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Bothawui


Tarrian Skywalker

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Deeply concerned at the words of the child's friend, Genesis accepted the datapad and looked over the details within. This didn't bode well for the Alliance nor Bothawui, and the knot in his stomach only made the realization worse. Despite the fact that he was worried, Genesis still took the time to pay the young one on the head with a smile and speak to him. "There is no need to keep quiet. You are a citizen of the Rebellion, and as such, have every right to speak your mind as much as I or Commander Godfrey here do, if not more. It is your future we fight for.

 

As Godfrey and Noto talked alone, Genesis sent an encrypted comm to his former Master, Grandmaster Armiena Draygo, of his findings with a somber look of dispair upon his face. He only hoped that it would reach her in time and not be found by the enemy. If not, he may well enough be Bothawui's only defense, and given his inexperience, didn't sit well on his mind. Sitting in silence for a few passing in moments, he managed to catch the tail end of the two's conversation.

 

"We have all failed once or twice. I was only a few years younger than you when I took my first life, and I swore I would never do it again." Genesis spoke as his gaze shifting from the floor to Noto, his face absent of a smile and filled with a hint of remorse. But then his gaze shifted to Godfrey. "But I realized that there may come a day when I will have to for the sake of others, a burden we all will eventually carry if we already do not."

 

Genesis sighed.

 

"Alliances will rise and fall, allies will become enemies and enemies will become allies. We Jedi were originally no more than monks pondering the will of the Force, and look at us now, on the front lines of nearly every conflict. We adapt or we perish. And no matter the outcome, we must stay strong in our resolve. I saw this truth at Katarr. The Darkside is death.

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Noto nodded at the senator’s words. He was sad that was certain. And with no wonder why. Noto didn’t need to be a student to know that times were bad for everyone. He just didn’t know how badly it was for everyone.


    “I don’t know...the Jedi always seemed supportive of democracy and it looked like democracy was gone during previous empires but it kinda came back so... it might need some edits or something, but I’m sure senator, there will be a place for you in it at the end."


    Genesis spoke. Noto felt bad. He couldn’t help but imagine that this gloomy mood was his fault, despite no evidence pointing to such a conclusion. 


    “I...uh...I don’t want to kill...but uh...I mean, so what is the plan right now for Bothawui? I mean, if you guys can’t defend it, um...well, why don’t the systems surrender?”


    Noto felt bad for saying it, but he had to explain. “I mean, if they surrender, the Sith don’t attack right? Rebels go into hiding like usual, and strike back when the time is right?” 
 

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Godfrey looked as if he would strike the young apprentice. Give him a backhand or box about the ears for being insolent. But he controlled himself. Wishing for a moment that he was back on Outremer where young men with such bad ideas were pilloried for the court and citizenry to laugh at. 

 

“Have you heard anything that we have been saying? Do you ignore what your eyes show you?” 

 

He pointed a gloved hand at the monitors which were showing burning bodies and a burning city. 

 

“Do you think the Naboo with all their non existent military did anything but surrender? No! The Sith have no mercy for anyone who have opposed them in the past, or even dare raise their voice against them in peaceful protest.” 

 

He shook his head sadly.

 

“And though your points on democracy do not fall on deaf ears, they fall on ears that have lived through three republics. Three chances. Three failures. No, democracy lies in the gutter, bleeding like a run over dog. And the only thing we can do to help it, is to put it down.” 

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Rebel Alliance Fleet Command - Godfrey d'Outremer

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"Commander!" Genesis spoke up with harsh but a respectful tone. "Need I remind you that he is but a child? It may not be an excuse for some, but for most, it is a precious gift to never have known war and can look at the Galaxy with an idealistic gaze and a hopeful future. There is no need to berate nor belittle him for it. In truth, the Galaxy needs more like minded."

 

Genesis shook his head. He knew war. He knew the consequences of the Sith. He was there at Coruscant. He helped aid in diverting Hesperidium as best as the Order could under Grandmaster Trevellian. He was there at Corellia when his Master fought the Dark Lord and found betrayal at the hands of Kakuto Ryu. And he nearly lost his life at Chandrila during a time of peace at the hands of a Mandalorian. And it drove him away from the Order into self exile. He had to learn what war was before he could ever understand it, and the same would be needed for Noto.

 

"Whether it be a Democracy or a Republic, a government is built in times of peace, not war. It's built on morals, rights, and freedom. But most importantly, it's built on Order." Genesis turned his attention to Noto, his stern face from before turning to a sincere and understanding one. "But in war, there is no Order. Morals, rights, freedoms, are all chiseled away bit by bit in the hearts of the people. And all that remains is chaos."

 

Genesis lays a gentle hand on Noto's head and turns it to the holoscreen of Naboo with sadness in his eyes as he shows the boy the burning world. "It becomes a race for survival, consumed by greed and self serving agendas, and the people become lost in despair and poverty as their Leaders turn their backs to save their own hides. And in the end, it falls. Everything falls, consumed by the darkened hearts it leaves in its wake."

 

Genesis turns the boys head back to face his own as he drops to one knee and looks the child in his eyes past the chitlin plates. "But there is always hope. As long as there is life, that will to live, free of oppression and the urge to protect, there will always be hope. A single spark of hope can spread like wildfire."

 

Genesis turns his gaze upward to Commander Godfrey as he continues to talk to Noto. "It takes a single heart filled with hope to ignite a rebellion."

Edited by Stormhelm
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“Idealism is what led us to this kriffing disaster. It was hope and idealism that had the Galactic Alliance disband their fleets in the outer rim. It was blind hope that caused the Jedi order to ignore the Sith while they actively subverted the Senate and the Mid Rim. Do not pretend that ignorance is anything but death. It killed your grandmaster. It killed Coruscant. It killed the Alliance. And it nearly killed your order.”

 

He left off the 'Should' that he really thought and no doubt that the young and naïve jedi would intone. Thinking of the countless Jedi that had been executed in the streets of Iziz while holocameras watched in eager fascination. Perhaps it would have been better had the Jedi order perished completely with Darex, Darkfire, Scorpio, and Jade-Skywalker. 

 

"Your order died on Onderon and Coruscant. They died because they did not have a kriffing plan." There was now venom in his voice. "They went to Onderon against military council and guess what happened? A hundred jedi were executed on the streets. A hundred Jedi I knew. Slaughtered like pigs, begging for their lives as the Dark Lord cut their hearts from their chests." His voice took an even more dreadful turn. "Where was your council when the heavens fell? They died like a trillion others, a planet sized moon crushing them where they stood." 

 

He shook his greying head. The venom gone, replaced by the sadness of a man that had seen too many friends die.

 

“Hope is a good thing. But hope in ignorance is folly. If the child wishes to keep in that ignorance I do not blame him. But that is the idealism of children. Not men, and not the men that will save this galaxy while innocent planets burn! Do not be ignorant and believe that some democracy will come from this War. Win or loose that institution is over. No democracy will be built under Raven, and certainly not under me.”

