Chapter 1: Tython!

' Thoughts'

" Speaking"

* Sounds*

Just for clarification

' Hard to believe it's been ten years since that day. Guess, it's harder to move past it than I thought. At least now, I'll be able to move forward in my training.' I thought as I flew in the back of the shuttle.

* Hmmmmm!* 'I can hear the shuttle landing. We must be here.' I thought as I got to my feet. I grabbed my vibro-sword and my bag and got ready to depart from the ship. * Hisssss! The ship's hatch opened up and I walked out onto the ramp. The warm light of Tython brushed past my skin, warming me inside and out. My hair blowing in the wind.

I look up to see that there is a knight waiting for me.

" Welcome to Tython, Padawan. Everyone at the temple is looking forward to meeting you." Knigth Derrin Weller told me as I approached him. " Your former masters praise your combat skills. They say you've become an expert duelist."

" What can I say, I had a great master." I replied.

" Yes, master Zallow was truly great." Derrin replied. " Come walk with me and I will explain to you how things are going to go from here on out."

I nodded and followed after Knight Derrin.

" The jedi council will assign you a new master to oversee your final trials. You'll be tested in ways you can't imagine." Derrin explained. " But when you leave Tython you'll know what it means to be a jedi knight. More importantly, you'll know yourself."

" Oh, is that all? I thought I already myself." I joked.

" Heh, well, don't get cocky now. I'm sure you'll find-" Derrin was speaking. Suddenly his communicator started beeping frantically. " Oh, excuse me for one moment. I'm getting an emergency signal." Derrin explained he reached into his pocket and pulled out the communicator and an image of an injured padawan appeared.

" Under attack, repeat, under attack! Flesh raiders are invading the padawan training grounds! They have blasters! Send help!" The padawan exclaimed

" Flesh raiders? Armed with blasters? he must have been mistaken." Derrin stated.

" Uh why's that weird?" I asked.

" Because flesh raiders aren't smart enough creatures to know how to use a blaster." Derrin explained. " They're a species of hostile natives. They're smart enough to use tools and are violent beyond reason. But they've never been organized enough for an attack like this."

" Well, regardless the others are under attack." I replied.

" You're right. I'm sending every able-bodied Jedi down to the padawan training grounds right away-especially you. I've heard you managed to defeat fully trained Sith warriors as a kid. I'm sure you're capable of helping here." Derrin explained.

" Just point the way, I'll handle the rest." I replied.

" Take the speeder outside to the training grounds. Push back the flesh raiders--and find out if they're really using advanced weapons." Derrin ordered. " Go! I'll catch up with you after I alert the Jedi council. May the force be with you."

" You got it." I stated. I ran out to the speeder and hopped on it. " Come on, baby. We've got work to do." I push the ignition and the speeder came to life.

* MHHHHHMMMMM!" The roar of the speeder rang out in the mountains. My hair blew in the wind. I landed in the Jedi training grounds and hopped off the speeder. And I immediately saw just how bad things were. Flesh raiders had completely swarmed the training grounds. Masters and knights were barely holding them all off with the sheer volume of numbers they had. ' We need to get these things back.' I thought. I looked back at the speeder and an idea came to mind.

" The council probably won't like this. But you know what they say. Nothing ventured nothing gained." I ran back to the speeder and hopped on it. I retreated back a couple hundred meters and gained some height. I then pressed it forward towards the advancing flesh raiders. " YAAAHOOO!" I shouted.

Hearing my shouts and seeing my quick approach, the Jedi in the field fell back towards the command center.

As I grew closer to the ground, I leapt off of the speeder and landed on the grassy plain below. " Ugh!" I grunted as I rolled along the ground.

* BOOOM!" The loud sound of the speeder exploding rang out in the valley and the force of it pushed me back a bit.

" PADAWAN! Are you insane? You could have died!" One of the masters shouted at me as he approached.

" Sorry, master. Things were looking dicey, and I thought of a way to push them back." I told the man.

" Master relnex. And you shouldn't be out here. The training fields aren't safe today." Master relnex told me.

