19 BBY: Jedi Temple, Yossut
YOSSUT
was a beautiful world! Kema was overwhelmed by the sights of its white beaches, smooth air and the sounds of clone troopers chanting march songs. There was no gunfire, no smog or acid rain but rather a rolling clouded sky with little jarti running around the beach.
Kema and Zena boarded a speeder heading towards the temple. Kema sat at the back admiring the planet's beauty, while Zena sat at the front next to an astromech driving the ship. Then as the speeder hovered to the open bay, she sat back looking to the island in the middle of the bay.
"Woah!" she gasped. "That is so beautiful, I've honestly never seen anything like this in my life!"
"Welcome to Yossut Bight, a place like no other!" Zena chimed in a sad but hopeful note. "Was your world like this?"
"Not even close!" she giggled. "Home was a grassland for slaves!"
Zena was a padawan who almost turned Jedi but turned it down to be an advisor for her new battalion, Xido's battalion. She was what Kema looked up to the most, a tough but polite soldier.
"You ever rebelled?"
"No I was a kid," she chuckled, but still remembered the pain from her past. It was only that made her strong.
"Hopefully, I can go back and save my people" she replied, with a hopeful look. "I mean slavery doesn't last long does it?" she smiled and the moment paused for a while as they each looked their way.
"Yeah," Zena sighed. A small memory attacked her, but she remained cool and quiet. Until Kema posed a trigger question.
"So...why'd you leave?" she sat in a smile, only wondering.
"One time they picked the wrong people to die, instead of one bad crowd and it was on my hands!" she sighed heavily.
"You gave up?"
"No, I chose to leave for them!" she exclaimed. "They were my clan, I was shamed of it!"
"So you joined the army, like that?"
"Like that!" Zena quickly gazed at her. "In the army, I could save lives as an advisor!"
"So how are the boys then?" she chuckled.
"Oh they're terrible," Zena laughed, but before Kema could say any further she interrupted. "Some were perverts, but it is what it is!"
"For someone attractive it's easy, but for someone who's not even great at something...it's hard." she gazed down attempting to hide her insecurities.
"We're you dumped?"
"Well, young boys these days are ruthless," she replied holding her hands openly. "So I guess I'm just waiting!"
"Let's hope we both get lucky then!" she smiled.
The speeder ran through the beaches and released several engines to propel itself towards the island. The air chased the water as the ship hovered above and Kema just watched the beauty of it all. It left her speechless.
-
Deep Space
A republic shuttle had just jumped out of hyperspace and ran towards the freighter that housed the Holocron. After a few taps and clicks, the pilot manoeuvred the ship close to its airlock and connected to it, docking straight upward. Joining the crew they presented her gift.
"You're smaller than I expected!" one of the crew members uttered.
"Shut up," Enodo barked. "Don't mind my crew members, here is your gift!" he presented the Holocron.
"Why is it a ball?" she scolded. "It's supposed to be a cube, why did you bring me this gem?"
"We can sell it if you want!" another member uttered after a giggle. But before he could chuckle anymore he felt his neck squeezing. "Ack, I'm s-sorry" he gasped for air as she threw him across the wall in anger.
"Never open your mouth again! Someone might close it," she snarled as he gulped. "How do you expect me to pay you after this fail-"
The Holocron began opening slowly. It's top edge and side edges where lines would be visible opened making the ball float in the air. Out came a holomessage of an old zeffo giant teaching about the force.
"The force surrounds us, binds us together. It's within us and around us, only the force exists even in mere things such as an insect or a planet." the message read before it closed and landed on her hands.
"I don't believe it!" Her face lit up in disbelief as he chin peeked through her hood. "I guess you deserve the credits!" The two proceeded to exchange objects but when she got her hands on the Holocron she yanked it back, "not yet! I still need you!"
"No chance little girl," he refused trying to yank back the credits.
"Enodo, I promise you the credits after, maybe even double if you do it better!" she insisted. Growling hard Enodo let go and paced around the ship, "if we don't get the credits...your not going back to your Jedi friends."
"Oh after this, I won't be a Jedi!"
The men looked at each other puzzled. The girl was risking it all just for this object and probably something even more!
"What's your plan?" he asked.
-
Back at Yossut, Kema exited the speeder and stood before the Jedi temple. The temple was a hill that was separate from the ground. All built by the force alone and nothing else. Zena joined her and examined the temple, noticing it's symmetrical ground patterns.
"Where do we get in?" Kema wondered as she stared down the huge tower of a hill.
"You have to open it with the force!" she replied.
"How do you know?"
"Just try it!"
