Tuskers takes on a Padawan (Genin)

[Tuskers]

A couple short items before I start to write here. The Grey use a few terms that are slightly different than the Jedi.
Genin is Padawan
Chunin is the Padawan's Master
Kage is the leader of the Grey (played by Kira, Tuskers niece)

This story is meant to pickup a few weeks or maybe even a couple of months after the events of "Ten Years later" that I previously posted. I'm writing as I post, so I'm not even sure how it ends yet.

[Tuskers]

Tuskers wakes from a deep slumber. He walks down the ramp of his ship and looks up at the early dawn sun. He then turns his head over to the right side, and admires the other two stars that are further off, the purples and red clash in a long fought war.

As if that reminds him of something, he looks back into his ship, and opens his hand. His lightsaber lands quickly in his hand. Turning, he walks over to the nearby temple of the Grey Jedi.

A boy of about eight years old walks over to him as he enters. "What are we going to learn today?"

"Today, Genin Ndama, I am going in search." Tuskers frowns at the youngster.

"Search, but you were on search for ten years. You only just returned. And you promised to train me to be a Jedi." The boy almost sounded like he was whining.

"I am not searching for a half dead planet. No, not this time. I need some life." He squats before the boy. "Not adventure, mind you... A Jedi does not seek adventure, or fame, nor excitement." Standing, he starts to walk towards the Council Chamber. "No, this could be a far crazier mission. The Force is in Balance, and I feel that the Grey maybe tipping the balance in one direction or the other." He stops before the doorway, and points off to the side, indicating that the child should wait.

Several minutes pass, and Tuskers emerges from the room looking less happy then when he entered.

"Come, my Genin. We are off to find a Jedi named Skywalker. It is time he knew the truth about the Grey, and the Force."

"Yes Chunin." The boy quickly followed Tuskers out of the door.

A slim blonde woman looked out of the window of the Council Chamber, and watched the two walk across the Great Hall. "Be careful Uncle."

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

"Far away, across the distances of time and space, there are many wondrous things in the universe. You are too young in your training to feel it all, but you should start to see and hear things before you get too much older." Tuskers sips his coffee. Now, for example, my friend Faath. He's a very unusual Wookiee. Most of their kind do not like to go off their homeworld. Or, at least, that is the perception that people had. Why do you think that is?"

The boy, sitting cross legged on the floor, listening carefully, realizes that this is probably a test. "Um, well..." He bites the side of his lip into his mouth, then suddenly starts speaking, as if he's afraid he'll forget the thought, "The Wookiee were slaves. Attacked and enslaved by the Troidoshians, then the Jedi came along and helped to stop the slavery. But enter the Empire, and Darth Vader, and suddenly the Wookiee were once again slaves, but this time to construct the Death Star." The boys face lit up, "You are seeking one called Skywalker? I remember reading that the farmboy that destroyed the Death Star was a Skywalker!"

"Very good. You put all the pieces together, with only a little information. That is how a Jedi must use his mind over brute force." Tuskers floats his coffee cup up in the air. "And we must remember that the Force is an ally, not to be feared or misused."

"But what is it? I've read about midiclorians. Is the Force made up of these? Or is that just a measure of how well someone can control the Force?"

Tuskers looked at his pupil, and then glanced in the direction of the cockpit. "Not now, my Genin. It is time to leave hyperspace, and to find the Wookiee that is going to get our journey started."

"Is it Faath?"

"Of course it is. Now strap yourself in, we're about to arrive at Kashyyyk." Tuskers watched to make sure his pupil obeyed, and then touched the control that brought them out of hyperspace.

[Tuskers]

A few minutes later, Tuskers living Sekotan Skiff was landing next to his old ship, a YT-1930 freighter known as the Whitestar. Tuskers looked over at the ship and frowned, but then he looked down at his ship with which he shares a Force bond, and he walked away from the viewport.