" Sorry master. But Knight Weller sent me. I am combat trained, and he thought I could be of assistance." I explained to the man.

" Well... Okay, listen up. Things are bad. If you are combat ready, then we can use your help. There's a group of padawans that were lost during their trials. If you can find them, use this beacon and a support transport will come for them and you. Be careful out there." Relnex told me before running back onto the battlefield.

" Guess, that was a thank you. Oh well." I looked down and my communicator started speaking. i answered it and Knight Weller appeared holding his leg.

" You're unharmed-good. Flesh raider shot me in the leg while I was rescuing some Padawans." Weller explained. " Don't know where these things got blasters, but they know how to use them. I've been evacuated to a med-center, but the fighting isn't over."

" I know. I dropped the speeder on these things and more just showed up." I told the man.

" You did wha? Ummm!" Weller groaned in pain. " Okay, focus. We need to stop them at the source. Another padawan found a tunnel the flesh raiders are using to enter the valley. I need you at that tunnel to make sure the flesh raiders don't get more reinforcements through it. You'll find the tunnel along the mountain range."

" I'm on it." I replied.

" May the force be with you." Weller said before ending the transmition.

I nodded and ran out int to the fields, with my Vibro-blade in my hand. The flesh raiders had begun to regroup but were still separated. I approached the first flesh raider, who had been trying to eat a padawan and used my blade to sever his head from his body before he knew I was there.

" Thank you." The padawan said as she got to her feet.

" No, problem gorgeous. Just get back to camp the masters are there. The path back is clear for now, so you'll be safe." I told the woman.

" Thank you." The young woman said once again. She grabbed her vibro-blade and followed the path I took back to the Command Camp.

" All right, I need to get to the mountain path." I turned and looked at the rocky hill beside me and grinned. " You know what they say fastest way to point b is straight ahead." I gathered the force and leapt into the air towards the Rocky Mountains edges and landed on it. I looked up and spotted a gap in the mountain and aimed for it. I took a deep breath and jumped for the gap. When I landed, I noticed there were padawans hiding in it and one of them was injured. ' These must be the padawans, Master Relnex was speaking about.' I thought. I approached the group, and the female drew her blade. When she saw I was a fellow padawan she relaxed and put the blade away.

" Good to see another padawan alive out here. You're lucky those creatures haven't caught you yet." Avitla said to me.

" What? The flesh raiders?" I asked.

" They're hiding. Everywhere." Padawan Jerridan exclaimed as he clutched his wounded chest.

" What happened to him?" I asked.

" We came seeking knowledge of the Jedi code. The flesh raiders interrupted our trials." Mennaus explained.

" Never fought so hard in my life. But we managed to kill the beast. But Jerridan was badly injured." Avitla explained.

" Okay. You're alive that's what matters right now. I'm activating the beacon. The masters will be here momentarily to have you escorted back to the camp." I explained to them.

" Wait. if we go back, we won't pass our trials. We won't be Jedi." Avitla complained.

" Maybe not today. But it won't matter if you die here. Go back to base and prepare your strength. Then when the time is right, you'll be able to complete your trials." I explained to the woman. She seemed a bit aggravated but nodded her head in agreement.

With that out of the way. I activated the distress beacon and waited until the masters showed up to escort the other padawans back.

Once they were safe, I continued on with my mission. I traveled along the path further up the mountain until I came to the cave that Knight Weller spoke of.

' This place is crawling with Flesh Raiders.' " Guess I have my work cut out for me." I raised my blade and ran into the cave. The flesh raiders were unaware of my presence at first. But the moment I drove my blade through the back of the first one, they all turned and started firing at me. I ran through the bolts, dodging any that came my way and using my vibro-blade to deflect any stray shots that came too close. I leapt into the pile of enemies in front of me and landed on top of one of the flesh raiders and cut his head off. I quickly jumped and dispatched those around me with the same technique. Having dealt with the first group, I moved onto the next. I reached out with the force and drop the stalactites on top of them.

