THE GREEN STONE TRILOGY
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....
Life will become a painless death
Love will become a blinding hate
Without dark there is no light
Who will tell the future's fate?
Shadows of stars and the longest darkness
Alll shadows that cover the heart
Fate is not created by destiny
In love and faith will the fight start.
*
Two sons of fallen ones, to guide and save the light.
Two daughters of the universe-bright stars in the dark night.
One to choose the future...the choice of light or love.
Seek the answer in the first betrayal...
*****
The flames reached higher....
*****
Eridar Ololian lay next to the campfire and stared up at the sky. The
smoke mixed with the stars, giving her the impression that the whole sky
was burning. Aside from the sound of burning wood and the crackling of
dead leaves stirred by the wind, it was
silent. She sat up and held the baby tightly so he would be warm as
well. Her ship was quite a long way away. She'd had to stop for the night.
Along with this child...
This child.
He was very strong in the Force. His parents had given their agreement for her to take him soon enough; they wanted a better life for him than what they could offer. And he would get a better life.
Once she got home, that was. Back to the Temple.
The baby was falling asleep in her arms. She noticed a ring on his finger. Oh yes...the parents had given it to him before he left. She looked into the stone on it. It was emerald green...bright as the leaves. And, if you stared for long enough, there were streaks of blue and yellow, white and red...but she needed to sleep now. So she slept too.
*****
The flames reached higher, burning away...
*****
Master Ololian's ship finally touched down on the platform almost two days later. The baby was fine...wide awake and squealing...which was more than could be said for her, she was tired.
"My old Padawan," Yoda greeted her. "And who is this little one?"
"I discovered him on Toci, Master Yoda. His name is Qui-Gon Jinn. His parents gave their permission for us to train him."
Yoda nodded. Eridar spotted another figure behind the assembled group
of Jedi. "Ah, young Palpatine," she said with a grin.
"Not a Jedi, are you?"
"He's interested in the Temple," Mapru said. Despite being the youngest
Council member in a while, he was still the sternest, strictest and least
friendly. "We have decided to show him around. This is, however, the final
time."
"That's right, Master Ololian," the young boy said quietly. He looked at the baby and smiled. The smile didn't reach his eyes though...never would.
"Initiate Dooku," Yoda called, and another boy of about twelve stepped forward. "Take this child to the crehe."
The boy nodded. The Jedi...and Palpatine...started heading into the Temple. The sky was dark overhead.
*****
"Came from where, the ring did?" Yoda asked curiously. He was in the darkened crehe, along with Eridar, her Padawan Beno Karshan and crehe Master Kezi, looking down at the now sleeping baby.
"Well, his parents," Eridar said in a low voice so as not to wake the children. "Who did you think? His father...he slid it off his finger and his mother slid it into his. They gave some other things, as well...here's a bag." She reached inside her survival pack, which she was still carrying. "A whole bag. Let him keep it, please, Master,"
"Very well, old Padawan. If insist you do. And how did the mission go?"
"Drackelan Omega-Blackmist is dead, my Master. We chased him to Toci and fought him. I struck him down. His wife and son escaped, however. We let them live."
"Good..."
"I think they went back to Telos." Beno said.
"Hey," Kezi said in a soft voice, and they turned to see she wasn't talking to them, but to the baby, who had just woken up. He was whimpering. "S'alright, little one...you're safe, you're in a safe place...you'll grow up brave and strong and clever..."
He started to cry then. Eridar found the noises were tearing at her
heart for some reason. "He's been taken from his mother.
He's lost and confused."
"Shhh, shhh..." Kezi whispered to the child. He'd woken some of the
others...the girl in the bed next to him was crying now too.
Eridar picked her up and rocked her until she stopped and went back
to sleep.
"You're safe..." Kezi was whispering, her voice getting lower by the second. Another child somewhere off in the darkest corner was crying now. Kezi sighed. "Eridar? Take this little one for me, please." And she handed Qui-Gon to her and hurried to the other end of the room.
"Hush..." Eridar whispered, imitating what Kezi had done. "You'll grow up here. You'll become a warrior. Kind and noble and handsome."
"And wise," Beno volunteered.