Several minutes later, Tuskers is standing in an office, having a tense discussion with a Wookiee about the reason for his visit here. "Look, I need to speak to Faath. Okay? He's an old friend. I'm not here on business, so I do not need to pay to renew my business license here on Kashyyyk. I'm not in the trading business anymore. I do not run cargo for anyone."

The Wookiee growls and points at Tuskers name on the terminal.

"Yes, that is me. But I sold the business ten years ago to Faath. If you'll simply call him, you'll be able to verify it. I just need to talk to the guy for a while."

The Wookiee pointed at the screen again, and shook his head. Tuskers looks at the screen, then points at it. "See this date?" He uses the Jedi Mind Trick out of desperation, "See the date that I was last here on business. I have not been in business since then. It belongs to someone else."

The Wookiee looks at Tuskers again, slightly confused, and then he looks at the screen again.
"Yes, I'm here on pleasure, a few days vacation. I want to see the trees."

The Wookiee points at the exit and makes a positive noise.

"Thank you. You've been very helpful." Tuskers and the Genin walk out of the exit doorway.

"Chunin?" The young lad looks up at Tuskers.

"Don't ask. I'll teach you that one another time, but you need to learn some other skills first." He pats the boy on the head. "I hope that you never find yourself in the position to actually use the Jedi Mind Trick. And if you do, then I hope you'll be wise enough to face a moral dilemma before you try it."

The Genin quietly thinks on this. Meanwhile, Tuskers leads them through a maze of platforms and to the residence of his old friend Faath. He knocks at the door and a familiar red protocol droid answers. "Oh, Master Tuskers. To what do we owe the surprise of your visit?"

Tuskers turns and looks at the Genin, "What I said about Mind Tricks does not apply to droids." Facing back towards the droid, "Red, is Faath here? I need to speak to him on an urgent matter."

"Of course, Master Tuskers. I'll prepare something in the kitchen while you await his arrival. He should be back any minute." The droid shuffles off to the kitchen, leaving them standing in the doorway.

"I guess we should invite ourselves in?" The Genin says with a giggle.

Tuskers puts a hand up, and reaches out with the Force. "Always be aware of yourself and your surroundings. A slight tremor in the Force can save your life." After a moment, he asks, "Do you feel that? It's just a small animal, but what if it were someone or something else?"

"Yes, Chunin. The creature is just around the corner over there. And there appear to be three Wookiee coming up the path in this direction."

Tuskers gives his pupil a little push into the house, and quickly closes the door. "Red, get in here." The droid quickly appears. "Three others are arriving. Do not invite them in. And do not tell them that we are here."

"Of course Master Tuskers. As long as your request does not conflict with my other standing orders. Master Faath was very specific about what I am to do in case of guests."

"Head to the back door." Tuskers instructs the Genin. "I'm going to answer the door."
Tuskers rushes over to Red, and flips the switch on the back of his neck, turning off the droid. "Sorry Red, you need to be quiet."

Tuskers reaches out with the Force, to feel the locations of the three Wookiees.

Nothing... He opens the door, with his lightsaber in hand, and there is no one anyone nearby.

"What the Frack?"

Tuskers steps outside, and looks around, but there is no one in sight. The Genin steps outside, "Where did they go?"

"So much for my well reinforced paranoid skills of avoidance. Let's go back inside before someone actually does come along."

They walk back inside, and Tuskers looks at the red protocol droid, "You. I think I like you off better than on. But, you are not mine to decide..." He reaches over and flips the switch.

"What? Oh my... Master Tuskers, please don't deactivate me. There is so much work to do for Master Faath."

"It's okay, Red. Go about your business. I've got something else to be doing now. We'll be back in a while."

Tuskers quickly walks out the door, leaving the droid standing there, and his Genin quickly starts running to catch up.

Tuskers wanders about, stopping at several locations and eventually stopping at a restaurant. "Now, I know you have not spent a lot of time outside of the Grey Temple. So here is your first opportunity to try some different types of food. Nothing too strange, just think of it as a barbeque."

