A Darkened Horizon

[Pyromaniac]

Nero was tired, and as he stepped off the ship within the space port of Mos Eisley, he couldn't but stifle a yawn. He had on the robes, his sword strapped in a sheath across his back, and a pair of goggle the pilot had advised him to wear. Nero doubted he'd need them, he didn't have eyes, but since the area was covered by a black cloth he guessed the man thought he was human. When the doors opened, sand blew into the ship, filling Nero's nose and mouth. He coughed violently as the amusement of the shuttle's captain.

Grumbling, the youth stepped off the shuttle and awaited his Master... one that he'd been sent to, for because of his darkness, was not allowed near the Temples yet...

He couldn't blame them. None of them knew of his past, and he hoped few would find out...

 

[Vulpes]

Arikka looked up to the twin suns, Mid-day she decided as she observed their placement. It had only been a day ago she had received notice that she would be having company over, for an indefinite amount of time. Not much was explained on him, and with quick scan through the Jedi's databases, little showed up on the Miraluka named Nero. She had encountered another of his kind many years ago, prior to the Fall of Coruscant. They posed as quite an intriguing species, one which she did not have the luxury to research since she first learned of their existence.

The Jedi Master was on the outskirts of Mos Eisley, conversing with the Chieftain of the Nkik Clan. The small Jawa had sought to meet the newcomer who'd taken refuge in the once abandoned building a few kilometers away. Truthfully, the Chieftain wanted to find out if there was something of value which he and his clan had missed. In all actuality, though, that was not the case. It had been prime location for Arikka-Mar to watch over a portion of the Tatoonian population, as an unacknowledged Watchman of the planet. It was a title she was not too concerned about having, but rather to do the duties of it.

"Ubanya, eyeta," she muttered as she bowed her head to the acquaintance. In Jawaese, it was the way to say goodbye to a friend or companion, and she held respect to the rodent-like creature. Rubbing her chin, she turned to look at her landspeeder, almost surprised to see that it remained untouched by the Jawa scavengers and technicians. She'd of figured so, though. Jawas held much more respect for her as a Jedi than they once did when she was a child of a bantha herder. Arikka then looked in the direction of the spaceport, seeing a ship land. She could sense something from it, but she was uncertain as to what it was. It intrigued her, and then she remembered; she was expecting company.

In a swift motion, the Codru-Ji hopped into the hovering landspeeder and made her way into town, where she had seen the ship land. She was curious as to why the Jedi had directed this initiate towards her, and truthfully, it excited her. When near the spaceport, she parked the ship about have a block away. In her civilian attire, white tunic and pants made from the leather of a Bantha, she did not stick out. She could sense who it was that she was to meet, and could tell by his apperance, that he was a Miraluka... Something that many likely mistook for a blind human.

"Hello, I trust you are the one I am to meet?" she approached the Miraluka, uncertain of how he would act. Either the council had assigned her a Padawan without her knowledge, or she was to act as some sort of buffer to prevent him from interacting entirely with the Jedi in their temples.

 

[Pyromaniac]

Nero looked at the woman who called out, surprised. He furrowed his brow at her, for he had never seen someone with four arms before. Nodding to her question, "My name is Nero Pierce, and I was sent here... to see you, I guess. I'm here to learn from you. The woman who found me said that you would be best to teach me, and sent me off with permission. They thought it best that I not know of the locations of the Temples just yet, though I really would have preferred somewhere that didn't make me feel like a piece of dried meat."

Nero could tell, with his Force Sight, that she was wearing clothes not of a Jedi, but a normal civilian. It made sense. They were in hiding, after all, and with his former Masters hunting them like dogs... hunting HIM like a dog...

He shook his head to dispel the thought.

"So, where are we off to?"

