deep in her heart, that her mother had meant well.

Safely back in her room, she played the message again, studying every nuance of her mother's behavior. The normal ticks and quirks were there; her wringing hands, the tugging on her hair. Her smile that was slightly crooked, the quiver in her voice when she tried not to cry. There was nothing here but love, Ava knew that.

All for the best, as Atdanna liked to say. All for the best, in due time, and we all get along better for it in the long run.

Reaching down beside her bed, she picked up the box that held her mother's treasures. Lifting the lid, she gasped, snapping it shut almost immediately. Her heart rate picked up as she opened the box again. With her uninjured hand, she lifted two light blue crystals from inside. It was followed by three red crystals. That was all the box held, but Ava knew intuitively what they were. Saber crystals, all of them. Replacing them gently back in the box, Ava smiled and went off to find her Master.

---

((It sucks because I have no idea. XD ))

While Ava returned to her quarters, Meric allowed himself to slip back into his meditation. As often happened, the various plants he grew around his own quarters reached out, their vines wrapping snugly around his limbs. He breathed deeply, reveling in his communion with the life around him.

Unbidden, memories came to him, memories he'd thought long erased even from the deepest recesses of his mind. He found himself running through the room of a thousand fountains in the Coruscant Jedi Temple. He glanced through the eyes of his youthful self upon the churning silver waters, listening to the melodic splash as each drop fell from the fountain to join with the whole below it. He heard a more chaotic splash and glanced behind. "Looks like I win again Atdanna!" he laughed.

11 year-old Atdanna came to a halt, taking the time to catch her breath. "Master Yoda says you shouldn't be so anxious," she laughed, "He says that you have to slow down to experience the Force...."

"He also says to keep your mind focused on where you are and what you're doing," Meric pointed out, "I wouldn't have won the race if you hadn't gotten distracted." He smirked, knowing he had her.

"I couldn't help it," Atdanna said, "The Mighty Bear Clan was practicing with its lightsabers... I was just thinking about when you and I were that young."

"And you were wishing you had a lightsaber in your hand again too, I bet," Meric grinned, "C'mon Atdanna! You're as impatient as I am. You're just lucky that you've been called before the Council tomorrow. Rumor has it that one of the Masters has taken notice of you. You'll be a padawan before you know it."

"Don't worry Meric," Atdanna smiled, "Someone will take notice of you too. How could you be content as an archivist with your strong connection to nature?"

"We all serve in our place: high or low," Meric answered solemnly, "I'll go where the Force leads me..."

Meric opened his eyes again as he sensed Ava's approach.

She wasn't as nervous approaching him this time. Stepping back into the doorway, Ava held the box out.

"As a little girl, my mother always told me that I wasn't allowed to look inside the box until I was ready," she said in a rush, smiling. "She said that the items inside were keys to power, that they would help me secure a future. I always wondered what she... Master, what is it?" She looked at him quizically, bringing the box back to her stomach. "Is something the matter?"

Meric didn't answer right away. The vines clinging to his limbs quickly retreated back as his concentration was fully broken. "It is nothing," he answered, "Just memories of... simpler times, before I was apprenticed to Mace Windu." He wasn't sure how much of his past he wanted to share, particularly when it came to his prior relationship with Atdanna.

How ironic was it that he now trained his former friend's daughter in the ways of the Force? "What was it you wanted to tell me?" he asked, "What did you find in the box?"

Avadedra searched Meric's eyes and face for a long moment before stepping into the room and opened the box, showing him the treasures that lay within.

"She was right, wasn't she?" Ava asked almost timidly. "Keys to power? A future? She left me these things? Do you... do you think she knew? On Hoth, I mean. Do you suppose my mother knew that she'd... she'd..." Ava looked away, swallowing hard. "She never built her Saber, Master, yet she carried these things with her for years. The crystals, the components. Like she KNEW, but she was so afraid. I could tell, but at the same time, Master, she was so... alive. So sure and brave. I never saw her cry, never heard her complain. It's like..." she searched for the right words. "It's like, even though she gave up the Force, it was still there. She never really left it, did she?"