 

He turned his sad gaze back to the young boy. 

 

“You must grow up if you are to survive this war. I recommend you do it sooner than later. For we old men will die in this war. And you must carry the lessons we painfully learned into the next generation.”

 

His eyes went back to the Jedi Knight. 

 

"Now is there anything else you need from me?" 

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Rebel Alliance Fleet Command - Godfrey d'Outremer

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Noto flinched under the harsh words said to him, forcing the young one to regret all the words he had spoken so far. He was in an area he did not belong. A child in a world of adults. Perhaps he shouldn’t have left his home. The universe was much scarier then all the books he had read.
He only felt more guilty when Genesis spoke up and countered the senator’s words with his own. He should have just shut up. He should have stayed silent. He silently berated himself. Maybe he should just go home. Back to where it was safe. Back where he could just try to catch eel-crabs and read more and forget all about the force and the vision and…


Noto took a deep breath and allowed his faceplates to shift back to a normal position of a few centimeters from a look that was described as crying. No, he got this far. Besides, what would his mother say if he came back, credits spent and none the wiser? 

 

Noto thanked the force silently. Hopefully  the others couldn't tell that he had just been crying under his faceplates. Krevaaki tears ran internally under their plates. Humans looked so ugly when they cried, with their entire faces turning red. Krevaaki simply got a little softer and had their upper plates move up a fraction of a centimeter. It was good to be a crab-squid thing when emotions weren't in balance. 


“I’m...i’m trying to grow up sir… um...yes. Yes sir. Will do…”


With that, Noto fell silent again, not wanting to be a pain. Just get through this talk, and tell Genesis the vision he had and see if he could be trained to help make the galaxy a better place. 


Still, questions lingered. If the rebels weren’t going to run and hide, then did that mean they would fight? And wouldn’t that just get the sith more riled up? Wouldn’t that drag more innocents into the fray? Hiding and keeping their head down...that's what the Krevaaki would do, and it worked out perfectly. It’s what they have been doing the last few years. What they probably would do forever and ever. 
 

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Godfrey's words stung in their bitter truth as Genesis sat in silence. He had hoped the grudges of the past had found renewed strength in the bonds of brotherhood, but there was obviously still those who harbored ill feelings toward the previous Order he had walked into as a Hopeful. Still, he was the next generation. He was the start of a new era of the Jedi. And he was former Padawan of Grandmaster Armiena Draygo. If these bonds were to be strengthened, it would be those like him who reforged them.

 

"You're right. It did nearly destroy the Order." Genesis spoke through a choke as he fought back against the screams he has never forgotten. "And it probably should have."

 

Genesis sat in sorrow as he let those words hang in the air, the truthful reality of the Order that was before. "I was there, you know, at Triple Zero. I was there when the Masters gathered together and melded their powers in an unified attempt to reverse Hesperidium. And I gave my all to aid them."

 

"I was unaware the others had gone to Onderon at that time, but that's what left us in a weakened state when Hesperidium was thrown into Coruscant. So I know the travesties of acting too hastely as much as too late." Genesis turned his gaze to Godfrey with a stern eye that was filled with tears. "Needless to say, I was there when chaos erupted, when criminals and citizens became frantic in the aftermath and fought against CorSec with the sheer instinct of survival, sentience replaced with beastiality. And I could easily ask where Raven and her Imperial Remnant was during those two occasions when their allies needed them? But I won't. The blame game is pointless."

 

Wiping his eye with his gloved hand, Genesis' chuckled past the grief. Perhaps I am too young to understand, or perhaps you are too old to see it any other way. But hope, whether it be in just or in ignorance, is a good thing. Hope is the only thing that keeps our spirits from defeat. It keeps us moving forward.

 

Placing his hand on Noto's head and attempting to pour a sense of calm into his mind with the Force, Genesis turned his smile to Noto. "Let us prepare for Bothawui's defence."

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  • 2 weeks later...

Some time later, Knight Stormhelm’s comlink chirped to indicate the reception of a recorded message. It was a low-quality holo from his former Master, clearly taken from a portable unit in a cramped starfighter cockpit. She was even wearing a pilot’s helmet, an oxygen mask dangling from a clip on the side of her robes. 

 

“Genesis, it’s me. I’m dispatching reinforcements your way. I need this to be perfectly clear: the Bothans know exactly what is coming for them if the Sith manage to occupy their world. Genocide. Pogroms. An utter rape of their planet and its resources. They are facing the kinds of horrors that you typically read about in history lessons. They know them already. They will be motivated to defend themselves. Defend the cities if you can, but be ready to wage a guerrilla war if necessary. I cannot stress this enough: the Sith must be halted at Bothawui for as long as possible.” Draygo let out a long sigh and took a couple of deep breaths.

 

“I’m glad to hear that you’ve found a potential student. Indeed, he sounds nothing like the child that I met on Felucia, who had gotten himself into a world of trouble because he stole a priceless pontite crystal from our facility on Dantooine.” She allowed the fond smile that had been teasing at her lips to make its appearance. “Let me offer you some advice, Jedi to Jedi. Master to… potential Master. There will never be a good time to take on an apprentice. You will never be ready for the challenges that every student will offer you. But it is absolutely essential that we take every opportunity that we are given to pass on everything that we’ve learned--not just about The Force, but about being alive, being a good man. I think that you have some very interesting experiences that you can offer that will help this young man.

 

“May The Force be with you. I hope that I will be able to meet you there. Draygo out.”

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Silence hung in the air as Genesis' gaze remained upon Commander Godfrey, his worry having said too much or went too far with his comments weighing down in him in the moment. But both sides can sit here all day and blame the other for whatever reason. Genesis was the one who showed up at the behest of his former Master, Grandmaster Draygo-Darkfire, an extended olive branch from the Jedi to the Imperial Remnant of the Rebel Alliance. They all knew too well what would happen to Bothawui should the Sith grasp a win here. So the silence that lingered was no more than bitter grudges.

 

"When you are ready to speak more on the defenses of Bothawui," Genesis spoke, finally breaking the insatiable silence. "I'm staying at a local inn not too far from the Starport. You can find me there."

 

With a formal bow, Genesis's hand reached from the child's head and ushered to his back as he motioned for their departure. As soon as they cleared the corridor, Genesis turned his voice to Noto. "He is right. His knowledge and experience far outweighs my own despite what Ive witnessed. But with that knowledge and experience comes stubbornness and the inability to see it from any side but his own." 

 

As the two neared where they originally met, Genesis stopped and knelt down to meet the child's own eye level. "So you came in search of the Jedi, have you? Timing isn't perfect, but the Force has a way of placing you where you need to be. My first mission as a Padawan was Coruscant, and well, I wasn't exactly ready for it. The dream of being a Jedi and actually being one are two totally different realities. Are you sure this is the Life you wish to have thrust upon you?"