"Yes Chunin." The Genin looks around at the food being served to the others in the area. He notices that there are very few Wookiee in the restraunt. "I guess this place is for the tourists?"

"Very insightful, my Genin." Tuskers looks around, "And you'll notice that the Wookiee that are here are all with an off-worlder, so they are just entertaining guests. The food here is much like they eat, but they prepare it for the off-worlders."

A few platters of food arrive, and about the same time Faath walks in and joins them.

"Hello, old friend. It certainly is good to see you. Have you met my Genin?"

Faath checks his translator, "Yes, of course, I have seen the small one at the Grey Temple with the other Younglings. Although I never heard one as old as you taking on a Genin."

"Oh, thanks. Just what I need, a Wookiee with a sense of humor."

Faath pauses for a moment while the empty plates are taken away, "What brings you to Kashyyyk, old friend?"

"Information. I need to find a Jedi." Tuskers looks around at the people around him. "I'm looking for Luke Skywalker. I'd really like to find Jade also, but my primary mission is to speak to Luke, assuming he's still in charge of the Jedi."

"You are always full of surprises, Tuskers. I will keep my ears open, and send you word."

"That's it?" The young Genin sits up straight, looking shocked.

Tuskers frowns at his student, "Yes, Genin. Faath will help in the way that I hoped he would." He faces Faath, "I'm sorry, the young are sometimes..."

Faath makes a chopping motion with his hand. "Understood. No harm. Until later." Faath rises, and walks with his guests.

Tuskers and Ndama slowly walk back to the ship, with Faath showing them some of the sights along the way.

[Tuskers]

Several hours later, the starship Meli launches into hyperspace.

"I think, my Genin, that it is time for you to start your lessons in Lightsaber training."

"All right!" The boy is practically bouncing up and down with excitement.

Tuskers frowns, "Sit." He points to a spot in the middle of the floor. "Genin..." He shakes his head, "Ndama, this is time to take all of the lessons that you have learned, and apply them to a new practice that may, and probably will save your life."

The boy thinks a second, and then responds very seriously, "I understand Chunin Tuskers. I will be more mindful of my emotions.”

Tuskers smiles slightly, “You are still young, it is natural to feel excitement, but remember to stop and gather yourself when approaching a lesson.” Tuskers sits across from his Genin. “For today, you will be doing a lot of listening, and a little bit of doing, so be patient and pay attention.”

Then Tuskers begins to describe the fact that there are seven different forms of lightsaber combat, and what each of them entails. He then stops his discussion, and gives the youngster a second to absorb that information.

“Ndama, there is another discipline of Jedi combat; the one that will save you and many others there lives. Don’t get into fights. Find peaceful solutions to your problems. This is the so called Zero form.” Tuskers stands, “And there will be plenty of reading material for you to follow up on everything that I just said. For now, let’s get you comfortable holding your first training saber.”

Ndama stands and takes the training saber in hand, watching Tuskers carefully. “Form I; Shii-Cho, as I just explained is not a form designed specifically for lightsaber to lightsaber combat. However, it provides students with a basic introduction to combat. Remember that it is always your fallback position.
“The basic holding of your saber should be with both hands, and pressure applied here…” Tuskers demonstrates the holding, and exaggerates the pressure on the thumb and 4th and 5th fingers of the upper hand, “And you use your lower hand in a push-pull motion.” He demonstrates a few basic swings.
“It is important to practice these maneuvers to be able to control your saber correctly. You’ll be using diagonal slashes towards your opponent, the head, the arms and sides, the back and the legs. Ideally, you are using your attacks to disarm or disable your opponent.”

