Coruscant, Jedi Temple, 1 Day Later
The Initiate I was following this morning, a Teevan (species) youth perhaps eleven or twelve years old was silent and composed. He was curious about the Trials I was undergoing, but had no intention of giving in to his curiosity.
I could admire that, as I knew Jedi Knights whose minds didn't feel so ordered and under the control as this Initiate's. When we turned down the longer passageway leading down to the Trials Chamber from a T-intersection I recognized from yesterday, I broke the silence.
"The Trials are the most difficult challenges I have ever encountered. Yesterday's Test of Skill vigorously examined a great many aspects of my physical capabilities.
Placing an emphasis on how precisely I could control my body and mind" I quietly explained in as warm and engaging a manner as I could manage under the circumstances.
Flushing until he was a pewter color, the Initiate whose name I surprisingly couldn't skim from his surface thoughts bobbed his head once, then flashed me the ghost of a smile. It seemed for a moment he might reply, but he remained silent, and I soon saw why.
About ten meters further on down the hallway beside the doorway to the Trials Chamber stood a Lannik as familiar as he was prominently scarred.
Despite his normal stance, the one-eyed Jedi Master somehow gave the impression of a soldier standing vigilantly at attention, but his often scowling visage was as impassive as one of the bust's in the Hall of the Lost this morning.
Reaching the door in step with me, the tall, rail-thin Teevan student bowed fully but as quickly as possible to the "Disciplinarian of First Knowledge" before offering me the much shallow and optional bow that quirked my lips into a momentary smile.
He was ten paces away pretty much the instant the fearsome Jedi Master inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment of the boy. Leaving me alone with the man who'd made his feelings concerning my membership in the Jedi Order abundantly clear.
For once, I didn't bother with the Thought Shield. I didn't have the energy to waste today. Not if it was going to be anything like yesterday, anyways. If the Jedi Master was so inclined, he'd be able to find my indignation at his judgmental and unfair treatment of me, but it wouldn't be easy.
Feelings like that were presently buried beneath my determination and focus on what I needed to do today, and/or my uncertainty as to which Test I'd face next.
Even Piell looked up at me from his 4'6 height. He was exceptionally tall for one of his race, and as muscular as any Lannik. His scars were his most prominent feature, but it was his stoicism and the air of self-control that jumped out at you when he was close.
Something I'd always found ironic, given our troubled history. His one good eye seemed to see all the way through me, but today he wasn't wearing the scowl of disdain I was most familiar with.
"The High Council of the Jedi Order wishes the Aspirant to know it is their unanimous decision the events which transpired during his rescue of Knight Swan were a more suitable Trial of Courage than anything which can be generated under controlled conditions.
Having twice proven a willingness to risk his life while engaged in the aforementioned rescue, it would be redundant to place before the Aspirant a lesser challenge than facing the fear engendered by actual mortal peril.
The Aspirant will therefore be facing the challenges of his third Trial today, rather than his second. Congratulations, Aspirant Skywalker" Master Piell explained without greeting or preamble.
His voice was flat and matter-of-fact, but I detected no trace of hostility or discontent with the decision he was communicating.
Still, it was quite the surprise, and he must have detected that in me, because he quietly continued after a moment. "Truth is the only viable basis for just laws and a healthy society, Skywalker, and the truth is you were as courageous as any Jedi on Tynna."
I found myself wondering where this concern for just rules had been during his dealings with me in his capacity as a figure of authority, but I remained silent. If I had anything to say about it, I wouldn't make this meeting about anger and recriminations. The Trials were something I respected too much to approach with anger and bitterness.
Instead, I bowed as deeply as I would to any Jedi Master. "Thank you for conveying the will of the High Council, Master Piell. Was there anything more, or anything I can do for you?" I inquired after a moment in a reserved, neutral tone.
Looking at me in a searching manner, the scarred, pink-skinned Jedi only shook his head in silence. Turning away, he moved off deeper into the Temple's heart with a sure gait that increased in speed as he continued to move. Where, I didn't know, but I guessed it was to wherever the Trials were observed from.