 

A chirp resounded from his satchel, signalling a received communication, but his focus remained on Noto. "If so, then I, Jedi Knight Genesis Stormhelm, would like to offer you the position of my Padawan, my first."

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Noto quickly followed Genesis, his tentacles slapping softly against the floor trying to keep up with the adult. The entire room felt tense, and he was just happy to leave the situation. He had seen adults argue and get tense with each other, but this felt different. In the past it was over small issues of teaching or debates on the meanings of certain stories. Here it was so much more important.


"He is right. His knowledge and experience far outweighs my own despite what Ive witnessed. But with that knowledge and experience comes stubbornness and the inability to see it from any side but his own."


Noto looked up at Genesis. The Jedi seemed so much sadder now, but maybe Noto was reading into it too much. 


When The Jedi bent down to be eye level with the Krevaaki, Noto stilled himself. His faceplates shifted slightly to a forced happier position, though in retrospect it was probably pointless. 


"So you came in search of the Jedi, have you?”


Noto nodded violently. It was his purpose here. He had traveled to a few other planets before here, each less likely to succeed. He was fortunate to remember the Bothan Spynet and the small detail about the Ex-Spymaster. 


“Are you sure this is the Life you wish to have thrust upon you?"


Noto nodded again. 


“Yes sir. Erm, I mean, I believe I need to. Uh, see, I know the Force flows through me and..um, the galaxy needs heroes right now. It would be selfish to hide back home, though I think some of the elders would’ve disagreed with me.”


"If so, then I, Jedi Knight Genesis Stormhelm, would like to offer you the position of my Padawan, my first."


Noto shook and jumped slightly. The little Krevaaki grew excited, and it showed not only visibly, but also with a strong pungent smell. 


“Thank you sir! Yes sir! Oh um, yes sir! Uh uh…” 


Noto didn’t know what to say. Today was being quite the rollercoaster for emotions. 


“Um..my name is Noto. Noto Saar. Of, um, Krevas. I, uh, don’t have much combat knowledge, since my kind don’t like that stuff, but I am very intelligent! At least, um, that’s what i’ve been told. Er..”


Noto realized he was trying to sell himself when he was already accepted, and grew a bit embarrassed. 


“Um, Sir Stormhelm,  thank you. I uh, wasn’t sure I’d  find a Jedi after seeing Corescant and Hesperium...so uh..thank you so much. I will be a good student! The best student! I promise!” 

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Noto Saar... Genesis devoted the name to memory as he stood up and patted the child upon his head. It was still hard to believe that just a few days ago, he was raised to the rank of Knight. And now he had his first Padawan. His gaze didn't leave Noto's form, a smile on his face as he listened to the child's words, memories of his own childhood coming forth like waves. It seemed an eternity ago, and yet, not so far off in some aspects. Now he was a man in his twenties, but Dantooine was simply a yesterday in his mind. And the child he saw before him, although his life differed, resembled his own.

 

Genesis was orphaned as a child a few years younger than Noto, his parents killed by Kath Hounds on the plains of his homeworld. Because of this, Genesis was forced to resort to scavenge to survive, to steal to eat. But he could not harm another. Could not think of ending a life even for the sake of his own. At least, not until Katarr. Katarr had been an eye opener, to see the death of Life, to walk amongst the lifeless colonies and see them suspended in their last moment of breath. That was the truth of the Darkside and why it had to be fought, even if it meant killing the fallen. But only as a last resort. Looking at Noto, and hearing his words, he hoped he could prevent the child from ever having to. But on the off chance he would be forced to...

 

"All I ask is that you stay true to yourself, Noto Saar. Become the Jedi that you see yourself as." Genesis spoke, letting his voice break the thoughts of the looming war clear from his mind. "And please, it's Genesis. Come. It's time I check us into our room."

 

As the two departed the Starport, Genesis made sure he slowed his stride for Noto to keep up. He typically walked with his arms up and tucked behind his head as he looked up toward the sky, new worlds a pleasure he had gotten accustomed to through his own Padawanship. But he never dropped his senses down, even on Nar Shadaa, a defensive measure that he had held long before meeting Armiena. Albiet, back then, he relied heavily on his Force Sight. Now, he could feel the Force and the movements of it's current.

 

After checking in, having to upgrade their room to two beds, and reviewing the communication from Armiena privately, Genesis plopped down on the wooden bed atop a feathered mattress and turned back to Noto with a somewhat higher mood. "Tell me what you know of the Force and of the Jedi. Let me assess your knowledge and see where it is best we begin. With war coming to Bothawui, we have very little time to to prepare ourselves."

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As Noto kept up with Genesis, he observed his new master. The way he walked, it said calmness and easygoing. But Noto was used to watching for the tiniest detail to describe a person’s emotions. 

 

Still, he didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to appear rude or nosy or anything, especially after had just been granted an apprenticeship. Noto couldn’t help but skip slightly as the two went into the inn, a noxious cloud following him. He imagined with excitement what the elders back home would have said. What his parents would have said! 

 

 It didn’t take long for Noto to unpack. All he had was what he carried on him. Some datapads, a few credits, some leftover food, and the model of his homeworld.  He couldn't help but stop but look at the model, the sphere slowly spinning on unseen power, with little simulated waves washing over tiny unseen rocks. 

 

"Tell me what you know of the Force and of the Jedi. Let me assess your knowledge and see where it is best we begin. With war coming to Bothawui, we have very little time to to prepare ourselves."

 

“The force...it is…” Noto started at the question. The crustacean stood up and held a tentacle up like a hand trying to remember something. 

 

“The force is what flows between all living things.” Noto began to quote, remembering his studies back home. “It is a field of energy that is both around and within life itself. Where there is life, there is the Force. Life produces the Force, and in turn the Force helps produce life.”

 

Noto had to cough once, a trick he had to help remember more things. He had to close his eyes. In his mind he conjured up the data pad he had read about the Force.  

 

“The force is characterized by several aspects, most notably the light and the dark side, utilized by the Jedi and the Sith respectively. While the other aspects are countless and fascinating, to know anything more than the Light and the Dark is to dive deep into unsure territories. These conversations turn more philosophical than scientific so many ignore them.” 

 

Noto had to pause and scratch his shell, starting to stumble on what came next. 

 

“Um, Ah, for many, especially the unlearned and the uncaring, these traits are enough to know. The light is good. Selfless and helpful. The dark is bad. Selfish and harming. These facts are enough, even for some of the Jedi.  But for us, the people of the Shallows, we know that it is both indescribable but essential to understand”

 

Noto opened his eyes and looked at Genesis. 

 

“That um, was written by uh, Jedi Master Bodo Baas. We have a bunch of writings back home from various Jedi who visited or came from there. I guess people liked going there to meditate. I remember the book so well cause of the name. Musings of an old Crab.” 

