Chapter I: Vrook's Failed Padawan

[Tysyacha]

In dark and desperate times, the standards of a warrior

must be raised to the highest degree. The JEDI ORDER knows

this, and even though it hopes not to exclude anyone of promise

from its ranks, not everyone can rise to the great challenges set

forth by noble Masters VROOK, VANDAR, and DORAK.

 

A young Padawan named TYSY finds herself in such a situation.

She is an apprentice of MASTER VROOK, and the further that she

tries to progress in her training, the more this young Force-user

seems to fall behind. She is strong in the Force--stronger than

some of her age--but she still lacks finesse with a lightsaber, and

the masterful mind control that a Jedi needs to conquer passion.

 

MASTER VROOK prepares to confront her. Even though he sees subpar

performance in Tysy, he fears that turning her away may be a mistake...

 

******************

 

"Excuse me. Tysy! I must speak with you."

 

Master Lamar Vrook turned to one of his most vulnerable Padawans.

 

"Yes, Master?" she asked, bowing humbly before the Jedi Consular.

 

"I--" Vrook didn't quite know how to say this. He had failed others

before, claiming that they were not skilled enough to become Jedi

Knights, but rarely had he had to say such words to such a girl,

one whom he cared for as a student and a friend. Tysy may have

been emotional, but she was one of the people that Vrook wanted

to push extra hard, to make sure that she succeeded. These days,

the Jedi Order needed all the Knights it could get. However...

 

"There is something I must tell you," Vrook said firmly. "I cannot

train you as my Padawan anymore. There is another, a man whose

strength in the Force cannot be equaled. Masters Vandar, Dorak and

I wish to teach him, and unfortunately, there are no Padawan vacancies

left in our Enclave. Will you humbly step down and let us train him?"

 

"Aren't I good enough?" asked Tysy, feeling sad. "Enough for you?

Enough for the Jedi? If I've failed you, please tell me the truth."

 

"You have failed," said Master Vrook, yearning to bite his tongue.

"Your lightsaber skills are very weak, and they are below our standards

of combat. Your command of the Force is strong, but I'm afraid that

your control and discipline need to be worked on. This man is whom

we need, the only one who has a remote chance of stopping the Sith.

Tysy...I'm not saying you're a bad student. You work hard, but I'm

afraid that the Jedi Order cannot accept you as a new Knight."

 

Tysy swallowed hard. She was trying to fight back tears. This had

been her dream ever since she was a Youngling, and found to be

sensitive to the Force.

 

"What will happen to me now?" she asked. Was her face turning red?

 

"I should think you'll find a place on Telos, where we'll send you."

 

"Hard labor?" Tysy couldn't believe her ears. "Farming work? I'm so

ashamed by my performance! Please don't make it any harder than it is!"

 

"I--" Vrook was taken aback. As Tysy shut her eyes and fled the

Enclave, vowing to let no one see her cry, Vrook shook his bald head.

If only I could tell her about Revan, he thought to himself.

If only she were strong, and I would not be so weak. He sighed.

 

*****************

 

That night, on the outskirts of the Enclave on Dantooine, Tysy

made an entreaty. One may think that praying to the Force was

a silly idea, but it was the only thing the broken-hearted young

Padawan could think to do. She had lost her chance, the open

door to the dream she'd had since girlhood. Only the Force could help.

 

"Make me powerful," she implored. "Make me strong." Her voice

was barely above a whisper. "Please. Not as strong as my Master,

for I never want to fail anyone again. I'm sorry for my poor performance

in my lessons, yes. I want to improve, to conquer, to make sure

that I'm worthy for next time. Please, let me...I wish I could..."

 

She paused. She'd make a vow to the Force that would change her life.

 

"In exchange for this power, let my last name be forever Dvukh, or

'two', the second one in line. Even though I'll be powerful, let me increase

my new Master's power by twohundredfold! I'll have no reason to betray,

for only when I serve can we both claim victory. If I ever betray a Master,

then let me be exiled to katorzhniye raboty, hard labor, where

Vrook says I belong. If you grant me this, O Force, I am yours, and

you may do with me as you wish. Let me live or die, just make me strong!"

