20

Master Vrook was twisting the rock around in his fingers, staring Avner down with a hard look, while Masters Dorak and Zhar conversed quietly with Master Vandar. He was not sure what to make of their quick glances in his direction, but they were breaking apart now, waving him over. He approached slowly, coming to a stop in front of them.

"It seems we may have judged you too quickly, Sergeant Marek," Master Zhar began, offering him an apologetic smile before continuing. "In light of recent developments, we have decided to allow you to receive training known only to our Order. If that is something you still wish to pursue?"

He took a second before he answered, carefully looking into each man's eyes. Doubt still colored many of their faces, perhaps a bit understandable considering his position and what they were attempting to offer him. They were humoring him, or maybe this was another one of their tests. Still, he needed answers, and the simple training he had received from Master Vandar had barely whetted his appetite to learn more. He needed to know more. He was at the precipice of finally discovering what his dreams could really mean, and he would be damned if he didn't take the leap.

"I'm ready."

Master Vandar gave him a tentative smile and nodded. "The training will not be easy. It will test every facet of your being, reveal things about yourself you did not know, and challenge every belief you have held up until now."

"I can do this, Master Vandar."

"You say that now, but you do not know what awaits you," Master Vrook interrupted. He still had that hard look in his cool blue eyes, but it has leveled off now. "The life of a Jedi is not one of ease. There will be loss, great sacrifices made for others, and pain. The training is long and hard, and many are not strong enough to complete it."

"I can do this," Avner reiterated, and Master Vrook nodded at him begrudgingly.

"Before we begin with your training, we wish to discuss something with you," Master Dorak started. "We have spoken at length with Knight Shan about her dream, but we wish to hear your version of it."

They were all looking at him expectantly now as if he was about to spout something profound. He wasn't sure what to make of their sudden interest or if he even wanted to rehash the strange, hazy visions at the moment. He wanted to ignore their request and start his training, but he also knew that cordiality would probably go a long way with these men gathered before him and perhaps place him in a few of their good graces. Honey did tend to attract more gogiflies.

"I don't remember much, but there were two people searching for something deep underground here on Dantooine. They didn't look like Jedi, but they seemed familiar with the Order," Avner explained, the details becoming a bit clearer the more he talked.

"Do you know what they were searching for?"

Avner shook his head. "No… well, they mentioned a Star Forge or something. I really don't see what any of this could mean. It's just a strange dream… not the first one I've had."

The gathered masters all shared a look.

"It is more than just a dream, Avner. It is a vision, one that you have shared with another. Normally we wouldn't put much credence into the visions of an untrained Force-sensitive. Still, the fact that you shared it with Bastila lends more to its credibility," Master Dorak clarified, folding his arms into his brown cloak.

"I thought you said my dream was a side effect of my power feeding off Bastilas."

"It is what we first believed as well, but in light of your own emerging connection and the strength of it, we are more of the mindset to believe that you share a connection with Bastila rather than a mere influence."

"A… connection?"

"More like a bond. They are rarely seen within our Order, but sometimes one may develop between two individuals strong in the Force. You have both described the dream in the same way, which better proves it was a vision. The Force is acting through you as it acts through Bastila and vice versa," Master Vandar explained carefully.

His head was beginning to spin now, and he had half a mind to sit down before he completely collapsed, but Avner steadied himself. It all seemed too mystical, too far removed from the life he had lived as a miner and then a soldier. Was he some kind of prophet now? "I'm having visions?"

"In a sense. The powerful connection you share with Bastila through the Force and with each other grants you these visions. Again, while these bonds are rare, they are not unheard of. They may sometimes develop between master and student, but never so quickly," the Twi'lek Battlemaster elaborated, tapping his pointed chin with a single long finger thoughtfully.

"Whatever the cause of this bond, or the danger that lies ahead, we cannot ignore any longer that the Force has brought you and Bastila here to us. Together. And whatever may come of this bond… well, we shall see in time," Master Vander finished.

