Promise Of Power And The Gathering (Prologue V)

~~~(POV: Adren Saydra)~~~

~~~(Location: Zafar's Ship, Hyperspace, Corellian Hyperroute)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 8 Years)~~~

~~~(Date: 577 BBY)~~~

"I am sorry. She has passed."

My world comes to a halt as I stare at the Bacta tank... Where my Mom is floating... She's the only person that's ever cared about me... The only one that loved me... Now, she's gone... Taken from me...

CRREEEEEEEECCKKKK

The room I'm in starts to groan and break. The metal components and panels around the room are pulled off the walls and crumpled.

My eyes shift to the medical droid, which stares at me with any sliver of concern it can muster. It's soon lifted off the ground and beginning to break apart. It's voicing protests and pleas for mercy. It doesn't want to die.

"Why didn't you save her..."

The hate...

"You're a medical droid... That's your job..."

I hate this!!

"AAAAHHHHH!!!"

The screaming of the droid echoes through the ship... Almost like a never-ending cry of pain... A rejection of its fate...

The droid breaks into pieces as it can't withstand what I'm doing... I don't even know what I'm doing... The more pain and hate I feel, the more these things happen... I look back at the Bacta tank, and a crack spreads across it.

That's when all my hate and pain leave, and grief strikes me. The power leaves me as soon as I'm overcome.

"Why..."

Tears fall from my eyes as I fall to the ground and sit on my knees. My knuckles dig into the metal of the floor. Stinging in pain and protests. Blood soon leaks from fresh wounds.

"I'm sorry..."

All the anger and regret building in me roars to the surface. I slam my hands into the ground. They're numb after the first impact on the metal. My body losses any life and power it has.

My forehead hits the metal floor, dizzying me in the process. I'm soon on my back, looking up at the ceiling. My tired gaze drifts to the Bacta tank, and my Mom is floating there with her eyes closed as if asleep.

You'd think she's alive if not for the fact I know she's not...

"I HATE THIS!!!"

The hate I felt earlier roars to life, and the room shakes again. Causing another crack to form in the Bacta tank. Seeing that, the risk of my Mom falling out. My hate goes away immediately, and exhaustion takes me.

I've been asleep for the past two days and only woke up an hour ago. I use any strength left and stand up. Making my way to the bridge. This is where a ship is controlled from.

She never taught me how to read a console like this or control a ship. Everything is running on autopilot. As my focus runs across the many consoles, something grabs my attention.

I reach out my hand and press it. A hologram pops up next to me, and it's showing a countdown.

00:00:11:41

00:00:11:40

00:00:11:39

00:00:11:38

"Eleven minutes and thirty-eight seconds..."

This must be how long I've got until I arrive wherever Mom sent the ship. The hologram disappears, and I lean back in the seat.

"What am I gonna do..."

I'm alone...

~~~(POV: Jedi Initiate Taylor Azure)~~~

~~~(Location: Bear Clan Bunkroom, Jedi Temple, Coruscant)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 8 Years)~~~

~~~(Date: 577 BBY)~~~

[I HATE THIS!!!]

My eyes break open, and I'm instantly sitting up in bed. My breath enters and leaves me quickly. Ezark stirs awake from the bunk above me, and he looks down.

"What is it this time?"

The tired and groggy tone tells how much he doesn't want to deal with this. Instead of saying anything, I stand up and rush to the door. Leaving behind the bunkroom and leaving to a place I know I can clear my head.

It takes me a minute, but I'm at the Meditation Gardens. I walk toward the fountain and sit down. A breath enters my lungs, and I close my eyes. Sinking myself in The Force. The cool night air of Coruscant brushes against me.

As if a stimulation to remind me that I'm not where I'm supposed to be. I'll get in trouble if I'm found here. Initiates should be asleep, but that's not what I'm doing.

"Had another one, huh..."

I open my eyes and see Mother walking toward me. A concerned look on her features. She sits next to me, and I relax a little.

"Yeah... Something is going on... I don't know what, though..."

Instead of staying quiet or imparting some wisdom, she wraps an arm around me and brings me into a hug. Her hand glides through my blond hair that matches hers.

"I know... I sense it too..."