They practice aiming for the different strike zones for some time, and then Tuskers sends Ndama to read more about lightsaber combat.
The ship signals that it is exiting hyperspace. “Thank you Meli. I’ll be right to the bridge.”
He quickly makes his way to the bridge, and seats himself in the pilots seat. He starts setting a course, and then reaches to activate the comm-link just as he gets the call on the radio.
“Planetary control to new arrival, we have you on our screens. Do you have an arrival appointment?”
“Control, this is the starship Meli, I have a standard traders license issue that I need to speak to my senator about. Are there any nearby landing platforms available?”
“Starship Meli, I can grant you access to a landing platform after we verify your credentials. Please transmit. Also, what will be the duration of your stay?”
“Control, I will transmit my credentials. My hope is to leave within forty-eight hours.”
“Confirmed Meli, we’ve received your transmission. Standby at the following coordinates for two standard hours.”
“Thank you control. Meli out.”
“Whoa.” Tuskers turns to see his Genin looking out the viewport at the planet below. “Is it really?”
“The City of Spires. Yes, this is Corusaunt. It is very dangerous, and I’m thinking that I may leave you on the ship while I’m exploring.”
The boy looks heartbroken for a moment, then he seems to think about it. He sits down in the copilot seat. “If you leave me here with Meli, then I will have lightsaber training to keep me occupied. Or, you can take me with you, and I can learn so much more about the galaxy around me. There are different races and cultures, all waiting to impress themselves to a young student like me.”
“You win either way, I think. But, I’m not going to be visiting people this time. Just a place, most likely an empty place.”
“You are going to the Temple of the Jedi? I am so coming with you!”
“Perhaps that would be wise. But do allow me to scout ahead; never before me do you walk today. This place will be dangerous.” He points towards the rear of the ship. “Two hours, go try to get a little sleep.”

[Tuskers]

Tuskers and Ndama find themselves walking to the Jedi Temple from the closest landmark that they could visit without arousing suspicion.
It is the middle of the afternoon by the time that they reach the outside wall of the Jedi Temple.
“We will have to keep this short. I don’t want to be out here in full dark. I suspect that the Empire had cut the electric circuits to this area, unless they wanted to run security systems to keep out trespassers.”
“Like us?” Ndama smiles up at his master.
“Yes, just like us.”
They enter cautiously, always taking an extra moment to look around. Flashlights illuminate corridors and rooms. They wander around for about an hour, before Tuskers pulls Ndama into a particular room.
“Here. You will stay here for a while and search carefully through the room.”
Looking around the room, the young Genin frowns at first, then a small smile appears. “This is where the young Jedi received training. You want me to discover any records left behind.”
Tuskers holds out a small lightsaber. “You will not use this. I know there are probably animals and other things in this Temple. You will use the Force to escape, if the need arises. But you may need this as a tool or as a last line of defense. Remember to allow the Force to guide your hand.” Tuskers pauses at the doorway. “You do have your commlink, right?”
“Of course, Chunin. I would never forget it.” He holds up the device in one hand, and the lightsaber in the other.”
Tuskers walks out of the room.
Ndama listens to Tuskers walk away, then with a snap and a hiss, the lightsaber activates in his hand. He takes the proper hold of the weapon, and swings it just like he was taught.
The commlink beeps, “Less play Genin, more searching.”

Tuskers continues along the corridor, looking for ways up to the higher levels of the building. Occasionally, he senses something, but whatever it is, it is very distant.

“Oh my. I’ve found it.” Ndama is holding a tray of data crystals. He pulls out his commlink, “I’ve found it.”
“What is it, Ndama?” Tuskers voice sounds pleased.
“I have a box of data crystals completely filled and ready to be read.”
“Good job. Keep searching. The library appears to be buried, so I’m going to try the hanger deck. If I don’t find anything up there, then we’ll be on our way.”
“Hanger, you’ve got the best ship in the galaxy. What could you want in the hanger?”
“Coordinates.”