Meric placed a hand upon his Padawan's shoulders. He could feel the pain emanating from her afresh. He understood that, but he hoped it would not become a focus for her.

"I don't know that she ever knew what her future held, Ava," he told her, "Even Master Yoda, through his long meditations, could not truly see the fall of the Jedi as it loomed only three short years in front of him, nor could the Emperor, for all his power, forsee his defeat at the hands of the very boy he'd turned to the Dark Side, but I think she was thinking of you... She knew you'd one day pursue your heritage."

He smiled as he removed his hand from her shoulder before answering her final querry. "To truly give up the Force and live is a feat that only one Jedi has ever accomplished," he explained, "But in its wake, it left the Jedi Exile an empty shell, a cypher who formed bonds and leached the life and will from others. Only through them could she feel the Force again.... but that was thousands of years ago. Your mother turned her back on her training, but the Force never abandoned her... It still guided her, still showed her the right path to take, and in the end, like all true Jedi, she became one with the Force, passing on all she knew and had to you. It is a truly wonderful gift you've received... and I believe a part of her love, and her spirit, remain in those tokens you carry... That part of her will remain with you, always."

Ava nodded, gazing at Meric with wide eyes. She felt the truth of his words and a small weigh lifted from her. She traced the wood of the box with her fingertips for a few moments before taking a step back toward the doorway.

"Thank you, Master Meric. Even though she never told me much about her days in training, I'd like to think that, just maybe, she had a friend like you."

With a smile, Avadedra departed once more, clutching the box, full of its treasures and memories, to her chest. She felt a new surge of belief in her own abilities. Silently thanking her mother once more, she returned to the task at hand.

Meric smiled as he watched his apprentice walk off with her treasures in hand. "You have no idea how right you are, Avadedra Hettara," he whispered, "Your mother was a wonderful person... I only wish you could have known her better."

Every waking moment for the next handful of weeks, Avadedra could be found in various places aboard the ship, her head bent to her task. Slowly, lovingly, the saber took shape beneath her careful hands. Aside from the few days she spent recovering from a nasty electrical burn to her right arm, the components and crystals took well to one another. Her heart leapt the day she held the finished product in her hands.

"Master Meric?" Ava stepped into the cargo bay, moving past some of the stacks of supplies to find Meric bent next to a panel in the wall. "There you are. Look."

With a small smile, she held the saber up as he straightened. The hilt lay little more than the width of her palm, measuring perhaps seven inches long. It was small, mostly unadorned, with a slightly curvy appearance.

"I finished it," she said, closing her fingers around it. "I haven't activated it yet. I wasn't sure..." At Meric's nod of encouragement, she settled the saber more firmly into her grasp. Pulling in a deep breath, she activated the blade.

With a pop and a hiss, the blade sprang upward. Instead of the heavy blue of most blades, Ava's was of a paler shade, turning almost white around the edges. Like the hilt, the blade was a little shorter than normal, but no less deadly if used properly. Ava's heart soared as she gave the blade a few tentative waves, revelling in the sound of crackling energy.

"I did it!" she gasped, deactivating the blade and grinning widely. "I don't believe it! I did it!"

These past few weeks had been a test of Meric's patience. While he knew he could not help Ava with her task, a part of him had grown attatched to the girl, as a father to his own daughter. It was difficult to watch her struggle.

Because of this, whilst Ava worked on her saber, Meric spent his time in his chambers, meditating and communing with the living Force, but somewhere, in the back of his mind, something was troubling with him... a small tingling that told him all was not right. He did his best to ignore it for now. In fact, it was almost altogether forgotten now as he watched his apprentice beam with pride at completing her lightsaber.

He reached out with his hand and with a gentle tugging motion, the saber wafted from Ava's hand, pausing in the air halfway between the two. Meric's gentle tugs at the Force's strings turned the weapon to and fro. Meric inspected it for any flaws that might cause it to malfunction, his mind probing through the wiring, checking the connections between the components.