 

Noto couldn’t help but shift a facial plate into a slight snicker. The name of the book always made him do that.  Still it was clear that Noto knew of the force in some kind of an academic sense. 

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Genesis pulled his legs up onto the bed and crossed them as he listened to his pupil speak, an ever present smile upon his face as he enjoyed the youthful persona of such a youngling express himself and his belief in the Force, noticing the emotions and duress of the child as he focused upon his words and struggled with his speech. To see the Force through innocent eyes was very pleasing and to see the ripples of such through his Miralukian heritage was mesmerizing. To put it into words, it was like seeing life blossom upon barren soil, and smelling the pollen as it flowed in the breeze. When Noto had finished, Genesis nodded his head.

 

"You are academically correct... Partially." Genesis spoke, his words slightly teasing as he winked. "The Force, as a whole, is a symbiosis of both the Living Force, which is the Life Force of all living things, and of the Cosmic Force, which binds the Life Force of all living things to one another through small cells known as Midi-Chlorians."

 

"These simplistic and small cells are what live and reside within each of us, and for those of us who are sensitive to their presence, can perceive their messages, which we Jedi call the Will of the Force. As such, this is why we Jedi do not believe in coincidences, because we know that everything happens for a reason and that life is preordained. To follow the Will of the Force is to follow the will of nature and accept that the Force's will is beyond our true comprehension as well as our control and upon death, those very same cells resend themselves back into the Living Force, therefore growing the Force as a whole and keeping the flow of Life in balance."

 

"It is a simple symbiosis." Genesis spoke with a humble chuckle. "Through the Living Force, we live. And through the Cosmic Force, we grow as does the Living Force, and in return, our life force becomes one with the Force, ensuring that the Circle of Life continues."

 

Genesis face turns slightly stern as he begins to bring up the opposing subject, hinting at his own brush with it.

 

"But there are those out there who fight against the nature of the Force, whether it be against the natural order, misguided attempts to change their fate, or simply for power. These are those we consider the Darkside. Through their ill intent and misguided corruption, the Force becomes wounded and twisted, leaving behind unnatural festering tears between the symbiosis of the Living and Cosmic Forces. And if the wound is large enough, it will begin to affect the very fabric of nature within and around it, creating a nexus of the Darkside."

 

"The Darkside is corrupting." Genesis speaks plainly, his gaze softening as his eye drifts off to a memory where he claimed the life of a Kath Hound and her pups as well in a fit of anger. "It can start with good intentions or bad, but develops like an addiction, some to the point where redemption is impossible. The more you draw upon it, allow yourself to know it's touch, the harder it is to find your way back into the Light. As Jedi, we must understand this truth as well. We call the Sith our enemies because of their misguiding teachings, but the truth is that they're simply fallen from the Light or never knew it. It's their ideology that is the true enemy, not the sentient themselves. I tell you this truth because it will paint the picture more clearly once you encounter one."

 

"The Darkside corrupts the Circle of Life, deafens one to the voice of the Midi-Chlorians and the Will of the Force, and wounds the Life Force of the user. So, no, they aren't our enemy. They're simply blind to their fate, blinded by fear, rage, selfishness, and they only become more lost to it the more they fall to it's allure and inevitably destroy themselves completely. So you see, it's their corruption of the Force that they wield and the wounds they incur upon the Force its self that is the true enemy. Corruption only breeds more corruption. And with enough concentrated corruption, life becomes corrupted or even destroyed. That is the truth we all must understand."

 

"Don't get me wrong, we Jedi aren't infallible as some like to think." Genesis speaks with a chuckle, attempting to lighten the serious moment. "As none of us are truly perfect. And we are tested consistently, the allure of the Darkside a subtle thing. It takes many years to Master ourselves and even then, we aren't impervious. Thousands of years and countless wars have taught us this lesson very thoroughly. But if we don't stand against the growing corruption, then the symbiosis and the Force will end and Life will be born from Chaos instead."

 

Genesis raised his hand to the back of his head with an embarrassed smile, ruffling the fluff of his long red hair. "Forgive me. Sometimes I ramble like a senile old man. You haven't fallen asleep on me, have you?"

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As Genesis talked on and on, Noto simply stood still and listened intently. His eyes flashed with pleasure, as if he was back home learning from one of his elders some important and secret information that no other being was privy to. He almost wanted to giggle at how his newly met master behaved himself. He wasn’t like any adult he had known before. 

 

But Noto wasn’t perfectly still as he initially appeared . Under his plates he mouthed some of the words, committing terms and definitions to memory.

 

“You are much better than any of my teachers back home. Trust me, they could droll on forever.  Teacher Siffo Droller would talk for eight hours straight. It was horrible, I couldn't move from my sitting stone until he was done and it was right before mealtime."

 

Like a true student, Noto tried putting his teacher’s words into his own version that he could easily understand.

 

“So, the Force is like...a deep ocean…” Noto started, his eyes looking around as he searched for the right terms.  Naturally he drew from what was familiar to him. “The um, the living force is like the plankton in the waves, giving birth to life and fueling the growth of life existing within it. Life feeds on the Living Force. But the Cosmic force is the water in the ocean itself. The Living Force makes life, like the plankton. In turn, life gives the ocean, the Cosmic Force, more mass and more direction? Is that a good way of putting it?”

 

Noto brought up two tentacles and moved back towards his bed. As he sat down, he rubbed his chin a bit, deep in thought. 

 

“But you said the dark side corrupts, which in turn corrupts more and more… like a virus? Or maybe a bacteria? But if that is true, can it be stopped?” 

 

Noto’s childish mind flashed back to the images of Naboo he had seen earlier with the Senator.  He shriveled slightly in fear, the one time his emotion was very visible. He reached and grabbed his model and held it up to his eyes, looking at the exact point where he had grown up. 

 

He remembered the anger in the senator’s face when Noto suggested a peaceful surrender, the only thing his home world could do if the Sith came. 

 

“Are places like my home doomed to eventually get attacked and destroyed by the Dark?”

 

Noto then looked up, remembering his vision. 

 

“Was that what happened on Coruscant? With the moon and those people hurting each other to get onto ships?” 

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Genesis smiles at his pupil's analogy, bringing his hand back to the forefront and settling back into his cross legged position. "One could use that analogy if they wished. There are many analogies such as that in nature. You could view the Force as a healthy ocean, crisp and full of life. But I would consider the Darkside like that of red tides, pollution of Chaos that causes an unbalance that inevitably corrupts everything it touches. Chaos only breeds the Darkside, bringing our hearts out of Balance and shifting to our darker nature as sapiens. Endure enough darkness, and you will be consumed by it."

