Old Recordings

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~~~(POV: Nella Opal)~~~

~~~(Location: Nathen's Ship, Messing With The Old Holo-Terminal)~~~

While Nathen and SCORPIO are busy with their problems. I've taken this free time to myself as an opportunity to fix the old dusty Holo-Terminal in the training room. I can tell it hasn't been used in years, and most of its circuitry is shot.

"What secrets are you hiding..."

My curiosity has been killing me ever since I watched Nathen stare at it for a good 10 minutes in silence. It was after one of our training sessions, and when I was lying on the ground exhausted, he was looking at this.

Nathen taught me a nice little trick. And he said that Force-Sensitives are born with this ability and can't develop it. So in a sense, he brought one of my latent skills to the surface.

It's called Mechu Deru, and it's a Dark Side ability that allows one to understand mechanical systems intuitively. It's probably been why I'm so fascinated with droids... Ever since I was a kid... I never even knew...

After a few more minutes, power returns to the Holo-Terminal, and a random recording just starts playing.

"Okay, Initiate Opal. What I want you to do is focus on directing and controlling the output and input of The Force. The large boulders in front of you are going to help with this. I want you to lift them and move them without crushing them or damaging them."

I see a little version of Nate, and he's with an older man. A Jedi Master, probably. I don't recognize him. From what I can see, this Holo-Terminal has more than just recent recordings, but old ones too.

"But Master Caleb... Every time I try, the slightest movement from my fingers crushes them... How am I supposed to control that... It's like I have to be flawless..."

His voice sounds so different. This was before puberty. He was really young, wasn't he... But my eyes shift to the man known as Master Caleb... Nate hasn't talked about him... I wonder what happened...

"You have to control it because you're different, Initiate Opal. That's why we're having solo lessons instead of group lessons. We can't have you harming your fellow Clan members, can we?"

I watch the miniature and young Nate agree with a head nod. It's hard to see Nate as someone who was once inexperienced and untrained in the ways of The Force. But, it looks like he had a harder time learning to control his power.

"Okay... Here goes nothing..."

The little Nate lifts his hand, and both boulders start to lift off the ground, but a bird suddenly squawks and startles Nate. The boulders shatter into a million tiny pieces, and I watch little Nate's face fall in disappointment.

"Now, wasn't that a surprise."

Master Caleb is different from other Jedi. I can tell. Just from the way he acts and talks to Nate. You can see he's got a different outlook on most things that concern The Jedi.

All of a sudden, the Holo-Terminal sparks, and a new recording pops up. This time it's one of a little Nate and a beautiful woman. And I recognize her after a couple of seconds. Little Nate is in a bed that looks to be in a medical room, and she's looking down at him.

Master Caleb comes into the frame and stands next to her.

"The Terminal is recording. Are you sure that you want to update his parents given the circumstances?"

Satele nods her head and takes a seat on Nate's bed.

"Lillis and Jorand Opal... I wanted to let you know that Nate is doing great here on Tython. He's made many friends, and he's shown great improvement... But I can feel his pain at the loss of you two... I'll keep you updated as promised... But Nate won't be talking to you anymore..."

The Holo-Terminal suddenly turns off, and I look at it in frustration as I'm on the edge of my seat here.

"I wouldn't have figured you as a girl who snoops around people's private lives."

The robotic voice of SCORPIO nearly makes me jump out of my skin, and I spin around to see her messing with the panel that I used to power the Holo-Terminal.

"Umm... I was... It's not..."

She squints her eyes and motions for me to leave the room. Which I do...

This isn't the last time I'm checking out those recordings. There is so much history and story there that I want to see.