"Well done, Ava," he said at last, "You've done your mother, and your heritage proud." With a twitch of his finger, the blade was deactivated. The saber floated back toward Ava, hovering mere inches before her face.

"But this weapon is only part of your task. I believe it is time I tested the full extent of what you've learned so far. We're on our way to Yavin IV to help Luke with some business he's attending to there. I suggest you spend your time in meditation until we arrive."

Ava watched as Meric examined the weapon, holding her breath. At his praise, she allowed herself a smile, feeling that her hard work had paid off and she deserved just one small nano-second of pride. As the saber floated back to her, she watched it float before her eyes, examining it herself. There were still a few things she wanted to do, but they would wait. For now, she was happy with the work she'd done.

"Meditation?" she asked, narrowing her eyes slightly, reaching up to pluck the saber from the air. "If you say I should, then alright." She fiddled with the saber. "I really did alright?"

Meric nodded as he turned toward the bridge. "The work is exemplary," he assured her, "And in case you're wondering about my plans, don't bother asking Katarn. I haven't told her either..." He chuckled softly, turning his head to wink. It was true he hadn't told his fine ship about what he was planning, but the words had been meant as a joke. He placed his hands behind him in a military fashion as he strolled toward the bridge.

Yavin IV, the location of one of the Rebellion's final bases, seemed the perfect sight for training of Jedi, Meric thought. Between its challenging ruins, buried secrets, and its wide variety of flora and fauna, as well as the sheer number of indigenous creatures, the Force flowed strongly there... almost as on Kashyyyk. Luke had spoken to Meric regarding his plans, but ever cautious, Meric had to see things for himself before he could agree that it would be a fine place for a Jedi academy.

As soon as they reached Yavin IV, Ava politely excused herself from Meric for a few hours. As much as she adored her Master and appreciated everything he did for her, spending weeks in close quarters with him was taxing. Promising to greet Luke and the others soon, she slipped away into the trees. Staying within sight of the old temple, she slipped amongst the massive tree trunks. In one hand, she held her saber in a loose grip. She'd begun etching a design into the metal plating, but she was in no hurry to finish it. Instead, she focused on the peace and calm that the planet exuded. There were so many "voices" of the Force here, she had found it confusing and a little alarming the first time she'd been here. But now, after learning how to center herself and her thoughts, she found it easier to walk in the trees. In her other arm, she carried her blueleaf shrub in its pot.

Clipping the saber to her belt, Ava laid her palm against a tree, craning her neck to see upward into the branches. The tree stood so high that the sunlight was blocked completely from her view. She smiled. A tree that old could teach you something. Kneeling, she scooped a hole in the soft earth. With gentle hands, she took the now thriving blueleaf from the pot and set it in the hole and covered it. Dusting her hands off, she picked up her pot and headed out.

Within minutes, she entered the cool interior of the temple, moving quietly through the shadows. She heard voices a little ahead of her and moved toward them.

"Master?" she called. "Sorry I'm late."

Meric understood all too well Ava's need to get away on her own. Even as close as master and apprentice could grow, there were times when a Jedi, young or old, just needed to be on their own... to be able to hear more clearly the Force's voice, unblemished by the thoughts and wills of other sentient beings. "May the Force be with you, Avadedra." he whispered.

Meric couldn't help but beam as he watched her disappear into the forest. Ava was growing into a fine young woman, and a strong young Jedi. Atdanna would have been proud of her, Meric was sure. Ava's physical impairments seemed to no longer matter as every day the Force flowed through her more and more strongly. That she had completed the delicate work on her Lightsaber with a weak hand and arm showed just how far she had come. Many Jedi with perfect physical bodies struggled for far longer to build their weapon. Ava's talents were remarkable.

Turning his thoughts back to the present, Meric made his way back into the hangar of the old Rebel base. Without the numerous X-wings and Y-Wings and various other fighters and freighters to litter it, the darkened cavern seemed both empty and vast. In fact, Meric might have even said it seemed dead. The Jedi shivered as a cold breeze whisked over his shoulders, tousling his snowy mane.