 

Shifting his position to keep the flow of the blood in legs flowing, Genesis regards his last questions. "This is why the Jedi exist. We fight the Darkside and it's corruption in those who would use it to create more Chaos. Not just with our Blades or our fists, but with our learning and understanding. We come to know the Force and those who corrupt it, to see the reasoning in the chaos. And if there's no other alternative, uproot the chaos before it spreads. To use one's blade to end the corruption of Chaos should always be the last choice. This is why I do not carry nor weild one."

 

"Coruscant was one such example. It took one weilding the Darkside to set the world on fire, and in the midst of the chaos that followed in the hearts of those that were there, it's corruption spread like the flames of the world's breaking crust and magma. Fear became panic and panic became desperation. And in their desperation, friends became enemies, neighbors became obstacles to overcome, and survival was the only goal. A subtle stroke of the canvas can turn simple people into ravenous creatures. And in that, the Darkside wins, if not for those of us who stand against it. I was there, as a Padawan. And it was a terrible truth to witness."

 

Genesis reaches out into the Force and places a small bar of chocolate that laid upon his pillow onto the floor before Noto. "This isn't to eat, yet. Attempt to calm your mind against it's distraction, your desire to have it, and see if you can feel the Force that flows through it. Resist your urge to eat it and discover what it is made of and the mixture of it's ingredients. Tell me if you can."

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Noto nodded at each word, a little more depressed now. This world he had entered into was a terrible one. One that was filled with much disease. Talking about Corescant only reminded him of that further. He could still see the vision he had when Hesperium fell. The screamings. The cries of pain. The gunfire and the smoke. The fear that was made real.


Thankfully his new master seemed to have a distraction ready. Upon pulling out the candy bar, Solus shifted around on his tentacles and looked at it intently. It had been a long time since he had something as sweet as…

 

“Chokolate!” Noto decreed almost immediately. "That bar I believe is made of Chokolate and judging by the packaging…"

 

Noto had to squint a bit, completely missing the point of the exercise of what was happening right now.

 

“Looks like it was made in Coruscant. I don't recognize the company, but it does look human designed. So knowing that, it’s probably filled with some kind of mixture of Chokolate powder, nerf milk, and sugar, since humans love sugar, at least thats what I've heard. Do you like sugar a lot sir, being only half human? You know, we can’t have sugar back home. Too addictive, at least, that's what the elders say. I never tasted it myself. But that bar is definitely made of chokolate. Maybe the powder came from Tammis III, but I can't be sure. I heared they make their own unique kind. ”

 

Noto scratched his head, trying to decipher where the bar came from, still oblivious to the point of what he should have been doing. Truth be told, once he had an idea how things should be done, he could stick with that idea for a while. Course, a lot of Krevaaki did that.  Still, at least he wasn't thinking about Coruscant anymore.  
 

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Genesis let his head and form fall backwards in a fit of laughter at his Padawan, a moment of serious study turning quickly into a moment of relief, a moment that both likely needed to break the mold that the Commander had placed them in. And indeed, Genesis laughed and laughed over the course of the moment until his ribs hurt with strain and his eye cried with tears as he laid there staring toward the ceiling in bliss. Despite the upcoming war, Noto's innocence was enjoyable. As he calmed himself down, Genesis wiped his eye and sat upward.

 

"Thank you for that Noto. I needed it." Genesis spoke through a lessening chuckle without very much explanation behind his abrupt fit. "To be honest, I may be half human, but Miralukians are human in essence. And I've never really had Chokolate myself. I grew up an orphan, so such luxuries weren't common. We were lucky if we were able to eat every day."

 

Realizing he was bringing the mood back down, Genesis quickly changed the subject.

 

"You can have it, if you want. But first we need to focus on your training. Attempt to calm your mind against it's distraction, your desire to have it, and see if you can feel the Force that flows through it. Resist your urge to eat it and discover what it is made of and the mixture of it's ingredients. Tell me if you can." Genesis spoke with a smile, his gaze focused on Noto. "Do this, and you can try it for yourself."

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Had Noto been able to blush in embarrassment, he would have done so when he realized why Genesis had started laughing. Instead he raised a tentacle up to cover his eyes.

 

“Oh! Im sorry sir, I understand. Ack, I do tend to overthink things. I’m so sorry…”

 

Still, Noto noted something. Genesis had grown up poor and without knowing his parents. Noto could barely comprehend such a lifestyle, when he knew his parents and grew up in a very loving, if boring, community. 

 

“Alright, alright, calm my brain. Um, like the meditations the elders tried to teach me? Ok, ok, i can do that. Let me just...um…”

 

Noto had to adjust himself so his body was sitting on the bed and only two of his tentacles were being used to balance himself. With the ones that were free, he wrapped them completely around himself under his robes,  and became as still as possible.

 

"Let the water ebb and flow. Let the life grow and wither…" 

 

Noto closed his eyes as he focused on the old mantra his elders taught him. He didn't know why, but out of all the mantras that his people had, two rung out to him the most. 

 

"Let the peace reign over. Let the storm quietly pass"

 

Noto took a deep breath and started the mantra again, this time a bit more quiet. The goal was to quiet his brain, to open himself up. Something he had tried multiple times back home, but never really got it. 

 

Still, here he couldn't help but feel something. Perhaps it was the presence of Genesis, or the planet, but Noto felt something, like a tingle at the back of his brain. 

 

"Let the water ebb and flow. Let the life grow and wither. Let the peace reign over. Let the storm quietly pass"

 

It became a whisper at this point. But the feeling Noto had in the back of his head grew. It felt almost like home. A quiet ringing of the oceans of his planet. 

 

Noto opened his eyes and looked at the bar.

 

"Is that… some kind of nut? I feel like there are nuts in it. From...naboo I think.. "

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Genesis simply smiled and acknowledged Noto's apology, waving it off for the moment to let his pupil focus on the task at hand. Whether or not Noto found himself easily distracted was of little consequences, especially in the presence of Genesis. He wanted the child to be himself and only himself, to allow himself to focus and hone himself through the training without faltering from his own thoughts and processes. This wasn't indoctrination. This was growth through trust and understanding. Just as Genesis himself had been.

 

"Is it a nut?" Genesis questioned behind a closed eye, his attention turned toward Noto's presence and intuition rather than the Chokolate its self, his mind flowing upon the Force that flowed within Noto. "Or was it processed along side nuts? It's important to be exact, to focus on what you see rather than think."

 

Genesis intent was just what it seemed. He wanted to test Noto. He knew he was sensitive and could feel the Force, but he wanted to find out exactly how deep the child could delve within it's flow. With the war coming to Bothawui soon, he didn't have the time he wanted to in order to properly train the young Krevaaki, but perhaps he could teach him enough to survive. It was a familiar feeling he had in his own training, but back then, he was where Noto sat.

 

"To think leaves open too many variables, like giving a friend this bar without knowledge of his allergy to nuts." Genesis continued, his tone soft and friendly despite the strict wording. "This is why the focus has to be exact. You have to know with certainty, granting you the ability to give the right dosage of medicine when the reaction begins to attack him."

