After this strange episode, Maren, the droid and the woman packed up their stuff and went back. Once again the Jedi took the lead something Maren was not completly against. Succeding the crawl they were back at the isolated room with the statues.
"The dinner hall is not that far, but we can take our time, right now the place will be cramed like you. would. not. believe."
"I can probably not", Maren answered with dry diligence, "Another topic: In which clan did I get in?"
"Yeah... that was weird, normally it doesn't take this long. All the other ones I brought here before you were initiated pretty much immeadiatly. Than, the friend you made today, was one."
'Oh my, how interesting.'
"Apparently you got into a very special clan. Well you are very special if I say so myself."
She gave a big heartwarming smile and yet.
'I think yours and their definition of special is different.'
"And why are you not the leader."
"Believe me, I would love to, but I don't think the Masters let me. Alone this assassination atempt today will be a pain in my butt."
'It is a very nice one', Maren pondered wisely.
"buuut peoples lives are in danger and I have to take a hand in kicking the bad guys a- ... behinds."
"I am sure their behinds will surely be sore", Maren added with sarcasm in his voice and a bow.
"Hehehe, that's what I am known for."
She was so proud of herself.
Buuuuuu-t beeped the robot.
"Indeed", the boy agreed.
The three of them followed the path the woman led and after some twist and turns she opened a door which led, he should have guessed it by now, another gigantic room. Maren saw in one room more people than he ever saw in one in his entire life, which seemed to be a recuring thing today. There were insanely long tables with equally long benches on each side. People were eating foods he could not describe. It smelled... pleasant... for him at least. Dozens of people stood on dozens of stands with tablets in their hand.
"So you get a tablet and cutlery from over there and go to one of the stands."
The three of them walked to the counters and took a look at the menues. He could read the letters on the board to his surprise. The boy touched the little ball in his pocket, was probably its grace... but back to the food. He could not make any sense of the servings. When glancing at the woman he made out a distisfiyed look from her. Now that he thought about it how could she read the boards.
"What will you get."
"Ehh, probably that. It's not poooopyyyyy-hahah I mean that it tastes great, reeal great", she said the last part almost hateful. As they took their tablets to get into a line, someone shouted from behind them: "Phtia, seems like you finally decide to grace us with your presence."
The voice came from a human male. He was tall, had brown frizzly hair and a nice warm smile. The man made a good first impression in Maren's opinion. He was accompanied by a woman in white. She had a stern unrelenting face with sharp greyish eyes, which reminded him in a way of a predetor of his homeworld. He was not sure what to make of that. She was the same height as his companion and had similar white coloured hair.
"Kall, Cirinnis it's so good to see you."
"It's good to see you little girl", the male said with a grin on his handsome face as he embraced her in a hug. Maren revoked his usual statements. He now saw how his hair was unkempt, his eyes not warm and he was ugly. All in all Maren loathed that man.
"Come on, Cirinnis don't you like me?", his instructor pouted as she extended her arms. The other woman frowned and went hesitantly in. Something she dearly regretted, because his future master grabbed her in an iron grasp and started jumping up and down in glee. The other woman was not pleased. When she finally escaped her assault, she smoothed out the wrinkels in her robes and adjusted her posture.
"So who is this young...man?"
"Oh that's the one I was searching for. Say hello", she whispered the last words as she nudged him in the side.
"Greetings", the boy accosted the two strangers with a slight bow. What still absolutely dumbfounded him was how they left their gaze of each other when they did that. Did they not know that this is a perfect opportunity for an attack? What trust they have in each other... simply astounishing.
"Well is he not...special."
"Come on now, Cirinnis you say it like he is some kind of monster. He is just... different."
'Yeah yeah I get it. What is with everyone?', the boy complained to himself.
"Where did you get him?", the question was asked from the stern woman.
"I found him on Taris."
"Dathomir", Maren interjected.
"Yeah there." She smiled brightly.
"Oooohhhh ok", the male uttered out in a whisper. Then he suddenly clapped in his hands.
"So we're going to our usual spot. Wanna come?"
"Noooo", his teacher complained, "I can't let my student go alone."
"Well, have fun."
He waved and gave a rotten smile... disgusting. His teacher looked longingly at the two as they left, then she sighed indignantly.