If his head was spinning before, it was in a complete vortex now. "Wait, are you saying I'm… joined with her?" How was that even possible? What had happened between them that warranted such a bond even forming? And what did it mean for his and Bastila's futures?

"Yes, you and she are linked," Tokare responded simply. "Your fate is her fate."

"But do not put too much into this bond. Attachments, no matter how simple they may be, can lead to darker emotions like jealousy and unrestrained passion," Master Vrook warned, eyeing him sternly now, and Avner nearly ducked his head. He wondered briefly if the older man had read his thoughts or felt some of the burning attraction he held for the beautiful Jedi, Bastila Shan. "As you will learn, there are many pitfalls that can lead to the Dark Side. The path of the Light is straight and narrow, filled with many hardships, but its rewards are great for those who remain true."

"I'm ready." He is. He was no stranger to hard work and suffering, having toiled for much of his life. He could do this. He wanted to do this.

Vandar nodded in affirmation. He looked proud before a more somber look took over. "Understand we would not ask this of you if the circumstances were not so dire. Many in our Order have fallen to try to stop Malak's advance. The Sith hunt the Jedi like animals, ambushing and assassinating our brothers and sisters wherever they are found. We fear it is only a matter of time before Malak grows bold enough to strike even at this stronghold."

"Many more have also fallen from the light and embraced the Dark Side, giving their allegiance to the Sith and Malak, their dark lord," Vrook murmured. He shared Vandar's somber look, but an extra layer of sadness was hidden in the depths of his eyes. He blinked once, and the sorrow was gone. "But perhaps some hope lies in your shared visions with Bastila. If we can learn more about the Star Forge, maybe we can find a way to stop Darth Malak."

"Those ruins may hold a clue as to how Revan and Malak were corrupted. We have begun sending small teams into the cavern systems to try and find anything of the mysterious chamber you saw in your dream," Master Dorak finally revealed.

"Have they found anything?"

Master Dorak shook his head and frowned. "No, not yet. The caverns run for countless miles underground, and many are unexplored, so progress is slow, but rest assured, we will find this secret temple."

"How can I help?"

"For now, you can't," Master Vrook replied evenly. "You are untrained and would more than likely meet your death there. Focus on your training."

"I've been in dangerous situations before. I can handle myself," Avner argued back.

But Master Vrook only shook his head. "This is different. You may have some experience, and the Force does flow through you strongly, but you are willful… angry. A dangerous combination."

"I've let go of my anger," Avner disagreed, but it didn't budge Master Vrook's decision.

"Yes, you have relinquished some of your resentment, but more still festers deep within your being. Time and guidance will allow you to fully release it all," he said, and Avner found he had no argument to further dispute the older man's words. He was right; he still had much to learn… much to heal from.

So he only nodded.

"We must adequately prepare you for the trials you will face from the Sith and from the ruins if you decide to investigate further. Your training will help you resist the darkness you encounter and whatever resides within you. Within all of us," Master Vander said solemnly. "We will all guide you, Avner."

"I'm ready."

"Then we shall begin at once."

Master Zhar pushed him beyond his physical limits every day. His muscles ached for days on end as the Twi'lek Battlemaster ran him through a gauntlet of punishing endurance tests. He found out soon enough that the Jedi Master was not looking to break his body, though, but rather his mind. He wanted to see what the Kiffar was made of and determine if he was strong enough to keep going. So Avner gritted his teeth and soldiered on, falling into the same iron mindset that had gotten him through basic training, though this grueling instruction was far harder than anything he had faced in the military. He took each trial in stride, and after just a few weeks, he could feel the difference in his body. He was faster now and stronger, able to react quickly to things that would have felled him before. Master Zhar also sparred with him, hand-to-hand and with the blade, gauging his martial skill and correcting it when necessary. He was beginning to learn the basics of saber combat, and the task seemed nearly insurmountable by the daunting amount of information he needed to learn in such a short amount of time.