 

Genesis smiled.

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"Is it a nut? Or was it processed alongside nuts? It's important to be exact, to focus on what you see rather than think."

 

Noto looked at Genesis with a confused plate shifting. A quiver of the plates above his eyes. 

 

"To think leaves open too many variables, like giving a friend this bar without knowledge of his allergy to nuts."

 

“Ah! I see your meaning!” Noto exclaimed, unraveling his tentacles from his body.  “You believe specifics are better then common feelings! I too think that. It is better to have hard data then to have guesses. Very smart sir!”

 

Noto looked at the bar again and scratched his head. “We once had a Givin on our planet who thought very similar. A very weird man. He said that math was the key to precision. We cannot know the exact nature of the universe, but we can get very close, and that was why he found comfort in the math of the force. Now I see why he said that. Let me try again sir!” 

 

Once again, Noto wrapped his tentacles around himself, and closed his eyes. He repeated the mantra again and again, this time with more confidence and focus. It certainly came a bit easier, albeit with a stronger smell of Krevaaki excitement. Had Noto not been so focused, he would have been embarrassed by how thick the scent may have been in the room. 

 

However, Noto’s concentration allowed no distractions. His excitement fueled his meditation. Like a student finding a new piece of fascinating information, he was oblivious to the rest of the world.

 

He was accomplishing something. Something different and useful.

 

 “Let the water…” Noto said his mantra again, but slowly drifted off to silence. The force was guiding him. He was seeing something. No, not seeing. But his eyes were working. Seeing without seeing. Like before...like back home. But here…

 

"The candy bar… a shop" Noto said outloud, letting the Force guide him.. "A Store. Hairy hands passing it to human ones. It feels...peaceful." Noto felt his face squint together. The sight was changing.

 

"Another shop? Quiet. Torn apart. Ransacked? A hand grabbing it… focus… voices… fear and panic. Shoved into a bag. Another sight. The candy...liquid? Machines...things being mixed...chemicals…lots of heat...and...and…"

 

Noto opened his eyes, an almost misty cloud covering his pupil and iris. 

 

“Is...thats...Driss…” Noto had to unwrap and catch himself on the bed before tumbling forward. With a quick shake of his body, Noto regained his composure, albeit, breathing a bit heavier, and stomach now gurgling with extreme hunger.

 

“Whoah…” Noto exclaimed, rubbing his eyes. He didn't know it, but the misty cloud was now gone. His eyes were the large black, dilated eyes of a squid-like thing. 

 

“Uh...um...Driss nuts...” Noto said, still panting a bit. “That’s uh, Driss nuts sir! It’s made with Driss nuts!”
 

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Genesis nodded his head at Noto's request to try again, his gaze in the Force focused on the shifting of the Force flowing in and around his pupil, it's ebb becoming a current like water washing into a stream from the shore as Noto focused himself. A humble smile crossed his face as he watched and listened to the child's attempt. Was this what Armiena experienced with his own Apprenticeship? He wondered about this quietly in his mind, naturally reacting to his pupil nearly falling from his position.

 

"Correct." Genesis praised Noto with a fanfare of claps before settling back into his position. "But before you pick it up, let's try something else."

 

Genesis winked.

 

Now that he had gauged his pupil's skill in his ability to focus the Force, he wanted to see if he could use the Force in application. Plus, for Noto, he wondered if this would be more exciting than to simply pick it up and eat it. For some, it may be menial and a waste of time, but even the smallest tasks aid in mastering the overall concept. Genesis motioned for Noto to return to his previous position and close his eyes once again.

 

"Now that you know how to focus your mind in the Force, let's try applying it to a task." Genesis spoke, his tone mellow and resolved. "Your mind was able to discern the type of nut within the Chokolate using the Force, but did you notice how the Force flowed through it? Follow that course and see if you can call the candy to you using only your mind within the Force."

 

With that said, Genesis watched attentively.

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“Yes sir, it flowed through it and into me, but also the other way I think. Kinda like a tide or something. Water flows in. Water flows out. So you want me to move the force back into it and move it?”

 

Noto looked at the candy bar and felt his stomach gurgle a bit.  

 

“Um...yes sir, I will try...No i mean I will do so sir. I know Jedi like confident individuals, so I will do so sir.

 

Truthfully, Noto just wanted to eat. But he didn’t want to disappoint Genesis. And he really wanted to learn more then anything else. If he had to have some stomach cramps first, then so be it. 

 

Once again, the tentacles wrapped around his body, grabbing himself into a resting position. Noto slowed his breathing a bit with a few deep breaths and began the mantra again. 

 

"Let the water ebb and flow. Let the life grow and wither. Let the peace reign over. Let the storm quietly pass"

 

The sensation began much quicker and easier this time, almost immediately after the repeating the mantra with another repeat. Noto couldn’t help but enjoy the feeling of the force flowing through him. It started again like a tingling sensation at the base of his back where his exoskeleton connected with his nerve tissue. It felt like warm water flowing on a cold spot. Soothing and gentle.

 

And Noto could feel the bar much easier. It’s presence was much easier to find, probably from the fact that Noto had felt a piece of its past. But could he influence it?

Noto focused on the bar. It’s history. Its composition. Its texture. How was he to move it towards him? Just imagining it moving?

 

Noto’s stomach growled again. He was very hungry. He just wanted to eat it. Like the fruit he had eaten earlier. Just to taste its sweetness, and crunchiness. If only he could move it like a wave of water moved a rock. 

 

Water...to move it like water. Like a stream moving a pebble, the force could move the candy bar. It wasn’t a powerful flood, but a stream. Noto was the guiding power of the stream. To focus the stream into a point. To make the direction be towards…

 

The candy bar suddenly flew through the air and struck Noto’s faceplates. Noto snapped out of his meditation with a slight scream and fell backwards. 
 

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It was just as Genesis had suspected. This child was well gifted with the Force and was adapt at comprehending it's flow. He smiled, motioning for the child to enjoy his snack. He had seen what he needed to see and knew where to begin Noto's training. It may have set him on a more advanced path than most Younglings his age, but Genesis was confident that he could handle it. As the child finished the chokolate bar, tossed a protein bar his way. 

 

"An excellent try, Noto." Genesis praised as he uncrossed his legs and let the circulation of his blood resume it's usual flow, the tingling of his legs causing a slight tickle. "As we've discussed, the Force flows through all things, and as Sensitives, we are privy to it's currents. We can alter it's flow as well, just as you've proved. But we do not manipulate it."

 

Genesis pulled his own protein bar from the satchel and took a bite out of it as he tasted the wheats and oats and his mind briefly drifted back to Dantooine. His mother's fresh loafs, the smell baking in the kitchen, and the sun rises he barely remembered. But tastes, he never forgot the tastes. Silently, he swallowed.