 

[Vulpes]

After hearing the remark on the dried meat, she shrugged. "I suppose they thought that I was best off taking you in... Unless sending them here is some form of punishment now," The Jedi Master gave out a brief chuckle. She meant it jokingly, but she knew that many had difficulties adapting to the climate. It was not exactly an easy place to live in, especially away from the cities. Tusken Raiders, Hutt criminals, and violent dust storms were all common in the landscape, and perhaps that's why she had come here in the first place. It provided her a chance to help those in need, and if they were here, they likely weren't by choice.

Arikka gestured as she began to walk towards her craft, "I have a landspeeder just down the road. It'll make travelling to my humble Cirkoza a little easier..." she paused for a second, thinking about her usage of multiple languages when conversing, and how it was very unlikely an off-worlder would know anything about the Jawaese language. "Err, Cirkoza is the Jawa word for home." she clarified, by that point, they had already arrived to the parked landspeeder.

After hopping in and starting up the engine, she prepared to make her way out of the town, to the west. "I'm not sure if you know Tatooine well, but we're in Mos Eisley now. To the west is Bestine. I have a small home in the ridges between them. It allows me to keep an eye on things. Tatooine is simple enough, you have desert and a few cities. Beyond that, it's farmers, criminals, and scavengers." Arikka had adjusted the goggles which were draped under around her neck to cover her eyes now. Normally, she would've offered a pair to her passenger, but Nero was a different case.

A different case indeed... she thought between conversing. By this point, they were clear of any prying ears and out of the city's boundaries. "Any idea why they may have directed you to me? If you do, I mean, you don't have to tell me now... But if it's going to affect how we interact, it wouldn't hurt to know." she gave a half chuckle, attempting to keep the conversation light-hearted. There was no point in delving into her new, possibly temporary, student's past too far.

 

[Pyromaniac]

Nero jumped into the landspeeder and listened to Arikka, nodding to her in understanding when she clarified. If this was to be his new home, for now, it would probably be best to learn the native language...

When she mentioned why he was sent here, he could only think of one reason, and that reason made him cringe after she spoke.

"Surely you can sense it, Master. The woman who found me did, and she asked, but..."

He suddenly smiled and turned his head towards her, "I guess I'm just too powerful for the crowds of Padawans at the Temples! They said you could help me, since you live in a more secluded area, and they thought I needed little interaction with other Force users until I am in my training."

This was not the whole truth, and he knew it. The full truth was his past, and through the darkness, they could feel it. They knew he needed to banish his darkness, be redeemed, but they didn't know the whole story and they did not pry, much. He'd promised them he'd work hard to make them proud, but he could feel what they thought. No one expected him to succeed, to become a great Jedi. They expected him to fall, and honestly, he expected it too.

Yet he was not going to let himself give up. He was going to fight the Dark Side, fight against the years under the Sith, and become something to make the Jedi happy to have found him. He was going to become something he would be proud to be.

"Master Arikka... thank you for doing this, for taking me in for now. It really does mean a lot to me. Someday, I hope to repay you."

 

[Vulpes]

Arikka grinned slightly upon being thanked. I haven't even done anything yet, she thought. "Do not worry about it. Jedi do not seek out payment for their good deeds, other than the satisfaction of knowing the Galaxy is a slightly better place, I suppose." Keeping her lower hands on the steering wheel, she fixed her hair up into a short ponytail, to keep it from blowing into her face as she drove. It was one of the benefits of being a Codru-Ji, she figured.

Then with a brief chuckle, she went back to the subject, "Too powerful, hm? I suppose we will have to look into that once you're settled in." Truthfully, she could sense something slightly off about Nero, but was unable to pinpoint it to his lingering dark sided nature. It was not like the Sith she had encountered, but rather, it felt conflicting. As if the Force's two sides, light and dark, were fighting over the boy. Whether he was of Sith origin, or perhaps a Dark Jedi or Nightbrother, it made no difference to the Jedi Master. Or perhaps he had just spent much time around areas which emitted dark energy. Regardless, she sought to improve the boy, but only if he was willing. It did seem like he was willing though.