' These flesh raiders have numbers, but they aren't too tough.' I thought. " Guess, not much can really compare to a trained Sith warrior hey master?" I began to reminisce about the past but quickly shook the thoughts from my head. " I have work to do." I ventured further into the cave until I came upon a man and another padawan. ' I don't know who that is, but he doesn't look friendly. I better stay on my toes.' I thought as I approached the two. " Whoever you are, step away from the padawan." I ordered the man.

He turned towards me, and his eyes narrowed." Hm? Whoever you are you are dangerous. You killed my soldiers." Callef spoke.

" You're soldiers?" I asked. I looked down and noticed he had a lightsaber on his hip.

" He commands the flesh raiders attacking us." Unaw explained.

" Is that right?" I asked.

" That's right." Callef replied. And two more Flesh raiders came from beyond the cave to join him. ' But we aren't attacking. We're cleansing. And we have only just begun." Callef explained.

I raised my Vibro-blade in preparation for a fight. " So, I guess asking you to lay down your weapons is pointless then?" I joked.

Callef drew his lightsaber and smirked. " The old order is dead long live the new order." Callef raised his blade up to strike down at me, but I parried it. I spun on my back heel and cut down the nearest flesh raider, before jumping in the air over Callef and taking down the next one with similar ease.

Callef stumbled back and dropped into his stance nervously. " How did you do that?" He asked.

" I was trained by the best. What did you expect? You have a lightsaber, but you don't have nearly enough experience to use it. You're basically a child whittling a stick." I taunted my opponent to get him to open his guard.

Callef grew angered. " I'll show you who's a child." Callef shouted and rushed me.

' I got him.' he lunged at me with his blade forward. I raised my blade and parried Callef's saber upwards I then brought it back down and cut him clean in half. Callef dropped his blade and collapsed on the ground dead.

" That was amazing! I thought we were dead!" Unaw exclaimed.

" Hey. It pays to be the best." I told the man.

" You two alright? What happened here?" I turned to see a master heading straight towards us.

" This jedi attacked us, Master Orgus. He was sick... Confused." Unaw explained.

" Thank the force you're both safe." Master Orgus told us. he then turned to the deceased human and kneeled down over to inspect him. " This man's no Jedi--at least not one of us."

" He organized the attack on the training grounds. Called the flesh raiders his soldiers." I explained to master orgus.

" I warned the council these natives weren't mindless beasts. This is proof." Orgus stated he then reached down and grabbed the man's lightsaber. " This lightsaber... There's something familiar about it. Strange." Orgus stated. He then turned his attention towards me. " You held off all these attackers by yourself with only a practice saber. Impressive."

" What can I say. I was trained by the best." I replied truthfully. Out of all the master I'd had to study with Master Zallow was and will always be the best.

" Well, you certainly don't lack confidence." Orgus replied. "This battle's over, but we don't want more stranglers coming through." Orgus exclaimed.

" You're right. I've got this master." I told the man. I walked up to the hole in the cave and raised my hand to the ceiling. I reached out and collapsed the ceiling, sealing up the hole and preventing any more flesh raiders from getting in through the mountain path.

" Impressive, control of the force. You're certainly farther along than any padawan I've ever seen." Orgus praised my skill in the force, and I couldn't help but feel proud.

" I am injured, master Orgus. Are the training grounds safe for travel?" Unaw asked

" Not yet. I'll get you to a med center." Orgus told the padawan. he then turned back to me. " You seem alright to travel alone. Report to the jedi council."

" Are you sure I should leave? The valley isn't safe yet and I'm certain there are others who need help." I told the man.

" We have Jedi knights rooting out the last attackers. You are needed elsewhere." Orgus replied. " Follow the path leading out of this valley. You'll find the jedi temple through the mountain pass. See you there." Orgus told me

I nodded and began my journey towards the Jedi temple. I walked back through the cave full of dead Flesh raiders and arrived at the peak of the cave. I ventured down the path and as I came through towards the end I was greeted by the magnificent sight of the Jedi Temple. " I've never seen anything so beautiful in all my life. I walked towards the giant temple, passing the training grounds, the defense cannons and the statues of many masters from the past including former grand master Nomi Sunrider and her daughter Vima Sunrider.

