As Vesta and I make our way up the steps to the Jedi temple I realize that I didn't really take all that long to fully accept this new reality I live in now and process my apparent death and reincarnation. I just rolled with it. But will all the memories of this body that was downloaded into my head it just feels so natural, the body I inhabit did all the things I would have done up until now, so it feels like it really was me so I cant find a reason to stop and question anything about it. I still remember my old life and I remember my likes dislikes and my family I left behind, but there's no going back now so "onward into the breach" as the old saying goes.
We come before a the council room where Master Yoda is apparently giving lessons to a group of younglings. I watch as they wear their visor helmets and deflect the bolts from the training droids with there training sabers. I remember doing the same exercises as a youngling myself, trained by the very same master Yoda.
"Ah, returned you have, Jedi Knight Tress." Yoda says with his back turned to me in his broken way of speaking.
I bow at the waist as the training droids stop firing and the younglings deactivate their weapons. "Yes Master. I appreciate your and the councils approval of my peace keeping excursions in the outer rim territories." I comment.
"Mmm, a natural in the force, you always were young one. Brought with you a new companion you have yes?" Yoda asks finally turning to me and looking at Vesta beside me.
"Yes my Master, she was held captive by a group of pirates headed to a slave market. In a force trance I apparently rescued her and flew us back here before passing out in exhaustion." I recounted the events.
"Mmm, through you, the force has moved. Destined she is to accompany you in you journey. However, a decision the council has made in regards to your journey." He says before motioning us to follow him out of the room and down the hall at his slow pace. "Time it is, to train a padawan all that you have learned or no longer will you be free to journey and missions we will assign, you will take." He says shocking me a bit with the ultimatum. 'Must be Windu trying to stick it to me again, ugh, too bad for him' I muse with a smirk.
"Master, I am honored the council has deemed me ready for this responsibility." I tell him as I follow him. I do honestly feel honored to be able to choose a padawan for myself, but I worry about some of the more strict masters not approving of how I will train my padawan. I feel differently about a lot of our morals and I even know a great deal about the darkside of the force and am a big believer in being balanced in both. I just don't proclaim it for all to hear, but training a padawan will make more opportunities for Windu to catch onto my beliefs and scowl at me more. The master and I have been at odds quite a bit and he has made it clear as long as he is on the council I will never be given the title of master regardless of my skill. But honestly I don't really care about that, I've got a few years before the clone wars where I plan to dominate battlefields and eventually kill me a few Sith.
We eventually stop before a large room where another group of younglings are training, but these younglings are older. Most look no older that 12 to 14 years old. There are a few older ones here and there and there looks to be a few very young ones mixed in as well.
"Geniuses, the youngest ones are. Perished, the older one's masters have before completed their training was. Through the force, you must choose the padawan for you." The small green alien says before motioning for me to enter.
I close my eyes centering myself in the force before stepping forward and letting the force guide me. It felt like and invisible but warm hug then a pulling sensation pulling me through the room. When my feet stopped I opened my eyes to see a red skinned Nautolan female with a white face and white markings on her arms and down the many tentacles coming from her head. She looks to be around 15 or 16 years old, but she seems down. "What is your name padawan?" I asked her.
"Jedi Tress, this one's name is Dossa.." She says looking at me confused on why I suddenly stepped in front of her and asked for her name. "Did this one make a mistake? This form is a bit hard for me..." She says nervously.
"You are doing fine Dossa... You seem to know my name, how is you came to know my name?" I asked her.
"This one's Master spoke of you before she died. She said you were the youngest Jedi to pass the trials, and that you were very gifted in the force." She said bowing a bit at the waist. "She also said some of the council found you arrogant and whimsy since you requested to do peace keeping missions on your own in the outer rim and that you're gone from the temple often not returning for months on in." She says honestly.
"Haha, yes I suppose that does describe me a bit. I am sorry for your losing your master." I tell her with a pat on her shoulder. "It was good speaking with you Dossa, I have a feeling we will be meeting again soon, I must return to Master Yoda, but before I go..." I hold my hand out for her 2 lightsabers. She reluctantly handed them to me. They are finely crafted and emit a green blade making her more of a consular unlike me, but it matters little to me in actuality, since the force guided me to this girl I will take her and train her. I reach behind my back into my pouch and pull out a round coupling. I connect it to the pommel of one of her lightsabers locking in on before sticking the pommel of the other lightsaber into the other end and twisting it, turning her dual lightsabers into a double bladed staff saber. "You're body type and musculature tell me you're more suited to this, you will find the double bladed saber will give you more versatility and work better with your movements." I tell her handing it back to her.
She takes and staring at the lightsaber in awe. "This one is grateful. This one would have never considered this before but I can already feel the difference." She says spinning the hilt around in her hands before she looks up to see me throwing her a salute over my shoulder walking back to Master Yoda.
"Padawan Dossa the force has chosen for you it appears." He says with a smirk. "Your work, you have cut out for you Knight Tress, great sadness she has at the loss of her master. Have her brought to your apartments I will on the morrow. Tired you must be, and supplies you must need to continue your missions you must be here to gather." He says knowing that I only really come back to the temple to make reports and restock on supplies and check for missions that might be in the areas I plan to travel to. "Your belongs moved we have to a larger apartment. In preparation to have a padawan we have done this. Top floor, same building you are living now." He says and I bow and accept the disc key he handed to me for my new digs.