Between his sessions with Master Zhar, he spent time with both Masters Vandar and Dorak. Master Vandar led him through further exercises in the Force. They started small, like reaching out with his senses to find someone or lifting an inconsequential object with only his mind. Now that the wall was gone, he found it easier to use the Force, and the pain he had experienced before was nearly gone. Some spots within his mind still throbbed when probed too closely, but it was not like the agony from before. These spots felt dead, the pain phantom, like that of a missing limb that had been crudely hacked off long ago. Still, even with these minor obstacles, he progressed quickly, and soon he was using the Force to lift multiple objects around him and propel his body to great heights in a single bound.

Master Dorak provided him with the history of the Order and the basis of its tenants. He shared with Avner the wisdom of the Jedi who had come before him and encouraged him to strike out on his own in the pursuit of more knowledge.

"To truly understand the way of the Jedi, you must open your mind to knowledge," Master Dorak had explained before leaving the soldier with several datapads, which he took back to the Hawk to read over. He didn't fully agree with everything the Order espoused, some of their beliefs a bit too dogmatic, but he could appreciate that they were a group founded on the principles of selflessness, truth, and wisdom.

He spent the least amount of time with Master Vrook. Perhaps because the other Masters dictated so much of his time, or maybe the other man was actively avoiding having anything to do with him. When they meet at the end of a long day, they are quiet, sitting in meditative silence. And that was when Master Vrook touched his mind. Sometimes it was an explosive blow like a fist pummeling his brain, and other times it was merely a faint brush. Each time he pushed back, trying in vain to capture the man's elusive presence but failing nearly every time. He just couldn't grasp the finer details of this mental warfare and was aptly punished for it. Vrook swept into his skull and picked apart his thoughts, twisting them around until he was not sure what was real and what was fake. The Jedi Master trapped him in illusions of his own making, and Avner had to fight to escape back to reality. His brain felt like soup at the end of each session, and he would be lying if he said he didn't want to train with Vrook again. But he kept coming back, and an inkling of something began to dawn in the older man's eyes when he did, or maybe he was just seeing things. Master Vrook didn't go easy on him, though, and instead kept up his relentless assault on the Kiffar's mind each time they met.

It had been nearly two months, and everyone aboard the Ebon Hawk had settled onto Dantooine. Carth had been making reports to High Command when he could. At the same time, Zaalbar and Mission had taken to exploring whatever they could, whether it be the small outpost about a klick away or the rolling plains surrounding the Jedi Temple. Canderous was the only one who stayed close to the Hawk, giving the Enclave a wide berth if he went out. On more than one occasion, the Mandalorian had expressed his displeasure at having to be so close to so many Jedi, but Avner assured him that they wouldn't be on this planet for much longer. That had been nearly three weeks ago, and the man was still itching to pick a fight or blow jets off-world.

He didn't let the warrior's surliness bother him, though, especially on a morning like today. The warm rays of the rising sun were just starting to break over Dantooine's verdant plains as Avner met with Master Vandar in a secluded training pit. The shallow depression was filled with loose dirt that occupied much of the ground surrounding them. Tokare stood in the center and nodded when Avner stopped before him.

"What are we doing out here?" Avner asked, stretching his arms over his head, warming up his muscles, still stiff from sleep. He wondered if the tiny Jedi Master wanted to spar with him.

"Testing a theory. Take a seat with me, Avner."

He sat down beside the wizened alien. "Alright, now what?"

"Stretch out with your feelings. Feel the memories that lie here from those that came before you."

Avner closed his eyes and let his fingers run through the dirt around him. Images flashed behind his eyes in quick succession, numerous other beings, both young and old, sparring with staves and sabers here in this pit. He could practically taste their sweat and feel the sun's heat on their backs as their weapons clashed together.

"What do you see?" Master Vander's voice floated through his mind unbidden like it was a natural part of his unseen world.

"People… Jedi training, saber sparring I believe."

"Look closer. Immerse yourself further, Avner."