I waited until the Jedi Master was completely out of sight, then turned toward the door I remembered from yesterday and quickly entered.
It occurred to me to wonder why the High Council would have wanted Even Piell of all it's members to convey their decision, but I didn't have time for extraneous thoughts right now. If it wasn't to be the Trial of Courage, the other options were even more formidable.
...
The chamber I'd just entered was more box than room. Only a couple of meters long on each side, the ceiling of the tiny square was only a meter higher than my head.
After a moment, I notice the walls are pitted with hundreds of circular holes perhaps as big around as the pad of my thumb. While I was noticing this, a woman's voice I didn't recognize spoke from all around me in that flatly neutral manner from yesterday.
"Aspirant, all that is required of you is your conscious awareness and continued composure. There is no riddle or hidden portion of this Trial. Just your ongoing self-control while under stress.
The Trial of the Flesh begins now." The voice told in that remote manner, and as it did so, water began pouring into the room from all of these holes in the wall.
My mind whirled through a couple of calculations as I eyed the rate at which water was entering the tiny chamber. It was only an estimate, but my best guess was a constant flow of water at this rate would fill a box this size in less than five minutes with this many "spigots."
It was ridiculous, but as the water began to rise over the toes of my boots, a bit of paranoia flitted through my head.
"Wouldn't this be the perfect no win scenario? Either I freak out when I'm finally on the point of drowning and fail, or... They simply take too long to drain the water, and I actually do end up drowning."
The thought was so patently ridiculous, my mind should have dismissed it before it ever became fully formed. It didn't just disappear like an idle bit of nonsense, however.
Instead, another thought about Master Piell being more civil and decent than he'd ever before been to me popped into my head as the water came up over my ankles.
"The worst asshole could probably muster thirty seconds of being fair and reasonable to their worst enemy, if they knew that enemy was about to die a horrible death.
It would certainly explain why the one person who's always wanted me out of the Jedi Order actually praised me, just now."
I shook my head briskly to clear these thought away. Feeling cool water begin to rush down the inside of my boots as the water-flow surged over my boot-tops.
I couldn't believe I was essentially entertaining the notion the Jedi Order's governing body would countenance the cold-blooded murder of an innocent young man.
Water was halfway to my knees now, but I'd managed to keep this inner turmoil off my face as the next bit of insanity upped the ante.
"Yoda just returned to the Temple for only the second or third time since claiming the Kaiburr Crystal.
What if long-term precognitive visions confused me and Canon-Anakin? I assumed it was the Force which was responsible for my taking over Anakin's life, but what if it wasn't? If it wasn't the Force's doing, what if Yoda saw "me" turning and becoming the reason the Sith extinguish the Jedi and dominate the galaxy?
He wouldn't countenance killing me for something I haven't done, and may never do, but I don't know that Yoda's still on Coruscant. Mace Windu has never been willing to step in when Piell, Rancisis, and Drallig were way out of line, and besides.
What if Master Windu is on Mimban right now with Yoda? Master Yaddle is away on Kuat right now. Is it really so impossible that Master Piell might bully the rest of them into doing something horrible with Yoda, Windu, and Yaddle all away?"
Yes, yes that was impossible. This series of thoughts as the water over-topped my thighs was so outlandish, so patently ridiculous, that my something-isn't-right sense pinged. Something in my head tried to distract me from that something-isn't-right feeling, but I had too tight a grip on my awareness of the sensation.
I felt fairly stupid it had taken me this long to catch on. Opening myself to the Force, I breathed in and out slowly and deeply.
Releasing the building anxieties and fear into the Force as I listened to it's steady song. They'd just conned me with a damned near perfect Force Illusion yesterday.
Why was I shocked a group of Jedi Masters could manage something like Force Persuasion strong enough a Force-sensitive might prove susceptible to it?
...
Hey guys can you throw some power stones to Elevate the ranking.
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