I close my eyes and lean my body into the embrace. Mother gently lets me go, and I sense someone walking toward us. As I take a peek, I notice it's Grandmaster Zana.

Her arms are behind her back, and her features are neutral.

"An Initiate out of bed at this hour isn't exactly unheard of. Normally, they skulk around the Archives. Trying to get more reading in. Instead, you're here in the Meditation Garden."

There is more amusement than anything in her voice. I'm glad she doesn't seem upset about this. This is the first time I've broken a rule as an Initiate.

"Forgive me, Grandmaster... I experienced another vision... Or felt another disturbance... I don't know how to describe it... Coming here seemed like something I needed to do..."

She breaks the neutral face with a smile and walks in front of us. Taking a seat on the edge of the fountain. She leans back and looks into the dark night sky.

"I sensed the same as she did... It wasn't hard to know she was coming here. I'm surprised you're here, though. Did you sense it?"

At my Mothers words, Grandmaster Zana nods her head.

"Don't stay out here too long, Taylor. Sleep is important for young children..."

With those words, she stands up and leaves. Answering Mother's question with a simple nod. A lot of Jedi are sensing the disturbance from what I can gather...

~~~(POV: Adren Saydra)~~~

~~~(Location: Walking Around, High Class Market, Denon)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 8 Years)~~~

~~~(Date: 577 BBY)~~~

It's been a week since I arrived on this planet. It feels familiar for some reason. I can't leave the ship unattended for long, and the constant need for Credits isn't helping. Mom survived like this every day, from her stories.

She doesn't know how much that's helped me. Some of her old methods are the only reason I've been making enough to keep the ship where it is.

The memory of her death and life still hangs on me. Every morning I wake up angry, and every night I go to sleep angry.

It's never-ending... The thought of what happened always swells my hate.

As I'm walking down the seemingly endless street, sound from the world fades away, and an ever-present hum captures my attention. I take in the surroundings, and all that's here are stores for the wealthy.

My eyes land on a particular store. One that doesn't seem to hold any significance. As I approach, the humming gets louder and louder. Once I open the door, I see it's a gathering of some kind.

There are people in opulent suits and dining on foods that I've never seen or smelled before. No one seems to be paying attention to me, and no guards are attending the party and its participants.

The humming continues, and it feels as if something is drawing me to it.

A man dings his glass with a spoon and silences everyone in the room.

"I'm truly honored that you've come to partak-"

HUMMMMMMMMM

His words are drowned out as the humming gets louder. I move my way around the crowd. Everyone's attention is on the man speaking. The sound is coming from a door. One that leads into the back of the building.

The do not enter sign is a dead giveaway. Once I reach the door and try to open it, it's found to be locked. The obstacles to wherever the sound is coming from make their first appearance.

I look at the crowd, and no one has noticed me. The worse they can do is throw me out of this place.

The panel on the side of the door takes my attention, and I hold my hand to it. Time to use a trick I've come to learn. I feel the sensation of the mechanisms on the inside. A slightly loud metal crumple can be heard as I squeeze my fist closed.

HAAAAAA!!

OOAAAAA!!

Luckily for me, everyone took that moment to laugh. The door opens without resistance. Once inside, with the door closed behind me, I take a look around. It seems to be a storage area of some kind.

Now that I'm in here, it feels like I'm literally getting pulled to another part of the room. Following the feeling, a small box on a crate has a red glow coming through the cracks. On my approach, the humming gets louder.

Almost unbearably so.

I open the box, and the humming stops.

The box holds a single object, and it's a red pyramid. As I reach for it, the pyramid starts to float. It lands in my hand and glows red.

"Now, let the celebrations begin!"

The speech being made seems to be coming to an end.

Time for me to get out of here. I stuff the pyramid in my pocket and look for a way out of this room. It's secure, but Mom always said to use my size to my advantage. It doesn't take me long to find a vent, and I'm soon shuffling through.

It takes a minute, but I eventually reach a connecting vent to the outside. I hold my palm out at the vent and push. It flies out and hits the connecting building. Falling in the alley. I climb down and get away from the area.

Time for me to get back to the ship. My hand unconsciously raises to the necklace hanging off me. The little amount of Credits I found in the ship could pay for Mom's cremation.

She'll always be with me right here. My hand wraps around the sealed metal vial. I couldn't stand to have her body ruined because I didn't want her to leave. This way, she's always with me.

She sacrificed everything for me to be free from slavery... So she can be free from it... She'll miss out on so much... Another surge of pain, and I'm walking faster to return to the ship.