" What legendary masters. I can't wait to see what the archives have on them." I took one last look and then headed into the building. The moment I stepped foot inside the building I felt the force wash over and engulf me, as if this temple fostered the light side of the force.

" It's been a long time since I've felt like this." I stated as I looked down at my hands. I was so enamored by the feeling of the force that I was unaware of my communicator going off. It wasn't until the fourth beep that I realized I was being called. I reached into my pocket and answered the communicator to a surprise.

" Ah I see you are well. It has been a while padawan. I am Satele Shan leader of the jedi council. I'm sure you remember." Satele spoke.

" Wow! It's been so long; you've grown even more beautiful master. The last time I saw you, you were a knight. Time sure flies." I said to the woman.

" And I see you're still the same young boy I met all those years ago on Master Zallows ship." Satele replied.

" What can I do for you master? I was told to meet you and the other council members." I told the woman.

" Yes, but first I'd like to speak with you alone. Could you come to my private meditation chambers." Satele asked.

" I will head there right away master." I told the woman. Satele nodded and then ended the call. ' Wow!, Jedi Knight Satele Shan is the grand master now. Time does fly doesn't it.' I scoffed and continued into the temple taking the stairs down to the sub-level and walked towards master Satele's chambers.

" Welcome padawan. The temple is already buzzing with accounts of your heroism in the training grounds." Satele spoke as she got up from her meditative position.

" I'm hurt. I know it is for the masters to refer to padawans as such. But we are alone master. Please, call me Jacen." I told the woman.

Satele looked at me with her soft eyes and smiled. " It is so good to see you again, Jacen. I'm glad you have made it to Tython." Satele spoke. " Despite blowing up one of our speeders on your first day."

" UgH!" I stumbled slightly and rubbed the back of my head. Avoiding eye contact as Satele stared at me. " Yeah, about that." I spoke.

" it's alright. One speeder for the lives of many of our padawans, is hardly a bad trade." Satele spoke, making me relax a little. " Now, Master Orgus told me you battled flesh raiders and a force user wielding a lightsaber. It must have been a disturbing confrontation. Are you all, right?" Satele asked.

" Satele... I was there during the sacking of coruscant. I battled against the Sith, I killed many of them. I watched many of my friends die that day and I lost my master. That was disturbing, this? This was a distraction." I explained as respectfully as I could to my old friend.

" I see. I am sorry to have brought it up. But always remember my young friend, taking a life affects the living force and the one who does the killing. This is why Jedi enter battle with reason. Emotions like fear and anger lead to the dark side." Satele explained.

" I know Satele. I know." I told the woman.

Satele walked up to me and hugged me tightly. " I am happy to see you've grown so well, Jacen. I cannot follow you right now, but I will see you shortly in the council chambers." Satele spoke.

She broke the hug and returned to her seat on the floor.

" Yeah, I'll see you soon master." I nodded to Satele and quickly left her chambers. It was nice seeing her again, but I know it isn't the time to be sentimental. There was still work to be done. I quickly made my way up to the Jedi Council's chambers and entered through the giant doors just in time to overhear the current conversation.

" I've searched the temple archives. This force user leading the flesh raiders has never received Jedi training." master Kiwiks explained.

" Then the Sith have found us. Shouldn't we get ready for them." Kira exclaimed.

" Calm yourself, Padawan. We can't be certain of anything yet." Orgus told the girl.

" But we all sensed a growing darkness. Perhaps it's finally revealed itself." Kiwiks stated.

" The enemy I faced wanted to destroy the jedi order. Can't get much darker than that." I spoke

" Well, that brightened up the room." Kia replied.

" Haha! I know right?" I joked.

" Everyone, this is the padawan who saved our people in the training grounds." Orgus explained.

" Oh no. Not you. What are you doing here?" Master kaedan asked in shock.