 

"There is a fine line between altering the flow of the Force and manipulating it. To alter it is to simply use it momentarily and let it resumes it's course. But to manipulate it is to alter it's entirety before unleashing it. This is the basis that separate the Jedi from the Sith. We only alter it for a moment. They will alter it entirely."

 

Finishing his bar, Genesis discarded the wrapper in the near by bin before standing up and pulling back the covers. The sun had set not too much earlier, but after traveling and the events of the day, Genesis was tired. As he covered up, he looked over to Noto.

 

"Today was taxing. If you wish, you can stay up a little bit and contemplate on our discussions or practice your focusing and grasp of what you've learned. Tomorrow we will look for a proper setting to begin your training. Rest up as best you can Padawan."

 

With that, Genesis smiled and looked toward the ceiling before crossing his eye with his arm and closing it. He knew Noto was excited, just as he was. But sleep and meditation were a big portion of training as well.

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When given permission, Noto devoured the candy bar with a maniacal energy only seen during a feeding frenzy in the shallows. Not only was Noto hungry and exhausted, he was eager to try the flavor of chokolate. 

 

And was it worth it. The sweet chokolate had been further dulcified with various sugars and mixtures. The chokolate itself was a little hard from age, but immediately became soft as the Krevaaki’s natural moisture was absorbed. Only the nuts remained hard and salty, giving the entire bar a sweet and crunchy sensation. It only took two large gulps to stuff the entire bar into Noto’s mouth. Each faceplate shifted up greatly, the only look of intense pleasure he could possibly give that anyone could understand.

 

“Mmmmm, this...mmmm” Noto had no words for the sensation he was having. 

 

"As we've discussed, the Force flows through all things, and as Sensitives, we are privy to it's currents. We can alter it's flow as well, just as you've proved. But we do not manipulate it."

 

Noto silenced himself, realizing he was still in the midst of a lesson. However, he did not stop eating, continuing to devour the protein bar with abandon.

 

"There is a fine line between altering the flow of the Force and manipulating it. To alter it is to simply use it momentarily and let it resumes it's course. But to manipulate it is to alter it's entirety before unleashing it. This is the basis that separate the Jedi from the Sith. We only alter it for a moment. They will alter it entirely."

 

Noto nodded, chewing a piece of the dry bar. “So we are like waves, where the sith are like dams. We push gently, where the sith completely changes it. I believe I understand sir. That must be why the Jedi are usually passive and reactive.”

 

At his master’s indication he crawled into his own bed, a mass of tentacles. It was a bit uncomfortable to be sure. Noto was so used to sleeping in water, drifting to sleep. But that didn’t bother him. Whether it was the excitement of the day, or the fact that the sugar had just kicked in and was giving his poor brain an excitement rush, Noto couldn’t focus on the lack of species-specific comforts around him. 

 

His mind was thinking about the force and the world around him, and how back at home he would have never had this kind of teaching, and how his parents would be proud of what he just did, and how the sith would eventually back off cause he was going to help the Jedi, and how his homeworld would stay safe, and how something like Coruscant wouldn’t happen again, 

 

Noto fell asleep almost instantly, his mind drifting through the force. Or rather, the memories of the past drifted back through the force. The memories of the vision of Coruscant came back in a rush. The hellfire from above. The screaming and running. The people taking off and the people stuck behind. 

 

But this was different. Noto was there this time. He could perceive himself. He could feel the heat on his plates. He could taste the smoke in the air. He could feel his eyes tear up and sand and debris hit his face.

 

And he was calm. So much different from when he last had this vision. And so he dreamed through the night, watching Hesperium fall all over again, until he awoke the next morning. 

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For Genesis, the night of sleep did not go so well as it usually did. Perhaps it was the upcoming battle, the sensitivity of his pupil, or his own nerves. He didn't know. But as he laid there within the realm of dreams, Coruscant as well as Borleias and Katarr ravaged his mind. So much so that he awoke before the sun had even risen in a cold sweat, flashes of the worlds still playing across his thoughts as he focused his mind. He knew acceptance was the key to peace, but he was still mortal all the same.

 

Shifting his gaze toward his sleeping pupil, he let the Force flow through him and into his student, allowing it's peace to aid the boy in these troubled times. He remembered what it was like to be that age and alone in the Galaxy, even if he had never been to an alien world himself until he was much older. Satisfied that Noto would not wake anytime soon, Genesis removed himself from the room and went exploring for a potential training grounds for the new day.

 

He knew the training grounds would provide adequate terms, but he wanted to see them for himself. Noto was a beginner, and although he would learn well enough today to defend himself, his skill would be adept at best. With time, experience and level of control would come, but not in a single day and there was much preparation to be done on both their parts. After all, outside the basics, Genesis was but a novice himself. He had to train and hone his own skills.

 

Walking in on the training grounds after a brief escort by Imperial Guards, and reservation of use, Genesis activated a nearby training droid. As the crimson bolts began to spring to life, Genesis thought back to his departure from Nar Shadaa and the words he was left with. Twisting the Force that flowed through him locally, Genesis began to move the makeshift shield about his body toward the strikes. And as he became familiar with it's rhythm, sank into his meditative state, allow his mind and body to separate into two separate collectives.

 

Sweat beaded down his brow and his body tingled with the bolts stun setting by the time he brought himself back from his meditation and noticed the sun had risen. Gathering his things, he felt satisfied with the results of his own training and what this training ground would provide for young Noto. When he returned, Noto was just beginning to stir. Offering a plate of food from the gallery he had collected on his way in, Genesis sat across from him and ate as well.

 

"Sleep well?"

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Noto stirred to life slowly but surely. Never before had he had such a decent sleep, despite the dreams he had. And the fact that the sleep occurred on dry land made it all the more extraordinary. 

 

“Sleep well?”

 

Noto looked at his master and more noticeably, the food he had brought with him. Noto shifted his face plates a bit, indicating that he had indeed, but then realized that a simple nod would do. 

 

“Yes sir, thank you.” Noto said, moving the covers off and taking the food and busily chowed the food down, crushing it in his mandibles behind his facial plates. He spilled crumbs, and quickly wiped them off, trying not to appear too sloppy. 

 

“Such good dreams… well not good dreams, but well…” Noto struggled to put to words how he felt. “I...saw Coruscant again. I mean, I’ve never seen in it person, but I saw it in my dream. Hesperium fell. But it was different. I...uh…”

 

Noto paused and scratched his head. “See, um, my family and I discovered I was force sensitive sir when Hesperium fell. I uh....well they said I nearly died. Went into a coma I guess. But I dreamt and I witnessed Hesperium and it was terrible, like really bad, like, um, I don't know how to explain it…” 

 

Noto shook slightly at remembering how he felt when he had seen the fall of Corescants moon. The fear was almost palpable. The chaos was overwhelming. The fire from the sky. Those armored warriors attacking everyone they found. 