Stretching her hands out, Kema called out to the force and felt her grasp on the hill. She began trembling, she was trying her best but the hill kept falling back into place. But before she could give up, Zena stepped up to stretch her hands out and help her.
"H-how?"
"Yeah, I still have skills!" she laughed as the temple began to rise and a door peeked through a small space where Kema began walking in.
"Aren't you coming?"
"This is your fight alone!" she smiled at her. "I'll be right here!" They stared at each other before Kema nodded and walked right in.
Walking in she gazed at the ominous cave with one light protruding from the top, and sections of the temple were held by pillars. As she walked around the temple, the door closes behind her in a loud thud, darkening the cave a little bit more.
"Come, join us!" Bothka's voice slapped the walls of the temple and it called her to where he sat on his knees meditating. She walked towards him, and there Xido was next to him. She sat in the middle and closed her eyes hoping to see something eventually.
"Stop doing that!" Xido snarled quietly.
"Doing what?"
"Trying!"
"What are you talking about master?" she opened her eyes puzzled.
"You can't get what you need unless you do it," Xido explained quietly. " Use the force, turn off your mind! Use your heart and let the force lead you."
"Ugh, yes master!" she sighed heavily and let the force take over her.
"Always be patient, Kema! It'll get you places. Remember that!"
After a few minutes, she got quiet. She heard everything, which was so loud. She heard the wind howl into to hill, the buzzing bugs blow and her heartbeat thump. It was weird and all until she heard a yelp.
"HELP!" the voice shouted. Looking to her sides she hesitated before she ran off.
"Wait up!" she went running through a door that was turning lighter and lighter until she stopped at a room.
"Mom?" she gazed in puzzled after her mom had just fallen from something.
"Kema! Help-"
"Shut up, you will do as I say!" a droid ignited a whip sabre and struck her multiple times.
"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Kema roared. Punching the entrance it seemed like she couldn't get in. "Let me in!" growling she began to slowly fall to the floor.
"Go, leave before they kill you!" she yelled in pain.
"Ack!" in the distance she heard a sabre ignite and kill the person. Running forward she headed to the place and finding the mystery person already dead. The killer with the back turned stood above the dead.
"What did you do?" Kema asked.
"I killed her," laughing menacingly. "Imagine if the Jedi knew you killed an innocent!"
"But I didn't you did!"
"Oh but I am you!" she turned around and her face was her spitting image. "And apparently way better!"
"No, this has to be some vision!" she blinked furiously checking if this was any dream.
As the dark Kema began preying around her, Kema walked the other way towards the dead one, checking if she was okay she saw another spitting image of herself.
"What the-"
"The force is strong with you, but only your emotions will give you power!" dark Kema began cackling. "Honestly you're never becoming one, not while you left your mother to die."
"That's not true!"
"You left her, crying in your dad's arms and went with this- this fool of a master."
"No!" she barked.
"You're useless, might as well finish the job!" she ignited the sabre and charged to attack. In defence, Kema put her hand up and heard the clashing of two sabres. Opening her eyes, she saw her hand holding a staff with a green blade protruding from each side.
"Ahh, a double blade!" the dark Kema pressed down her sabre in strength. "But you think this will rescue your parents?"
Kema extended her hand and the force blasted the dark Kema across the cave. Looking down below the dead Kema had slowly disappeared. Tension rose as they locked eyes and stood to prepare for a fight. She attempted to twirl the sabre but her foot was caught in the way, surprisingly she evaded it.
Striking first she glided through above the ground and threw overhead strikes down on the dark Kema. After the sabres clashed again, see gazed inside her eyes as if she hurt her. But her sloppy blade work only forced dark Kema to use one hand. Almost toying with her!
Attacking several times dark Kema went on defensive parrying the easy swings and turning and flipping to dodge. It was a closed-door, as long their blades kept connecting and humming Kema wasn't gaining ground. Dark Kema was too good. After she would get to attack, she swatted Kema with side swings and straight ahead strikes. Finding an opening she blasted Kema with the force across the cave to where her edge of the red blade met with her face.
"And dead!" dark Kema said before it stretched its hand. Kema looked at the figure and gave it her hand. Dark Kema then turned off the sabre. "You're now ready, let the force guide you and soon you will get this green double blade of yours!"
"Wh-"
"I know, the force is weird." she giggled. "Close your eyes,"
Closing her eyes, she heard her voice. "The force has now seen you! Let it take over you and when you do! You will become a strong Jedi!" As soon as she was done, she opened her eyes and the temple appeared before her.
"Finally you came back!" Xido sighed, "My knees are stale right now!"
"How do you feel?" Bothka surveyed, as she stared at nothingness as if her soul had been stolen.
"I don't know," she was puzzled. "I guess, lighter?"