"Don't cry..." But he was still crying. Eridar sat down on a chair next to Yoda. "Come on now...you'll find people here who love you. And you'll love. You'll be great..." she said, rocking him back and forth. "I can tell...you'll be great..."
She tweaked the green-stone ring on his finger. A few more sobs and
he finally slept. The other four stayed in the crehe until the night fell,
talking. Kezi found some candles to light up the dark room and Eridar lit
them. While upstairs in the Temple people talked and fought and slept and
a young boy who would one day find his fate intwined with darkness dreamed about the Master he would someday have and a second young boy who would
in the future have evil power beyond most people's imaginings and work
the destinies...or so he planned...of the rest of the galaxy was shown
around the Temple that would one day be destroyed
because of him, the child slept in the candlelight...
*****
The fire grew and marked the beginning...and the end.
******
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about thirteen years later....
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Making
1: We Know Who We Are, But Not What We May Be
7th day,8th month,standard year 24933
My Master died today.
Master Karshan. We knew each other for exactly five months. The day-maybe it was two days, I can't remember-before my thirteenth birthday, I was called to the Council chambers and told Master Karshan wanted to take me as a Padawan. And I couldn't quite believe it, because all through that day I'd got everything wrong, it was one of those terrible days (everyone has one occasionally, I have one about three times a week)-and Dilan had been laughing at me and making snide comments all day, and Clee actually giggled at one of the things he said, and I was angry with her, and she was trying to apologize all day (I forgave her later)-and then I got told that my dream was coming true, and I wouldn't be sent off to become a farmer after all. Not that there's anything wrong with farming, I wouldn't have minded all that much if it hadn't have meant leaving all my friends behind-but anyway.
And now he's dead.
It was only our third mission. I can't even remember the name of the planet-it began with an A. Avino. That's it. I can't remember a lot of it, I suppose my mind's just determined not to think about it. I remember I was scared, really scared. There was fighting. People who had some powerful weapons that they'd stolen from somewhere. There was a child. I know there was-but I can't work out who he is. And a woman. She was very pretty. There was a fight-I was somewhere else-I was helping the injured people, along with another woman whose name I can't remember-and I was panicking, she was yelling something about traitors, I thought he'd die-and I was right. Because I left the woman on her own to pick up bodies -I know it was stupid and disobedient, but I had to do something!-and I tried to find him, I could help, and they were in another area, and Master used the Force to block the enterance so I couldn't get in-I was in a lot of danger anyway, someone came up behind me as I was standing there panicking and they would've killed me. I killed him. At least I think I did. I'm not sure. He might have just got knocked out.
But anyway, then I knew Master was dead-we had a link, it wasn't all that strong, since we hadn't been together all that long-but the link was cut, and then the next thing I remember, as well as people talking worriedly and apologizing and things-is waking up in the Healers, back at the Jedi Temple. Yoda was there.
There's a chrono by my bed, and I just looked at it. Actually, now it's
yesterday that my Master died. How long have I been here? I wonder if Yoda
knows I'm awake? Him and another person I don't know the name of are just
in the corridor, outside the open door, and they're not looking inside,
so they probably don't know I can hear them. Something about a training
bond.
"Still linked, were they, when Master Karshan died."
Oh. So they're talking about me.
"That won't be good for him." the other voice said. "Is he having trouble recollecting what happened? It can have that effect..."
"Believe so, the Healers do. Perhaps that is best."
They're not talking anymore. Oh,wait...
"Need a new Master, the boy will."
And they've shut up again...oh,hang on...
"Possibly...skilled,you say?"
"Very much so, he is."
"What else?"
"Clever, he is. Quiet, and often withdrawn, but not friendless. Kind.
And very much attuned to the Living Force,he
is."
"He sounds promising."
"Taught him for a while, I did. He is very promising. Unpredictable,too,he is. A good match would you make."
"I will certainly consider it."
"Speak to the boy in the morning,I will. Rest he needs. Goodnight,Padawan."
"Goodnight,Master."
I can't hear them now. Talk to me tomorrow? I'm to be paired with someone else, so quickly? I don't want to be. Master Karshan-he was wise and brave and I liked him. We formed a strong bond in those few months, and now they're just going to...
Do they even understand?
The lights all over the Healer's wing just went out. I think I should sleep now.
I hope I'm able to...
*****