 

“But see, it was different this time. I felt...calm. Like, I was seeing it, but it wasn’t as vivid, or intense. I still saw things like people running and such. A huge firefight for a ship just to get off world. Men in armor attacking and destroying buildings. It was still terrible but.... I don’t know...it was different.”

 

Noto looked at Genesis face and noticed something. A bead of sweat. Another being may have ignored it, but for a Krevaaki who spent their life reading the tiniest adjustments of faces to read impressions…

 

“Oh! I’m so sorry sir, did I oversleep?” Noto got up, almost dropping some of the leftover food onto the floor, catching it just in time with a tentacle. “You’ve been busy! And i’m the padawan! Oh I’m so sorry, here, uh, let me clean up, ah, um, sorry. Usually I don’t sleep this well. I’ll get better at being alert sir, I’m sorry…”
 

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Genesis listened attentively to Noto as he ate, noting what he had already suspected with Noto having previous knowledge of his sensitivity and the roots of it's revelation, as well as his 'witnessing' of Coruscant despite not having been then, and let his mind roll over the information as it came. In silence, Genesis pondered the possibility of his own resurgence of his memories from that time, perhaps the two of them bonding and melding subconsciously within their sleep. Or even perhaps, that Noto foresaw through Genesis own sight, as the echo of the world rippled outward. Numerous possibilities with no real and true answers.

 

"No. It's fine." Genesis gestured as he wiped the sweat from his brow and motioned for Noto to sit back down and enjoy the rest of his meal. "In truth, I simply had trouble sleeping this morning, so I went out and inspected the training grounds. You needn't worry Noto."

 

A few moments of silence passed as Genesis finished his meal and sat it off to the side, leaning back on his arms and letting his food begin the digestive process as well as his mind process Coruscant. When he sat forward, his boots touching the floor, his usual smile had crumbled into a saddened frown.

 

"There was many horrors we faced on Coruscant when Hesperidium fell." Genesis began, his mind replaying the memory. "Master Armiena and I faced such a dilemma ourselves after it struck, criminals and citizens alike facing off with CoreSec forces in the evacuation. It was all we could do to attempt to maintain the peace. My Master even lost most of her arm over the atmospheric instability that followed. It was utter chaos."

 

Genesis turned now to Noto's discovery of his own sensitivity. "I've never really heard of a Sensitive's mind fracturing due to such an event and them ending up in a coma, but the Force has its own will. Perhaps your mind connected deeply with a ripple from the moment and resonated with it, feigning a living coma. This would explain why you experienced the moment so vividly in the original dream. You would have literally lived the dream."

 

But in truth, this was just one of the many explanations that crossed Genesis' mind, and felt the most realistic possibility. As he gathered his plate and Noto's to be set aside for the housekeepers, Genesis' mood perked up. He turned to Noto with a grin. "How does training sound today? Or we can go explore Bothawui? You're choice."

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Noto sighed slightly in relief at Genesis words about worrying. However he instantly noticed his master’s demeanor change when talking about Corescant. After all, Genesis had witnessed first hand the chaos that the moon had caused, while Noto only had seen it through a vision. 

 

“Resonated with a ripple...that sounds right I think. Though I do not know if you are right or not…” Noto commented, stroking his face plates thoughtfully. He was learning so much.

 

Noto perked up as well, matching his master’s mood. He figured it would be best to learn via imitation. 

 

“Um, training or exploring? Uh um…” Noto began to think out loud. “Well, I uh haven’t had any physical training….but exploring is good, and we could help with defense…” Noto shook his head suddenly. “No no, training. Yes I know that a Jedi must be well bodied and fit, so I say training. But um, sir, uh...what kind of training did you have in mind? Would I be using a lightsaber?”

 

Noto said this questioningly. He was both excited at the prospect of using such a prodigious weapon, but to use a weapon would go against most things his people had taught him. Living well and wise was always better than living short and violent.
 

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Noto actually gave Genesis a better idea than what he had prepared for, and after a brief moment, smiled at the thought despite now having thought about it before hand. They could indeed to both, outside of the city and within, scouting positions of weaknesses if they could get themselves high enough. And if it included a little outside the box thinking, it would only help Noto for the better. As for the idea of handing a weapon over to Noto, Genesis stayed in reserves. It wasn't that he didn't trust his Padawan with a weapon, only that he felt it may be too soon. The Force would provide better defense, and it was needed in training with such a weapon as a lightsaber.

 

"I actually don't wield a Lightsaber." Genesis spoke to Noto, lifting his jacket to reveal no weapons. "Only the Force."

 

Genesis let his jacket fall and allowed Noto to process the revelation before he continued. 

 

"I can train you in the art of Lightsaber Combat." He replied. "But that will come later when you're more trained in using the Force. A weightless blade is hard to control, and I'd rather not having you lopping off any of your limbs."

 

Genesis chuckled to ensure Noto didn't misread his intentions.

 

"No. For today, I actually like an idea you've given me. " Genesis smiled, offering for Noto to stand before him. "We can train and explore. I originally reserved one of the training grounds, but the city would offer the same terrain while allowing us to observe potential weaknesses."

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“I actually don't wield a Lightsaber. Only the Force."

 

“Oh! How fascinating!” Noto exclaimed, genuinely shocked. “It was my belief that all Jedi carried that sacred weapon, if not for self defense but also as a mark of recognition. I’ve heard it said you can identify a jedi by the weapon on his belt…”

 

Noto was shocked that he had missed such a detail. It was not like him to miss such a thing. 

 

"But that will come later when you're more trained in using the Force. A weightless blade is hard to control, and I'd rather not having you lopping off any of your limbs."

 

Noto nodded, though slightly disappointed. He did realize that he was essentially a child, but he was a little anxious to see such a blade in action. The years of peace and quiet made the legendary stories of Jedi walking into enemy armies and dispatching droids with ease made them more than a tall tale around moonlit story circles at his home planet. 

 

Noto stood with Genesis and nodded. Even if his face said little, his smell pointed out he was excited. “Yes sir! After last night, I am, um, really hopeful I can prove myself. And this time I'm going to bring some food with us, so that way if I get hungry again...“

 

As Noto followed wherever Genesis led, he couldn't help but ask questions and let his thoughts emerge in a flood of words, complete with a tentacle coming up to stroke his facial plates quizzically. 

 

"So, if you don't use a blade, but just the Force, how do you fight? I mean, I know Jedi like peace above all, but violence is so common and um...well what i mean to say is that you said the Sith are very violent and without a weapon...um, sorry, I don't mean to be rude, I just don't understand. Oooh, are you one of those Jedi I heard about who, um, those...what are they called, Sages? I mean, those ones who prefer um, that thing you had me do last night? I mean i didn't think about it, but that makes a lot of sense now and I guess but then again does that mean..."

 

As the Krevaaki rambled, his scent became much stronger. It was more than obvious that Noto's true nature, quizzical and active, was emerging. 

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