 

**********************

 

The Force granted this boon to Tysy, and it would hold her fast to it.

[steven]

How did I find myself in these sorts of situations? I'm ment to be the good guy but these blasted jedi have me locked up in there prison like some sort of crinimal. They haven't even bothered to tell me why! I can only wait till the republic pulls some strings so i can get out of this blasted place!

 

As a Jedi gaurd walked passed I slammed my hands on the force field to get his attention and shouted out "Hey! Mind telling me why I'm in here!? Ouch" Forgetting the force-field was electric, I burnt my hands slamming on them.

 

The gaurd just looked at me for a spilt second, and without a word he walked away "Get back you Sith Spit!"

[Vladimir-Vlada]

A young woman poured some water in a glass in her kitchen. She took it along with her own glass to her living room. In the living room on chair, sat a man in normal farmer robes. He looked at the woman as she offered him a glass.

"Thank you." he said, taking the glass and slowly drinking it, thinking about something else.

"Well." the woman began, a bit unsure of what to say. "I see that you are back Ryan. I haven't seen you in a long time."

Ryan looked at her and smiled, he remembers when they were children that they liked to play together.

"I am back now, aren't I?" he said smiling "How was life to you Gina?"

Gina sighed and looked around.

"Not so well like you see. The crops haven't been growing so well." she said.

Ryan noticed that the house wasn't exatcly at it's best, but it was nicer compared to where Ryan lived.

"What happened to our parents?" he asked looking at her.

She sighed, Ryan imediatley realised.

"I am sorry, Gina."

"Yours didn't really survive now didn't they?" she said with a few tears in her eyes.

Ryan lowered his head to look at the glass, but he was acctuely trying to remember his parents. Alan and Rita Pano, two farmers.

"Ryan, why didn't you come back to Dantooine? We could have made a fortune together."

Ryan looked at her with sadness and guilt. Indeed he could have returned but he didn't.

"I was in exile. I couldn't come back." he explained.

"You couldn't return to the Order. But you could have returned here." she said holding his hand, tightly a bit because he left.

"I did many things that I wasn't proud of during the war." he said with sadness and guilt. "And I am sorry for not being there for you."

"No." she began "You were always there for me. But you were never there for yourself."

Ryan lowered his head in shame. All he did was make mistakes in his life.

"Could I enter the Enclave?" asked Ryan.

"Are you serious?" she asked with suspicion. "They will arrest you the second you enter it."

"That's what I am inteding to do." he replied.

"Why?" she asked.

"I want to see how it looks like." he replied.

"That's a long shot just to see how something looks like." she said as a remark, Ryan started to get up.

"I'll be back." he said holding her shoulder. "I promise."

"Be careful." she said holding his hand.

He then smiled and held her hand for a while. Then he let it go and left. He exited the house onto the great plains of hay. He walked towards the Enclave. He then went beihnd it where a small entrance was. He remembers that hole, it was the same hole he used often to visit his parents or go on a date. He laid down and went through the hole. He was in the ventilation system and he looked at how many Padawans walked along the corridors, talking about their lives. He then saaw that underneath him, there was no one and he didn't hear anyone. He thought that it was a good moment to jump out and go to his quarters. He removed the panel slowly and carefully, afraid that he might warn someone. Then he went thoguth and jumped. He started running, but suddenly someone yelled:

"Don't move!"

He closed his eyes, he made a mistake. He turned around slowly and worried. Those were two Padawans: a man and a woman. The man had a yellow sabre and the woman had a purple sabre. They were pointing tehir sabre towards him. He put his hands in the air.

"What are you doing here?" asked the woman.

"You will arrest me no matter what the reason is. So I guess I am off to the prison."

The man pushed him and said:

"Move."

Ryan moved slowly with his hands in the air, he was embarrased at how he made a fool of himself. The next thing he knew he was in prison.

At least they didn't recognise me he thought with a little relief. He looked at the other cell and saw that there was another man there. Ryan lowered his head and started to sleep.

 

((steven are you on Dantooine?))