Tuskers made his way up to the hanger deck. He called down to Ndama to make sure he was still in the same place, and safe. He then searched through the different ships that were still there, trying to see if he could find any signs that someone had accidently forgotten something that would help.
A while later, Tuskers returned to the Younglings training room, and found his student looking through some charts about lightsaber combat. He was standing in the correct positions, and Tuskers felt proud.
“Well done. Bring all of that stuff, and let’s get back to the ship.

[Tuskers]

Back aboard Meli, they sit in the cockpit, pulling away from Corusaunt.
“Chunin, where are we going next?” The boy asks Tuskers.
“That is a very interesting question. And I do not have an answer.” Tuskers punches up a hologram of Luke Skywalker. “The person we are searching for is Luke Skywalker. What do we know about him, besides that he is default leader of the New Jedi Order?”
“That he defeated Darth Vader and the Emporer, and he grew up on a farm, and destroyed the first Death Star, and that he…”
“Wait. That’s it.” Tuskers hits a few buttons on the console. “Yavin. The Death Star was attacking the rebels at Yavin. The fourth planet of the system. We’ll go there, and see if we can find a trail that leads us to the Jedi.”
“And can we check out those data crystals while we travel there?” The boy seemed excited.
“You thinking that they have information about training? What if its just boring report cards?” Tuskers teases.
“Well, it’ll be interesting for a couple of minutes, seeing what grades the old Jedi got in the old days.”

Yavin IV is surrounded by a debris field. As Tuskers ship Meli exited hyperspace, the first thing that happened was that a chunk of the original Death Star ripped a tear in the outer skin of the ship.
Alarms started going off, and emergency hatches sealed. Fortunately for Tuskers, Ndama was with him inside the cockpit.
Through the Force, they could both feel the pain of the ship.
The two held on to the console, and the ship approached the atmosphere at a high rate of speed.
Tuskers is hitting controls, “Meli, slow down. I know… But we’ll burn up if you don’t slow down. It’s okay that you are venting air. We’ll survive the extra minutes. Please slow down.” He looks at Ndama, “Put on your Breather. Concentrate on your breathing, not the fear.”
The Genin looks at his belt, then pulls out the small breathing device. “Crazy. She said you were crazy, but that we’d be good for each other.” He holds the breather before his lips, “We’ll be dead. How’s that good?” He plops the device in his mouth.
Tuskers spares the kid a glance. “Hey, I’ve got it under control. The Force will guide us.” He starts hitting controls again. “Besides, I’ve been in worse situations than this before. Remind me to tell you later.” Tuskers pops his own breather into his mouth, and mutters something around the device. It sounds like, “If there is a later…”
Tuskers continues to coax his precious ship Meli to slow their speed before they hit the atmosphere. She finally spreads the flight wings, and brought their speed down to one more reasonable atmosphere entry.
The ship got hot. Very hot. Tuskers continued to peer at the instruments, only occasionally hitting a button, as he knew that Meli was more capable than any pilot that he’d ever met.
Tearing through the air, Meli makes several maneuvers to try to slow for a safe landing. The ship zigs and zags, firing retro rockets that threaten to explode as they overheat.
Tuskers starts to reach for the radio, to call in help, but he suddenly sees that they will be hitting the ground too soon. “Fierfek!”

“The wonderful world of space travel... The prettier it looks, the more likely it is to kill you.” Tuskers starts punching buttons.
Ndama asks quietly, “Is she?”
“Meli’s alive. If we can get help then we might be able to keep her that way.” He pries open the door leading to the rest of the ship. “It looks like this section right behind us got exposed. We were extremely lucky.”
“Lucky? We’ve crash landed on some random planet, and we need help.” The boy looks very scared. “What are we going to do?”
“I am going to check on Meli, as much as I can. You are going to sit down and meditate until you lose some of that fear. Then you’ll join me.” Tuskers looks at the hole in the side of the ship. “While you are meditating, see if you can talk to Meli.”