"As I assume you've already been told, I am Jedi Master, and former Council member, Arikka-Mar. In my service to the Jedi, I have trained one Jedi to Knighthood and another in the process. I am sure you will likely meet both one day.." She paused for a moment, deciding against telling him about her infiltration of the Hutt Cartel, but instead to speak of her youth. "I grew up here, on Tatooine. Perhaps that is why I have chosen to take the undesirable Watchman role here.... My discovery as a Force-sensitive was purely by chance, as well as my joining of the Jedi Order, but I will tell you about that all later on." she looked to the Miraluka for a moment, to shoot him a quick smile.

"We're about a kilometer away," she said, pointing to the ridges, a small gap between two of them gave the building camouflage from this distance. "My past is a bit dull, as you can tell. Tell me a little bit about yourself, Nero. Where are you from? What do you enjoy doing in your free time? What is your favorite meal?" The last one she meant have jokingly, but as a chef, it interested her. She wished to make the guest as comfortable in her home as he would be in his own.

 

[Pyromaniac]

Nero smiled at the Codru-Ji, his hair whipping in the winds as they approached their destination. He couldn't see it yet, but that was ok. He also made sure he avoided her first question...

"I enjoy either spending my nights outdoors or finding a good looking girl," he joked and chuckled before saying, "I'm kidding about the girl part, but I do love the outdoors. Belsavis was one of the two places I've ever been before coming here, and I found it wonderful. I spent most of my time there homeless and fending for myself, but it was fine. I was capable."

He looked over at his Master before responding, "I enjoy smoked nerf with a side of blue milk."

Nero leaned back in his seat and looked straight up into the sky, seeing pitch blackness with his Force Sight. It was odd. Many see only the Miraluka side, never the Echani. Yet, he was barely able to use the Force for what he wished, and was much better at hand-to-hand combat and melee. If he had stayed with the Sith, he would have become a Sith Warrior without a doubt... yet with the Jedi...

"Master, I wish to become a Jedi Guardian." He said suddenly. "And about your first question... I'd prefer to tell you at a later date. There is a lot I shall explain once I've settled and if I come to trust you, but for now... lets just say I have demons to face, and many come from my upbringing."

 

[Vulpes]

Arikka listened as she drove the landspeeder through the narrow passageway which allowed them to reach the top of the cliff. It wasn't a dangerous road, but was well suited for smaller vehicles such as the one they were in. Or a bantha mount, too. There, they reached the front of the building. It was a modest building in design. From the outside, it looked like a one-leveled building, but like many Tatoonian homes, it had basements, rather than second or third levels. It was an adaptation that the people of Tatooine found early on.

"A Jedi Guardian, hm?" she said as she parked the vehicle, "Truthfully, my teachings will be limited on subject that'd be covered by such a role. I, myself, have always leaned more towards the Knowledge seeking and monk-like side of the Order, rather than the peacekeeping and war-going side of it. I will do my best to train you as one, though, Nero."

Arikka had gotten up and out of the speeder and lifted up the part tunic she wore which concealed her belt. There were several pockets and fit snugly in it, was a small lightsaber. She did not reach for it though, nor for any of the pouches, but rather a small loop, which held the keys to the building, amongst other keys. As she fiddled with the keys, she spoke once more, "I like that, you keep your meals simple. The last few years, I have been in the presence of those who order luxurious meals, things that are not easy to get. Like some weird fish from Kamino, or a rodent from Kashyyyk.." she laughed a bit, as she stopped rambling and opened the door.

"Make yourself at home. Are you hungry? I can prepare the food whenever you wish. In the basement, there is a freezer which I have a few pounds of frozen nerf meat." She looked around the building for a split moment. She still had not been here in over a month, so it was still well-kept, since it had been cleaned up, at least. The Jedi moved over to a small couch which across from it, was a small coffee table and a lounge-like chair. "Make yourself at home. That room will be yours. I don't expect any other guests to occupy it, anyways. Get comfortable, and we can begin your training, or if you'd prefer, we could eat first."