He delved a bit deeper into the memories, walked amongst the fighting individuals, and flinched when one of the phantoms, tiny in stature and green, was struck hard with a wooden stave. He felt the crack against his own ribs as the student tumbled to the ground breathing hard, and Avner's breathing matched the downed Jedi. It was as if all of the things this person had experienced here years ago were suddenly being relived by him. He pulled back and left the memories, opening his eyes to see Master Vandar watching him closely.

"You saw memories here, didn't you?"

Avner nodded and rubbed his ribs where the phantom student had been struck. "Yeah, with my psychometry. It's something most Kiffar have. What were you trying to test?"

"The extent of your gift," Master Vander replied. "I believe your power goes beyond your people's standard ability; your psychometry is bolstered…"

"By the Force?"

"By your empathy. I think you're an empath." Master Vandar revealed and nodded to where he was still rubbing at his ribs and smiled. "The memory you saw was one of mine. A look into the early days of my training when a friend of mine nearly broke my ribs in a particularly heated sparring match. You saw what I saw and felt what I felt. That goes beyond standard psychometry."

"I don't understand. What's an empath?"

"An empath is an individual who is highly sensitive to the spiritual world. They have a keen ability to sense what people around them are thinking and feeling. Sometimes that empathy is so great that they take on the pain of others at their own expense. Just like how you did in my memory," Tokare explained, but Avner wasn't fully convinced. Sure, he had always had a knack for knowing what others were feeling or perhaps thinking around him, but it was because he was pretty good at reading people. Not because he was excessively empathetic or whatever.

"I don't know, Master Vandar… I'm not exactly a… spiritual person," Avner disagreed. The pain was ebbing away now, allowing him to further distance himself from the notion Tokare was trying to sell.

"Not now, but perhaps you can learn. Combine your two gifts, and you may find a power unlike anything else," Master Vander said patiently.

"I'll try to keep an open mind."

"That is all I can ask for. Now, go; Master Zhar is waiting for you."

Avner rose and offered the Jedi Master a small bow of respect before departing back to the Enclave. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day again on Dantooine, and Avner wondered if there was ever a day with no sun. It warmed his bones, keeping him invigorated throughout his long hours of training, and boosted his mood. After the darkness of Taris, he welcomed the light each day. But his mood immediately soured when he found Master Zhar in one of the training halls with none other than Bastila Shan. He has barely said two words to the Jedi Knight since the incident in the rock garden weeks ago. She had practically disappeared from his life, her absence so sudden that he believed she had left Dantooine altogether. Except he had sensed her presence even when he couldn't see her. Ever since they had met on Taris, he had always been a bit more aware of her aura than anyone else's, and now with his training, it was much easier to hone in on her whereabouts.

She didn't look very pleased to see him, though, and he instantly realized that she had no idea he would be here. So he wasn't the only one kept in the dark about some of the masters' motives. It was oddly satisfying to know that someone else was sometimes just as clueless as he was. Still, he tried to offer her a reassuring smile, but she didn't return it, instead only frowning. Well, at least he attempted to make an effort. More than the Princess anyway…

Master Zhar clapped his hands together, drawing Avner's attention to him. "Thank you for meeting us here so promptly, Sergeant. Today we will move beyond the solo katas you have been practicing and instead put what you have learned to the test." He handed Avner a single wooden long blade, the very one he had been practicing with for the past month, then nodded to Bastila. She held a long wooden staff in her hands, which she twisted into a ready position. "Knight Shan will be your sparring partner."

"Why her?" The question left his lips before he could stop himself, and she leveled an indignant scowl at him.

But Master Zhar took his inquiry in stride. "Knight Shan is a wonderful teacher and one of our most accomplished duelists. Her experience will be invaluable in helping you progress."

He motioned for them to enter the ring and begin. But before Avner could even raise his weapon, Bastila slammed the end of her staff into his gut, driving the wind from his lungs and forcing him to double over. She cut low and swept a leg beneath his knocking him flat onto his back. He was left in a complete daze. Master Zhar's face swam before him as the Twi'lek bent down.