Tuskers hurries into the back of the ship, while Ndama sits down. “Lose some fear he says. If the Kage were here she would have said something…”
The ship lurches briefly. “ No landing gear this time. But the radio seems to work. Although I cannot tell if it’s transmitting.”
Ndama closes his eyes, and concentrates on calming down. He reaches out through the Force, and feels the wounded presence of the ship. Meli seems busy, trying to figure out what is still working, and what systems to bypass. She is trying to keep herself alive, but part of her concentration is watching them, and making sure they stay alive.
“Meli, we’re okay. Don’t worry about us. Fix yourself.”
The ship seems to sigh, and accept his words.

Some time later, they find themselves outside, looking over the hull of the vessel.
“Meli was grown around a frame, and I’m not sure how much of this damage can heal itself, or if it can be fixed at all.”
“The Yuuzhan Vong know how to fix ships. They call themselves shapers.”
“Not all of them are shapers. At least, I don’t think they are. I wasn’t here then, and I’ve not learned much about our neighbors in the few months since my return. I’ve mostly been trying to find out whatever happened to the Empire and some of my other absent friends.”
“Yes, I remember the toast.”
Tuskers stops his work, “Toast?” He looks at the boy.
“You were just returned from finding the lost planet. The Kage was sitting next to you at a formal dinner. Some Senator or something was there too. You looked nervous between those two women. But you proposed a toast, ‘To absent friends, in memory still burning bright.’ I thought I heard you whisper a name, but it didn’t carry.”
“You were there? Harumph.” Tuskers looks thoughtful, as if trying to remember that night. “I remember a lot about that night. Sitting next to my niece, and the Senator. Volk and Aeron sitting on the other side of Kira.” He looked at Ndama intensely, “That is when I suggested that I should take on a Genin for training.”
“And you were hoping that it would be Evangeline.” The boy looks pleased with himself.
“Yes, as I used to have so many feelings for her mother, I thought I could train her daughter. But the Kage is wise beyond her years. She said she’d have me a student in a few days.”
“And about ten minutes later, she spoke to me. And now I’m burdened with teaching you.” Ndama teases his master.
Tuskers ruffles his hair, “Quite right. And now you can teach me how to Force Heal. Do you know that skill?” The boy shakes his head. “Okay, well, then I’ll teach you what someone taught me a long time ago. Oh, how I miss her. Best healer in the galaxy.”
“Another woman you were in love with?”
“Yes, and no. I did, but she was married, and I respected that. I miss her dearly.” Tuskers sits, “Now, concentrate on the Living Force.”
Tuskers teaches his Genin the basics of healing, as he remembers being taught by another Jedi many years before.

“Now, observe carefully, and let’s see if this helps the old girl.” Tuskers puts his hands onto the wounded ship. He concentrates on one of the smaller tears in the skin, not the large rip that is nearby. As Ndama watches, the hole pulls back together, leaving just a slight discoloration.
Tuskers sits down hard onto the ground. “That is the problem with this discipline. It takes all of your energy to channel the Force and make the healing work. I could see how someone might die trying to save a life.”
Ndama hands Tuskers a cup of coffee, “It’s cold, but it’s all we have left.”
“Ah, lad, you surely do know how to take care of your old master.” Tuskers glances at the boy. “Since when do you wear a lightsaber full time?”
Ndama reaches down and touches the cylinder hanging from his belt. “We’re in an unknown situation here. I have the discipline, and your instructions hold over from when we were at the Temple. Do you not approve of the precaution?”
“Ndama, I do approve. You have shown a maturity beyond your years. You do not allow fear to dominate you, and you are cautious. You’ll make a fine Grey one day. Or, you could leave us, and find a home amongst the Jedi, if you so choose.”
Ndama looks thoughtful, “You know I never thought about it. I assumed that I’d automatically become a Grey Knight someday.”
“You will, if that is the path presented to you. You may decide that you’d rather follow another path into the future.”
They hear a sound off in the distance. “We may not be alone.” Ndama whispers.