 

[Pyromaniac]

Nero entered the home and breathed in deep. It actually felt like the first home he's ever been in, and it felt amazing.

"I understand, Master, but I honestly think I need to know all sides of the Jedi Order. I need the knowledge to do whats right and to find inner peace, before I move on to combat like that of a Guardian. I believe that is why I was sent you, Master Arikka, for you have what I need before I continue."

His mouth watered at the sound of his favorite meal and his stomach growled ravenously, and so when she asked what he would prefer to do first, what he really wanted was food, but he answered otherwise.

"I think I'd like to train a bit before we dine, if you don't mind. I want to show you what I can do."

 

[Vulpes]

Arikka smiled faintly at the reminded in which Nero gave her. Returning to the company of Jedi, she had developed the idea that everyone who was associated with the Order was already familiar with the utmost basics of the Jedi teachings. And despite being brought to her by a Jedi, it seemed that Nero had little knowledge about them, or possibly even the Force as a whole.

"It is good to learn of every part of the Order. A guardian whom does not know the foundations or codes of our Order is no more than a specialized soldier." She nodded her head, standing up once more. The Codru-Ji looked to her bookcase, which she remembered had little on it, as she still had much of her personal belongings boxed in the basement, especially those that were relevant to Jedi teachings, in the event someone were to snoop around in her absence.

The ears of the Jedi suddenly perked up, her specie's advanced hearing was able to identify the noise immediately. "Your mind speaks one thing, but your body the other." She laughed slightly. Then listening to what he said, she responded, "What would you like to train first?" There were numerous things she could train him on, but truthfully, she was uncertain of what he knew in the first place.

 

[Pyromaniac]

Blushing and rubbing the back of his neck as he laughed nervously, the young man answered, "I know much in the ways of swordplay and hand-to-hand combat, mostly Echani battle forms. I know some Force basics like Push and Pull, but much else... no. I have my Force Sight of course, but that is because I'm half Miraluka. If you can't tell, I am half Echani, which explains my hair."

The Padawan smiled at his Master, "I know of no formal lightsaber techniques, nor do I have a lightsaber. I only have... basic training." His smiled wavered a bit but he grinned brightly.

"What do you suggest, Master?"

 

[Vulpes]

Still uncertain of where it was that Nero received what training he had, she began to slowly narrow down the theories of where he came from. Arikka pushed these thoughts to the back of her mind though, focusing more-so on the present than the past. "I have sparred with another Echani before. They have an interesting fighting style, if I recall. Arikka had heard multiple times about their fighting style, and figured it was something they took pride in, but was uncertain if a half-Echani would as well. At least that question has been answered.

"As for lightsaber training, I will train you another time. Perhaps we could go over a bit of theory, have lunch, then I can explain to you Tatooine. If you are going to be staying here, I'd wish for you to know the dangers and survival techniques." She had planned on taking multiple trips to various places of the planet, as it would provide plenty of opportunities to train in unique environments.

 

[Pyromaniac]

Nero nodded and his stomach called out at the word "lunch".

"So about that smoked Nerf..."

He grinned playfully and bowed his head. Nero looked around the room and then looked back at his Master, "When it comes time to cook, I want to help. I do not wish to be a burden, and I must pull my own weight. Anyway, about the theories... what did you mean? And I think learning about the planet and land is a good idea, I'd probably not last a day otherwise."

Nero pulled off the goggles the pilot had given him and placed them on a nearby table before pulling out a hair tie and putting his shoulder length white hair into a loose ponytail. His black visor that covered the area where his eyes would be was attached to a black circlet around his head and sat under his hair.

"I'm ready for anything, Master. Shall we go over theories as we prepare the meal, or before?"