"Come on, let's get us our food."
You could really see and feel her displeasure as they took their position in the line. Maren even though it quite pleased him to see her like that could in the end not bear seeing her in this state for long.
"You know it is acceptable for me."
"What?"
"Go with your accomplices."
"But do know your way around here."
"Believe me, I survived far worse and besides I AM your best student."
She gave him the smile that made his chest ache again... weird.
"Ok", she whispered, "I promise I bring you something nice."
"That is great. Now go."
She did not need more encouragement. She put her tablet away and vanished into the crowd. Like literally... it was impressive. Her droid also drove through the crowd not to be seen again.
After that he once again pointed his attention back to the lunch line. Maren glanced at the person in front of him. That person seemed not to like to be in his periphere, because the alien instantly turned around to take a look at Maren, only to immediatly turn around again in fear. As the boy looked around it seemed nobody likeed his presence. He was seriously hurt... not really though. It appeared that his little squabble today already went circles or maybe it was just his natural...aura. It mattered not to him in the end, but while waiting he had nothing better to do. When after a while he finally he reached the front of the line. He looked at the meals and just chose randomly, he never was a picky eater. Kinda self explanatory.
Now with his spoils on a tablet surveyed the hall for a quite place for himself. It was... managable in the rear part are some empty seats left. As he went to the back he noticed something. A young bipedal female. Blue in hair and red of skin about his age walking around the tables to other people of the same age group. She had a big welcoming smile on her face but it seemed... odd.
"Hey can I sit with you?" she asked innocently the people at one table. She had a... nice voice.
"No sorry this place is sadly occupied", the answer came with an oh so sweet smile.
'Sweet my buttocks', Maren thought to himself.
"Yeah...yeah ok."
For a moment Maren felt her sadness as she answered with a quite tone and looking down on the floor, before she reajusted herself or at least tried and put on a welcoming smile again. She walked over to another group of Younglings.
"Hey is it ok when I sit with you, I won't bother you I promise."
"No you can not sit with us, go away", a boy reprimanded her harshly. Maren was perplexed why he was so aggressiv to her. He observed the red girl for a while longer. She looked... miserable from the rejection. But with the next table she tried again... and then again... and again. In the end she seemed near tears. She took all her courage and went to another table but before she could reach it one of the younglings made her trip. She could not hold her balance and fell face first in one of her plates. Food was everywhere on the ground. The girl had her dinner all over her face. Tears running down her face. One older Jedi came up to her.
"Zrie what are you doing? Look at the mess you made. Now stand up and don't make a scene", the jedi said angrily.
"O-ok", the little girl sniffed, crying heavily now. She put the rest of her dinner together as good as possible and scurried to the back of the hall to sit down still food in her face now mixed with tears and started her pathetic meal. Maren looked at that whole scene while snacking on some crackers. The people around him watched him with suspicion because he just stood there now for several minutes, but he did not really care. He thought back to his old days. To one of his brothers, maybe the only one he would ever call a friend. He was slower than anybody else, weaker, less domineering, too soft some would say. Even though it should be absurd that the two of them would tolerate each other they shared some kind of bond. Probably because they were outsiders or he was just bored. Nevertheless they supported each other as good as they could. Maren helped him out from time to time when the others tried to bully him by for example shanking him with a knife. Normal behaviour amongst their kind, great fun, but he was weak and would have probably not survived these little pranks. On the other hand his brother was a great cook and storyteller, so the boy appreciated his being. They often sat together and Maren listened to his tales. It was nice. Well until the elders noticed their association and they did NOT approve of it. They were always spiteful little creatures. So one day while Maren was training one of them gave his brother a special assignment. An order from the elders could not be rejected... so he went... and did not come back. Maren was not paticulary faced by it, it was just the way it was and he could not do anything about it. That was not entirely true because he later made sure the one who gave the order had an... accident. Tragic. Must have been an excrutiating pain to have your own throat close and denying you essential air... and a knife in your chest did not help either. Now that he thought about it he felt a little prick in his chest. He did not know but it was, but as he thought about his long dead associate, he wished there would have been a future where the both of them made it out.
What could have been.