He closed his eyes and let his thoughts stretch outward. As he'd suspected, everything felt empty, but he could detect the dull flicker of life up ahead. He opened his eyes, easily sidestepping a huge duristeel pillar as he moved toward the back of the temple. Voices reached his ears now... familiar voices.

"I know what you think, boy, but Yavin IV is dangerous!"

"I appreciate your opinion, General, but I'd still rather make that determination for myself. Yavin IV could be the perfect place for the birth of the New Jedi Order."

"Have you forgotten about Exar Khun boy?!"

There was a pause.

"Exar... who?" Luke asked, just as Meric came within sight. It seemed that Luke and Rahm Kota were engaged in a rather heated discussion as to the appropriateness of using Yavin IV as the location of the Academy. Juno stood nearby, apparently not interested in the argument. She'd already agreed to become the Academy's first pilot, so at this point, where it was located was irrelevant in her mind.

"Exar Khun was a young Jedi who was... corrupted by the ghosts of old Sith, or so they say," Meric confirmed, "A little over four thousand years ago, he led a rebellion against the Jedi that tore the order in half, and nearly took the Galaxy along with it. In the end, Khun and his followers were driven back until only this moon remained to them. Those followers, the Massassi, are said to have been the ones who built these temples, and it is rumored that this moon is where Khun's life ended... Master Kota has every right to be concerned."

"I know all about visions of departed sith and Jedi," Luke confirmed, "After Vader... my father... struck him down, I saw visions of Obi-Wan Kenobi... the last being just after the emperor was destroyed... But each time, it was like he was becoming more and more distant. The last time, he didn't even speak to me."

"He is fading into the light of the Force, Luke," Meric told him, "It won't be long before he is beyond us both, I'm afraid. A shame. Obi-Wan Kenobi was truly among the great Jedi of our age."

"But it hasn't even been two years Meric!" Luke protested, "If Obi-Wan can't hold on that long, then I'm sure Khun couldn't have."

"Perhaps Luke," Meric conceeded, "But the Dark Side of the Force is called that for more reasons than one... not only because it is formed of darkness... of pain and death, but also because there is so much about it we Jedi do not know or understand... and with good reason. Those who seek such knowledge, even for purely intellectual reasons, are almost always lost."

Luke sighed, knowing neither of the older Jedi would give up. "Well, I.... won't make any judgments yet," he promised, "Meric, that's why I wanted you to come. You have more experience than I... Maybe you can search for anything... wrong with this place."

"I will try," Meric promised, "But it is difficult to sense death on a world so teeming with life."

It was at that moment that Avadedra arrived. Meric turned back and offered a smile. "Don't worry about it, Ava," he assured her, "Nothing has been lost. I'm sure you remember Luke, Juno, and Kota."

Luke couldn't help but smile as he saw Ava. "I know I certainly haven't forgotten," he smiled, "It's good to see you avain, Ava."

Avadedra smiled in return, inclining her head at Luke briefly. "Of course I remember them, Master." Her gaze turned on Juno and Kota in turn. "It's good to see you all again. It's been a while. Sorry if I'm interrupting anything important." She took in the pinched expression on Kota's face.

Ava stepped up next to Meric, folding her hands in front of her. "I returned the blueleaf." She looked up at him. "I'm sure it's not the exact place I took it from, but from what I can remember, it's close enough. I think it'll do fine."

Luke shook his head. "No, it's nothing as important as it might seem," he assured Ava, "Master Kota merely has... concerns about the location I've chosen as the facility for my Jedi Academy... He fears Exar Khun's spirit, but so far I haven't sensed anything."

Meric didn't answer Luke, but it was clear he wasn't quite so confident as the still-headstrong young Jedi Knight. In the meantime, he turned to his apprentice, nodding in affirmation. "That is good, Ava," he said, "All things have a place in the galaxy... and even those that choose to wander must return to it eventually. That is why once things settle down, I'll be returning to Kashyyyk... I feel there's much work there that still needs to be done... but I'd best not dwell too much on the future."

He turned his attention back to Luke. "Ava and I have business in the forest anyway," he continued, "I believe we'll have time to examine the ruins for any trace of Khun. We should return within two days' time."