" HAhahahah! It's good to see you alive and well master Kaedan. it's been a while." I spoke to one of my old teachers.

" You already know master Kaedan. Good. Then allow me to introduce the others. This is master Kiwiks and her extremely vocal padawan Kira. The other masters are transmitting from distant worlds." Orgus explained.

" It's unfortunate our numbers are scattered." Kiwiks stated.

" Indeed." Satele spoke having finally joined the meeting. " The temple's safety is unexpectedly threatened. The Flesh Raiders were disorganized primitives before today." Satele explained.

" And now they carry blasters and work like an army. That doesn't happen overnight that takes time to teach. We need to find out how and why this happened." I explained.

" The man leading the Flesh raiders probably wasn't acting alone." Orgus explained.

" Much of Tython remains unexplored. And we have few resources to spare." Satele explained.

" I'll handle it... With the help of my new padawan." Orgus spoke.

" Orgus, you haven't taken a padawan since coruscant." Kiwiks stated.

" The force is strong in him. Stronger than I have seen in decades. And I can't help but laugh when I see how strongly he resembles my old friend Ven Zallow." Orgus explained.

" You were friends with master Zallow?" I asked as I had never seen master Orgus before.

" Oh, yeah. He and I go way back. Back to when we were both padawans and knights in the order." Orgus explained.

" I remember those days as if they were yesterday." Kiwiks stated with a smile on her face.

" As do I. Which is why I can think of no finer master to complete this padawans training." Master Satele exclaimed.

" Hahaha!" I laughed. " It would be an honor, Master Orgus." I looked towards the man and bowed as a sign of respect. " It wouldn't hurt to be the beautiful master Kiwiks padawan either." I said with a slight grin.

" Oh dear." Satele sighed.

" Here we go again." Kaedan complained.

Master Kiwiks sighed as Masters Orgus and Tol Braga chuckled at the young man's antics.

" Hahahaha!" I couldn't help but laugh at the mood I had set in the council's chambers.

" You aren't taking my place." Kira stated.

At her obvious jealousy I couldn't help but laugh more.

" Why are you laughing so much? Why do you laugh so much?" Kira asked.

" Because the world is so much brighter when you laugh." I answered.

" Yeah, okay." Kira rolled her eyes and sighed at my answer.

" As fun as this has been, I think it's time to move on." Orgus stated. " Padawan go to my chamber's downstairs. there you will find supplies. Go equip yourself and I will meet you there." Orgus told me.

I nodded and turned to Kira and master Kiwiks. " And thus, my fair ladies I bid you a dew." I told the two of them.

Satele shook her head and Orgus let out another laugh.

" I swear he hasn't changed one bit." Master Kaedan complained.

" What he did he do to offend you so badly master Kaedan?" Kira asked.

" He put a flash grenade in my toilet and when I opened the lid it exploded." Master Kaedan explained.

At this news Kira, Master Orgus, Master Braga, and Master Bakarn all let out a loud and hearty laugh, while masters Kiwiks and Satele hid their snickering behind their hands.

" Ah, that's something master Zallow would have done when he was younger." Master Syo Bakarn stated gleefully.

" Yes, he is just like our old friend." Master Kiwiks agreed.

" Who is this master Zallow?" Kira asked.

" Master Ven Zallow was one of the greatest Jedi during the galactic war, Kira." Kiwiks explained. " His presence on the battlefield turned many battles in our favor. He was one of the best of us. Much more powerful in the force and combat than even I am."

" Wait really? Then what happened to him?" Kira asked.

The room filled with tension and the faces of the masters all took a sad turn.

" He was on Coruscant when it fell to the Sith years ago. And so was young Skywalker." Satele told the girl.

" But... That was ten years ago. And he looks no older than I am. Just how old was he when it happened? How did he survive?" Kira asked.

" That is something you'll have to ask him, young padawan." Satele told the girl.

Kira nodded and then looked at the doors the young man had just left through and wondered just how someone could still smile and laugh after experiencing something so devastating.