"What do you want? I already sit in the back by myself like you wanted. I won't bother anyone anymore I swear... just leave me alone, please", a small sniffeling voice begged. It was the girl and he sat across here at the table. How did that happen?
'Great Maren now you were daydreaming again."
The girl still dirty from her food sniffeled really hard and wanted stand up with her food in hand.
"Sit down. I am not your enemy", Maren said in a commanding voice.
The girl looked in the eyes, assessing the situation, if it all was just a trap. Maren unwaveringly stared back. Still not sure she sat slowly back down.
"Here." Maren gave her some of his napkins he got with his meal
"Th- Thank you" she hushed shyly.
Maren did not answer and started with the green paste. Taste like nothing, but he could make out its high nutritional value, which is everything that mattered to him.
"Ah- Ahm", stuttered the girl now clean... as good as it gets more like it.
"No, quiet time", Maren interjected.
With that they ate in silence... for about 30 seconds.
"Where are you from?", the girl asked cheerly.
Maren sighed... no silence for him.
"From a far away and scaaary planet ."
"Really? Wooow you must be very brave."
She apparently did not recognise his sarcasm.
"Indeed."
"I'm not very brave and it is hard for me here. I try so hard, but every time I somehow mess it up... and nobody likes me."
She said the ladt part very quietly while nibbling at her crackers. Maren suddenly felt something and he could not pinpoint what. He looked around glanced at his plates of food noticed that she only had the crackers and gave her one of his. Why did he do this?
She stared at in disbelief and uttered a sweet "Thank you"... Sweet?
Maren shook his head vigourusly. What is happening? He eyed the girl while she now happily ate his food. Watching her smile it was mesmerizing it was... he immeadiatly snapped back. What the heck is happening?
The young gal gave him a glance and asked: "I- Is everything all right?"
Maren back to his senses just replied with "Yeah, do not mind me."
"O-Ok."
They ate what was left of their food on their plate in kinda silence. She still bombarded him with endless questions and he became more and more anxious. He tried to keep it as casually as possible for he did not want to share his personal past. He was not that kind of guy, but it was more and more difficult to deny her. What is happening? He felt how the veins in his head start to pop out and sweat ran down his face.
"Hey are you ok you don't look good?", she posed the question touching his hand. As soon as their skin touched ebery fiber in his body lit up. He felt how the veins in his head start popping out. He could hear the blood rushing in his body as it seems like his two hearts doubled or even trippled their rate. In short... he wanted to rip out her throat.
"Kill her!"
'Gladly.'
But before he could jump at her some other younglings came and started talking to them.
"Wow I didn't know you actually found someone who sits with you. Did you squeezed yourself in even though noone asked?"
"Stop it, that's mean what you say. I didn't do that."
"Well buh huh if..."
At the same time Maren thought to himself: 'Wow I almost killed that girl, good thing these... specimen came or I would have a biiiig problem, but who was that who..."
He saw how the girl started to cry and this time she really cried.
'Aaand thought is gone.'
He let his gaze go around and found the source of her anguish. A youngling with a smug smile on its face. Maren peered back to the girl. She was a mess. Tears and snot everywhere.
Maren sighed: 'Oh well.'
And with that thought he took his paste and threw it straight into the younglings face. The whole hall went quiet. Maren observed how his lunch slowly dripped down the shocked face of the youngling.
One would think these morally superior beings would not indulge in such behaviour, but after just a few seconds some kid screamed "FOOD FIGHT!" at the top of his lungs. Everything erupted into chaos as plates of food flew around. The older Jedi trying desperatly to bring back order. Maren gave the red girl a plate in her hand.
"Now is the time to see who will thrive and who will succumb. Come jedi of the order, keep yourself close to me if you value your life and let us show these fools that their place is under our boots", Maren declared theatrically.
"O-ok." She did not get it, but it mattered not. It was a battle for the ages and will go into the annals of jedi history. Foods of all colours splashed around the hall, not knowing mercy, may it be Padawan or Master. Maren gracefully dodging the projectiles and riposting in kind. At the end on the battlefield lied its victims battered, bruised. Colourful it was but also dreadful, a monument of man's unending malice. One of the older Jedi, food dripping down his person, climbed a table and screamed: "Everyone in the shower. NOW."