"I thank you Master Yoda, I look forward to tomorrow in seeing Dossa and begin her training. We will probably be leaving out again shortly after that I feel the force pulling me back to Tatooine for some reason, where the force leads I must follow Master." I tell him.
"Mmm, with you and you're new padawan learner the force will be Knight Tress." He says before patting me on the leg as he walks into the room to speak with Dossa I assume.
We wait a moment at the door while Master Yoda informs the girl of the changes heading her way. I see her shock and her looking at me at the door, she looks almost happy, 'it's rare for older padawans that lost their master to be accepted by another teacher.' I think understanding her happiness. 'Most Jedi choose a younger padawan so they don't have to worry about other Jedi's teachings being in the way of their own.' I muse as I motion for Vesta to follow me.
"So you got yourself a padawan..." Vesta says a bit down. "I'll understand if you don't want me to accompany you anymore." She says head down.
"Don't be silly Vesta, haha. We are going to have a blast, the three of us!" I tell her and she looks up in excitement. "Maybe not so much at Tatooine, blasted sand gets everywhere, but we have many adventures ahead of us, and don't think about me ditching you, you're welcome for as long as you like Vesta!" I tell her throwing my arm around her shoulder and guiding her to my new apartment laughing and goofing off along the way.
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The next morning:
Currently I'm sitting at a large table in my apartment drinking some juice and eating some fruit with Vesta. When we arrived I had a droid bring another bed into the padawan's room for Vesta since we're not on terms of sharing a bed...yet... then I ordered all the supplies we'll need to be away for a few more months and had it delivered to my ship for my droid to stow away. Unfortunately he's not like the cool mostly sentient type droids star wars is known for, he's just a basic protocol droid that just follows orders mainly. Not at all like the snarky C3PO, but it is the same model its all black though. 'I need to see about finding another droid to help out with our missions, but I don't want the typical R2 units and I don't want the BB8s either.. Need to visit some a few shops before leaving Coruscant..' I muse as I hear the buzz from the door. I stand up motioning for Vesta to sit back down so I can greet my padawan alone for a moment.
I press the button for the door to open and there standing nervously was Dossa with 2 bags and a backpack. "This one is honored to learn from you Master Tress." She says with a small bow.
"Nope none of that in private." I say putting a hand on her shoulder standing her back up. "In public sure but not here or in private. You can call me Draik of Master Draik if you prefer and I will refer to you as Palawan only in public. Here I want you to feel comfortable, we will train mainly on my ship between missions."
"This one understands Master Draik.." she says relaxing a bit.
"Come I'll show you your room although we're leaving in a bit to the outer rim." I tell her grabbing the 2 bags on the floor and carrying it to her shared room. "You will be sharing this space with my companion, Vesta. But we really won't be here too often so you'll have little more privacy on my ship." I tell her setting her things on one side of the room. "Now come meet Vesta before we make the last of our preparations." I tell her leading her to the table. "Vests meet Dossa, Dossa this is Vesta." I say before pulling a chair for Dossa to sit in and she does.
"Hello Dossa!" Vesta says happily before pouring the girl a cup of juice. "I've only been apart of the crew for a few more days than you so I think we'll sort ourselves out swimmingly!" She tells the girl.
"This one was wondering about your story and how you came to be here with my new master." Dossa asks in her strange way of speaking. Well it's only strange in using my past life as a reference but it is rather normal in this life. Over the next few moments we finished our breakfast while Vesta told Dossa her story and how she came to be apart of their group. "It was very fortunate the force led Master Draik to you, this one looks forward to knowing you more." Dossa says respectfully. She had heard many stories from her previous master about the anomaly that is Draik Tress, the force seems to guide many of his actions and to some the young Jedi would seem eccentric or odd, but in her eyes she thinks he is loved by the force, not every Jedi is blessed enough to be guided by the force in such a way.
"Okay everyone, we can get to know each other better on the way. We need to make a few stops on before leaving Coruscant." I tell them and they take their used dishes over to the washer. "Dossa, pack your backpack, you'll need some changes of clothes mainly but we'll purchase the rest of what you need along with Vesta some belongings since she is currently wearing everything she owns." I tell her and Vesta looks a bit embarrassed. "Nothing to be ashamed about Vesta. Look at this as a fresh start! We'll get you some clothes and some weapons to protect yourself with, I have been paid well for the various jobs I've done all over the galaxy." I tell her patting her on the back as Dossa nods and goes to pack her bag.
'Onward once more into the breach!' I think with a smile. Little did I know that Vesta and Dossa were feeling a certain type of way after seeing my bare face for the first time. Dossa now understands why her previous master blushed often while speaking about Draik, and Vesta was just in awe of my beautiful face, the scar running from the bridge of my nose to my jawline only served to add mystery and allure to my face.
(A/N: This one was not as chaotic as my first chap hopefully, Hope you all enjoy!)