 

[Vulpes]

Arikka looked over to the Initiate for a moment, almost forgetting that he was blindfolded. She contemplated for a moment as to what to teach first. "I suppose if you insist, you can cook your own food. I'll explain how if you do not know how to." she walked over to the small kitchenette which was stationed in the corner of the building, but still in the main room. Truthfully, the whole building only had a few rooms. The biggest was a combination of the living room, kitchen, dining area, and part of the study. Behind the doorways, there were two bedrooms, a bathroom, an upper storage closet, and a basement used for bulk storage. Down there, many things were still crated or were in the freezer. It was a cozy building, but gave enough privacy for multiple inhabitants, not to mention the hidden nooks and crannies.

"Downstairs there is a freezer, go ahead and get the meat and we'll start to defrost it. But before you go, I wish for you to think about this question: What is the Force? How does it affect you? And what makes us Jedi?" she had realized that it was not a question, but rather a series of questions. She figured that he'd have enough time to think about it and provide an answer by the time he returned with the meat.

Arikka nodded to him and then began to dig out pots and pans, preparing to cook their meal.

 

[Pyromaniac]

Nero nodded and moved downstairs, after being shown where he could go down. It was filled with containers and crowded, probably things the woman kept around, and he navigated through the clutter. He tripped once and banged his head off what appeared to be a freezer.

Grumbling and cursing, he stood up and fished out what appeared to be the meat he was looking for. It was difficult to tell just from the shapes of the dead meat, but he was confident in his choice. Moving back, he tripped again up the stairs. The hybrid cursed loudly as he held his foot with his free hand.

As the pain bled into his body, the boy thought about the questions... The Force is the energy that binds all living things, little to small, and gives the Jedi their supernatural abilities. It's all around us, and can give us the ability to protect ourselves and others. And what makes one a Jedi? Well, there was their ability to draw on the Light, their sacrifice. It was a difficult question, that last one. Now, what it meant to be a Sith... it was power, passion, the ability to gain what you wanted over others...

He shook his head and bit his lip, before returning to his master and giving his answers, excluding anything about the Sith.

"The Force is the energy that flows through all living things, and some nonliving, and gives the Jedi their supernatural powers. It's all around us. A Jedi is a guardian of peace and justice in the galaxy. To be a Jedi requires morals and a knowledge of the Light..." He spoke, not with confidence, but uncertainty.

 

[Vulpes]

As Arikka sifted through the pans she would use to cook, she overheard the difficulty that Nero was experiencing. I hope he knows there is a light down there she thought as she preheat the cooking surface. By the time Nero returned from the basement, she had already begun to peel a few Corellian potatoes.

"Welcome back, go ahead and get a tray and toss it into the stove." She gestured to the cabinet by the sink, where there was a tray large enough to fit the slab of meat.

The Jedi Master listened to her student as she began to fill up a bowl of water to begin cooking the potatoes now. "Very wise interpretations. That is perhaps what is so great about the Force. We don't truly know what it is. We know it is part of life, and all that, of course. But my interpretation of it is that it is more than just a mere concept or some sort of energy. From my understanding, the Sith and other Force-Sensitives will treat it like a tool. For personal gain, but it's not that. It is an ally. Someone who will be there with you for you to call upon when necessary. That is why it is wise not to abuse it for meaningless tasks." This was her personal belief of the Force, and Nero would not yet know it, but Arikka rarely used the Force. Only when necessary or training with it. It helped build up a self-reliance for when she would be unable to use it, for whatever reason.

"As for what a Jedi is? You gave a great explanation, but to fully understand what makes us Jedi, you'll have to experience it." The Jedi smiled to Nero as she continued cooking. "Do you have any questions so far?"

 

[Pyromaniac]

He put the meat on the tray he found in the cabinet, and began to prepare the meal. He put it in the stove, and set it to the proper temperature for a little defrosting before cooking. After, Nero walked towards a table and placed his weapon on there, in reach just in case they were attacked, and because a weapon gave him comfort...

"Can a Sith be pulled towards the Light, Master Akkira?"

He kept his back towards the Jedi, suddenly feeling like a plague, a disease, in her presence. Grounding his teeth in shame, in anger, memories surfaced of his time with those monsters. How many times had he killed a prisoner for "Training"? How many times had he hurt others in anger, suffered abuses, all to become stronger? It made him sick.