And everyone did. Like a kind of bird native to his homeworld all if them followed a Master to one of the apparently numerous washing rooms. The girl in the meantime had her hands on his shoulders and jumped up and down chirping like a bird. She looked as chipper as life itself. Food was everywhere on her but so was it on everyone else. Maren himself seemed quite representable after surviving this warzone. There were some stains here and there, but these were cheapshots. Otherwise he would have gotten out of there peerless, he was sure of it. Nonetheless he went to the bath for the men. The boy got undreesed and went to clean himself and was surprised as he was told that they used running water for it. On Dathomir using running water without any possible danger was a scarcity. He let the water run over his skin. It was quite the pleasant feeling. After that he dresses himself again. When he went out of the washing room, the girl was waiting for him.
"H-hi", she said shyly.
"Greeting", Maren answered.
"Do you go back to your room?"
"Well I do not have one, so ar first I have to areange one."
'Or I camp in that desolated spot, the woman showed me. Speaking of which.'
The woman suddenly appeared in the crowd, her droid and friends not far behind.
"Hey what happened here?", the woman asked.
"We had a little-"
"We had a MASSIVE foodfight", the girl blurted out and emphasizing the sentence by stretching her arms reaaallllly wide.
"What and you didn't tell me", his Master said outraged, "I had some boring soup. I would have crushed everyone. It would have been amazing."
The last part she whispered.
"Ahem, Phthia", her female friend cleared her throat.
"What?"
Maren's Master just got an reprimandable look.
"Oh, oh right, I mean how could you. I expected more of you. You are jedi."
".... Sure. Do I already have a room?"
"Yyyeees", she gave him a thumbs up, "just follow meee."
"Very well. Now then, goodbye... fellow jedi", he said to the girl waving her goodbye.
"Go-goodbye, do we see each other tomorrow?", his food neighbour uttered in a shy voice.
"If the force wills it."
Maren was very proud of that sentence.
'And the force wills what I want to.'
"So... yes?"
"Yeah sure whatever."
"Yaaaaay", she expressed happily, "see you tomorrow."
She ran away waving cheerfully.
"Oh you made a friend", the Jedi Master purred.
"Hmmm. Now where is my space?"
"Oh yeah just follow me. Bye bye", she franticly waved goodbye to her friends.
She nudged Maren: "You say bye bye, too."
"Farewell", he said to his Master's lady friend.
With her other friend he just squinted his eyes and gave a simple 'Bye'.
Both also said their farewells. The man more enthusiastic than the other one. She just gave him a suspicious look. A look Maren reciporcated. After a while she broke it and the two of them left Maren the robot and his Master alone.
"Nice kid", he heard from the man.
"Ok let's go to your room", the white haired women expressed cherfully.
The three of them once again walked through the ancient halls and its impressive architecture to the quarters for the initiates.
"Apparently you have to share your room with someone, I don't know who, but who cares, right? Just makes it more exciting who your new friend is going to be doesn't it?"
"Indeed", Maren answered.
"Beebop."
The droid knew what's up.
"Soooo here we are, your own little paradise... that you have to share."
Maren looked into the room. It was plain with one window on the opposite side of the door, two simple beds, desks and shelves on each side. For the boy it was luxury incarnate.
"Have a good night my sweet Padawan", she whispered gentle in his ear as she softly stroked his cheek. The lad did not know what to make of it, but if this is not something he wants to do her every day. "Oh by the way, here like I promised."
The Jedi Master gave him a little red package with a fancy bow. Then she turned around patted her robot three times on the dome and waved him a "Bye bye". Maren would have liked it more if she stay even though he did not know what he would do if she stayed. Regardless he turned around and went into his new domicile ditched his coat and layed the tooth and the package on the table. He took the sphere out of the pocket and observed it a bit. Since his escape it seemed it lost all function. To be better safe than sorry he searched for a good hiding spot for it. He already caught the wary eyes of the Jedi. He decided himself on the corner of his bed where it met two walls. It would make it... inconvinient to reach. Nothing better came him in mind, not much else hiding space in this room.
He layed down on bed. It was softer than anything he ever experienced, it almost made him paranoid. Nevertheless he once again he let his thoughts wander, how everything changed in such a small amount of time.
"Waaaait a minute. ALL THIS HAPPENED TODAY!"