"Are you hurt, Sergeant?"

He shook his head and sat up. Bastila stood above him, regarding him with an unimpressed look, and he felt a flash of annoyance. Okay, so she had caught him off guard; he wouldn't let her do that again. He snatched up his sword and readied himself. Master Zhar nodded again, and Bastila leaped forward, executing a quick flurry of spins and strikes that left him completely disoriented and flat on his back again. It went on like this for the next hour, him being knocked down into the dirt while Bastila stood above him, the indifferent look never once leaving her face. It frustrated him to no end that he couldn't draw a bead on her. She was too quick on her feet, and as their sparring continued, he was beginning to see the vast divide that separated them in terms of experience and skill. Bastila sat upon the mountain's peak while he was still trying to scramble up its base.

He stood yet again, and Bastila rushed at him. He parried her first couple of blows, but she quickly disarmed him, sending his blade spinning from his grasp and across the floor. Triumph gleamed in her gray eyes, but he was not ready to concede just yet. He dashed forward, surprising the Jedi. She jumped back and swung her stave at his head, but he ducked beneath the blow, wrapping his arms around her stomach and driving her to the ground. He braced his fall on his forearms to not crush the smaller woman beneath his weight and grinned down at her in victory. Her cheeks were flushed red, lips slightly parted, and gray eyes locked onto his brown. Suddenly he was very aware of how close they were; bodies pressed together tightly as Bastila's chest rose and fell in quick succession against his own. It was as if they were both trapped under a spell, neither moving nor speaking.

That was until Master Zhar clapped. "Well done, Sergeant."

He blinked once, then grinned down at Bastila. "I win."

"No." She tapped the back of his head with her staff twice. "You lose. Now would you please get off of me?"

He rolled his eyes but got off her and to his feet, offering her a hand, which she ignored. "Don't be such a sore loser, Shan."

She shot him a withering look. "I'm not being a sore loser, Avner. You didn't win; I could still incapacitate you, which means you lost."

"Sure." It was said playfully, but Bastila perceived his words in every way but that. Her eyes flared, and her mouth set itself into a hard line, but before she could speak, Master Zhar stepped in between them.

He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Thank you for your assistance today, Knight Shan. I will call on you if I need you again."

She deflated under his words and gave the Battlemaster a small bow before turning to him. The cold look in her eyes during their fight had disappeared, and she looked a bit guilty as she took in the bruises that no doubt littered his body from her harsh blows. She gave him one small, forced apologetic smile before she hurried from the training hall and disappeared from sight. He watched her go, feeling a pang as she left. It was the first time he had seen her in weeks, and to have their time together cut short left him frustrated. He had missed her oddly enough, and more than anything, he wanted to talk to her. Yes, she may sometimes be a pain in his arse and be too overbearing, but there was a gentle warmth that she exuded like Dantooine's sun that he loved to be in. He had felt it on Taris when she had cared for his wounds and again on Yavin IV when she had guided him in connecting to the Force for the first time. Perhaps if he could just get her alone… show her all his progress, then maybe she would lighten up around him.

"My apologies if Knight Shan was a bit overzealous," Master Zhar said as he came to stand beside Avner. "The path you walk is difficult, and Bastila understands this. In her own way, I believe she is only trying to prepare you for the hardships you will face." He nodded, and the Battlemaster continued. "My intensive training will prepare you physically for the demands of the Order while the other masters teach you how to properly channel the Force. But remember, Avner; you are never alone. Every member of the Order will stand by you."

"Thank you, Master Zhar," Avner murmured sincerely.

The Twi'lek gave him a thoughtful look. "Though you and Knight Shan share a special bond, do not be afraid to turn to others for guidance. She will help you where she can, but true strength and wisdom are found in the knowledge of many."

Avner nodded again.

Master Zhar offered him a kind smile before handing him back his practice blade. "Good man. Now, begin Form I."