~~~(POV: Jedi Initiate Taylor Azure)~~~

~~~(Location: Entrance Chamber, The Caves Of Ilum, Ilum)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 8 years)~~~

~~~(Date: 577 BBY)~~~

"Careful in the caves, you all should be. Many things, The Force may show you. Test you, it will. Separated, likely you will be. May The Force be with you."

Master Yoda finishes speaking and sits at the center of the chamber. He has a smile on his lips as he watches us walk forward to the entrance of the cave. The last three weeks have had everyone on edge, and it's surreal to be here now.

Ezark is walking beside me as we enter the cave. After a few seconds, the cave goes dark. My hand finds my training saber, and I pull it out. Igniting it and lighting the cave. That's when I notice Ezark and everyone else isn't here anymore.

I look behind me, and the entrance to the cave that was within view, if you looked back, is now gone.

"This must be what he meant... Time for me to find my kyber crystal..."

As I start walking forward, the power of The Force on Ilum sinks into me. After I blink, I'm no longer in the caves. Instead, I'm overlooking a lake on a lush planet. From what I know about other planets in The Republic, this looks like Naboo.

Why is The Force showing me this...

I'm soon drawn toward the shore. Once I get down there, I take a deep breath and sigh. The energy and life around me fill me. As I close my eyes and open them again, the sky has darkened with thunderclouds.

My heart starts beating fast in my chest. I look across the lake, and another person is standing there.

A boy.

I blink, and the darkened world from the thunderclouds is now pouring down rain, making it impossible to see across the lake.

"WHO ARE YOU!?!"

All I can do is shout across the lake and try to reach the person. Another blink, and I'm back in the caves. In my hand, a green kyber crystal.

Same as my Mothers.

~~~(POV: Adren Saydra)~~~

~~~(Location: Zafar Fetts Ship, Hanger Bay, Denon)~~~

~~~(Current Age: 8 Years)~~~

~~~(Date: 577 BBY)~~~

[WHO ARE YOU!?!]

I jolt out of my bed and rub my eyes. I don't know what that was or why that happened. Dreams like that have been happening a lot lately.

So vivid and real...

My attention turns to the pyramid on the desk in my room, and I haven't gotten it to do anything since I stole it. It's been frustrating. I stand up from the bed and pick up the pyramid before heading to the kitchen.

I set my stolen property on the counter and make some food. Thinking of ways to get it to work. I don't know what I'm doing with all this.

It's been almost a month.

A sigh escapes my lips, and I sit down. Looking at the red pyramid. The symbols on it haven't given me any information. Don't even know what they say.

"C'mon... I'm sick of this."

I toss it back on the counter with some anger. My eyes squint as I watch it.

"SHOW ME SOMETHING!!!!!"

As I release the fast-building anger, a light shake goes through the ship. The red pyramid slowly floats, and the corners start to spin. The light gets dim, and a hologram appears. I move back in my seat.

Trying to wrap my head around this.

"My, for one so young to unlock my Holocron. What is your name, child?"

The hologram is in the form of a woman with a cloaked head. Hair comes out either end of her hood. Her fingertips are clasped together.

"Adren... Adren Saydra..."

A small smile appears on the hologram's features. She's not much bigger than my torso, but still a good size.

"You're connection to The Force is impressive, young Adren. The strongest I've ever come across, and that's saying something."

The Force? Connection? I don't know what she's talking about, but I also feel like I kind of do... It's hard to explain...

"What's your name..."

I'd like to know who I'm talking to. Mom made sure I knew that knowing the names of people you deal with is important. She never told me why, though...

The woman in the hologram remains silent for a second. A slight movement of her hands is all I get.

"I'm Darth Traya. What do you wish to learn first?"

Learn?

Learn what...

"Umm... What exactly are you offering to teach me?"

I can't help leaning forward. This is my first conversation with someone who doesn't hate me or want to hurt me besides my Mom.

A tiny smile appears on the lips of the holographic woman.

"Everything."