"Two days?" Juno spoke up, "Meric... you've been... gone a long time, and you're leaving again?" She stepped closer to Meric. "I had hoped that... we might be able to spend some time together."

Meric shook his head. "I'm sorry, Juno," he said, "But my vows and commitment to the Jedi come before anything else, much as it would be good to... catch up with an old friend again."

He turned and slowly began to walk out of the temple. "Ava, did you bring your lightsaber with you?" he questioned, "You will need it."

Ava nodded, keeping her eyes averted throughout the exchange between the men. She vaguely remembered hearing the name Exar Khun before, but she stored it away. She'd ask later, when there was time. Even at her age, though, she caught the undertone of homesickness in her Master's voice, and felt her own twinge of pain for her own homeworld.

At Meric's mention of business in the forest, she glanced up sharply. He hadn't mentioned anything to her about it. She'd just assumed they would be here long enough to help Luke with a few things, then be off again. But two days in the forest? That was a bit out of nowhere. She snapped out of her reverie when Meric suddenly turned to her.

"Of course," she said, twitching her top robe aside to show the saber attached to her belt. "But why will I need it?"

Meric said nothing, but there was an almost-playful gleam in the older Jedi's eyes. He led Ava from the hangar, leaving the two men to continue their conversation, while Juno decided to look around and see if she could find any spare parts.

Meric closed his eyes a few moments, squinting against the light reflected from the bright orange planet above. When at last he adjusted, he opened them and took a deep breath.

"A Jedi is always prepared for any eventuality," he told Ava, "Your lightsaber is more than a simple weapon. It is your life, your defense... It, and the Force, are your constant companions, though your saber should be your last resort."

He turned east as the temple faded further and further into the jungle's thick foliage, moving until he came to a small clearing, barely as large as a cantina's back room. There, he suddenly stopped and turned to face his apprentice. "From here on, you are going to be tested," he told her, "We will travel awhile through the jungle, and then I'll leave you. You need to make your way back here... Understood?" It seemed like a simple test, but as was often the case with the master, there was a lot he was not telling her... Thus was part of the test.

Avadedra had stopped when Meric had, and now she simply stared at him. She wasn't afraid, no. At least, not like she would have been only a few months ago. Right now, it was the fear of being left alone that compelled her to shiver. Still, she nodded her head, putting her whole hearted trust in her Jedi Master.

"Back here. And you'll be waiting, right Master?" She fought to keep the childishness from her voice. "What kind of test will this be? Or is figuring that out part of it, too?"

The Jedi master frowned slightly as he noted the fear emanating from his apprentice. "There is no emotion," he said softly, "There is peace. And I promise you, when you return, I will be waiting. I will never abandon you... ever."

He reached into the back pocket of his vest to grab one of his lightsabers and took off into the jungle. For now he moved at a brisk, but manageable pace, intending that Ava should keep up with him. He twisted this way and that, moving with the practiced ease of one whose homeworld was wrapped in the forest's eternal green. He pushed aside vines and exotic blue-green leaves, always ensuring she was able to keep up behind him, even occasionally changing the route by leaping up amongst the branches with the intent to test Ava's agility. The course he'd chosen seemed intended to disorient her normal senses, and to test her body, forcing her to rely on the Force as she never had before.

Always his mind stretched out ahead of him, probing the jungle for anything out of the ordinary, but so far, nothing... nothing but the feel of plant and animal life all around him, and the distant, faint call of the past... nothing that would be considered threatening.

Eventually the two reached a vine-covered ruin, a set of blocks and sandstone pillars that stood just over twice Meric's height. He alighted on this and turned around. When Ava stopped beneath, he nodded. "From here, you need to make your way back, Ava," he instructed, "Remember, you are not alone. The Force is your ally. It surrounds us... it penetrates and binds us... Through it you are connected to me, to the forest, to the very temple itself... Use your feelings, and let it guide you back to where we started."

With these parting words, he took off again, utilizing his species' natural agility to distance himself before Ava could follow, leaving her to find her way back.