"Please, be honest, Master. Are they beyond it's reach, even with the Jedi dwindling?"

 

[Vulpes]

Arikka took note of the weapon he had placed on the table. In that moment, she had come to realize that she had no even bothered to investigate if the boy was a danger to him. Perhaps it was the trust she put in the specially encrypted message from the Council that made her not worry about that. Either way, it did not worry her that he carried it with him. Just now she knew that he had one.

"Do you enjoy your nerf spiced?" Arikka asked, not immediately answering the question. She had sensed a negative energy form around Nero when he asked the question, so she attempted to lighten the mood slightly before answering it. She looked at the spice rack for a moment and then set the cooking utensils on the counter.

"I can imagine the origin of your training, young Nero. And if you want the truth, I'll give you the truth." She rested against the counter and focused her eyes on the back of his head, hopefully to emphasis on her feelings. "We all have our pasts. Many in this Order aren't from Republic origins. We have former Mandalorians, Imperials...Sith. The past is the past, and at your age, you're still a kid. I have heard of the Sith's teachings."

The Jedi Master looked away for a moment, towards the window which gave a nice view of absolutely nothing. "The fact that you broke away from that path, and searched to find the Jedi an redeem yourself proves something to me. Absolutely a Sith can be brought to the Light side of the Force. I assume you were not much more than a student, and they probably didn't mention this, but there are Darths and Lords who have been brought to the Light. Thousands of years ago, ones like Vader and Revan."

Using her lower-left hand, she scratched her chin a little bit before moving off of the counter and towards Nero. "Do not feel like you are unable to redeem yourself," she patted his right shoulder, "It will be quite a journey. One which you have already taken a big leap towards. It won't be easy, but if you're willing to try, I'm willing to make a damned good Jedi out of you."

 

[Pyromaniac]

Nero felt like a dam had burst in his chest. His emotions began to run wild- relief, sorrow, guilt, happiness, anger- it nearly made him fall to his knees. He tensed up at her touch and nearly reached for his sword, but stopped himself. Old habits die hard...

He smiled, forcibly, and felt like he could actually begin to trust someone again...

"I love my nerf spiced." He answered after a moment's pause, a grin splitting across his face. "I'm sure it won't be too bad, Master. I bet I'll be one of the best duelists in the Order before you can bat an eyelash."

Nero walked towards the kitchen area, asked where the dining utensils and such were. After a moment, he began to set out two plates, two glasses, the eating utensils on the table they would use to dine. He set them down perfectly, making sure the fork and spoons were parallel. Perfectionist...

"I apologize, Master, I am not good at keeping secrets. My one flaw!"

 

[Vulpes]

"I won't spice it too heavily," she said a slight hint of laughter in her voice. She reached into the cabinets where she had a small assortment of spices and seasonings. It wasn't much, but it was rare that she even put this much effort into a meal. Typically she ate little more than salads and other vegetarian meals. Often, she avoided eating meat product all together. It was a personal belief of hers. She did not enjoy eating a creature out of luxury, but knew that it was an inevitable truth of the galaxy. Living creatures will be eaten by other living creatures. Arikka continued to speak, "I was a runner-up in the one eleven-hundredth and sixty-third hot sauce eating contest." It was nothing to brag about, and was even something that she went under a different alias as...

Then the oven beeped. The meat was heating up. It'd be about thirty minutes before the meal was ready. "Secrets aren't always good things to have, I suppose." she said as she observed him put the silverware down. Dining etiquette always interested Arikka, as she lived a brief life of luxury during her years away from Jedi. Each culture seemed to have their own gimmick or unique way of presenting their meals, but there was generally one largely accepted way. and that was the one he was using.

"The food will not be ready for another half an hour, if you'd like to meditate or look around a bit. or perhaps just talk." She shrugged, peering out the window to see if anything had changed in the distant landscape. It had not.