[steven]

((Yes))

 

I sat there, looking at my red, numb hands. Luckly the burn wasnt that serious and didnt go any tissue damage. I saw the jedi gaurd bring in another man and put him into the cell acorss. When the gaurd left I leaned foward and said to the man "Hey! What did you do to get thrown in this ses-pit?"

[Tysyacha]

Just as the other man, the one called Ryan Pano on Dantooine, was

about to reply, both prisoners heard footsteps--heavy, decisive ones.

 

"How are you?" asked an uncharitable voice. "I hope you're finding your

accommodations comfortable." Master Vrook furrowed an eyebrow. His

look was stern, unforgiving, the look of a judge. He stepped forward.

 

"You," he said to the first prisoner. "I would call you 'Sith spit', but that

would be unbecoming of a Jedi Master. You do know why you're here, don't

you?" The man in the Force cage remained silent, and Vrook sighed. "It

would be better if you answered me, but since you will not, I'll move on."

 

This time, he turned to Ryan Pano. "It seems to me like I know your face,"

he said matter-of-factly, "but not your name. So long ago, were you a Padawan,

one of ours? You are strong in the Force, but a danger--wounds surround you."

 

It made Master Vrook very angry, and bitterly disappointed, to know that

he did not know everything about the two men that the Order held captive.

[steven]

I noticed that this new character getting angry. And I have no idea why, I decided to point this out. "Tut tut ut. I thought you jedi's aren't ment to get angry. Ah yah! I know who you are! Your that strict jedi nobody likes.. the name will come to me in a second" I tabbed my foot on the floor while I was think, I usually did that while I was thinking. "Vandar! No wait, thats the short green dude. Vrook! The way you act dosen't really resemble a jedi. You mind me of a sith captain that I once killed"

[Tysyacha]

Vrook's eyes grew dark. "You will stay silent, prisoner. As for the Sith

captain you killed, I congratulate you on your service, but it seems

you have lapsed into the smuggling and criminal ways that you had

formerly abandoned." He rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Or have

I made a mistake? You are the leader of the Black Contraband gang,

are you not?" Vrook hoped and prayed to the Force that he was right.

[steven]

"Your right. I'm also involved with serial killings, kidnapping and I deal drugs to your little jedi children when they've had enoug with your tight @$$" I said sarcasticlly "Hell no! I haven't even heard of a Black Contraband! It's accuatly Black Crisis but I'll let you off on that one. I'm part of the gang but I'm no leader. Close though" I lied. I didn't want this guy to know a thing about me. I was kind of lucky I was given training to resist force mind reading methords by my employers.

[Tysyacha]

Vrook's face twisted into a snarl. "Don't toy with me," he said. "I could

have you sit in that Force cage for the rest of this year if I wanted, or

even for two years. However, since I am one of the Jedi, I will not. This

'Black Crisis' gang is not one with which I'm familiar; I'll have to do some

research into it. However, you are still under suspicion as a smuggler, and

as far as I'm concerned, the illegal weapons in your satchel prove it so."

 

The Master stepped back, but then turned his head. "Tysy? Padawan?

Why are you here?" He noticed that his former apprentice had returned.

 

"I've come to ask for a second chance. To beg." She bowed her head.

"The Force is strong with me now, and I promise I will undertake whatever

challenges that you have in store for me. Please, Master. I wish to serve,

and to protect the galaxy!" Her liquid blue eyes were full of pleading, of hope.

 

Master Vrook folded his arms. "I'm sorry, but you've had that chance before.

I know the Force flows within your veins with an uncommon strength, but

we've already enlisted the man that I spoke of yesterday into our program.

There is no room for you." He sighed. "I suggest you depart, especially since

this is the area of holding cells. These prisoners are dangerous, or could be

if they manage to deactivate these Force fields. Again, I'm sorry, Tysy."

 

The girl stared for a moment, wide-eyed, but then nodded. She glanced

at the two men. What had they done to anger the Jedi, she wondered?

[steven]

"Come on Vrook you b******. You can see she has a hell of potentional. I can see it and I I'm not a 'all powerfull jedi' like yourself. And you know if she can't join you she'll just go to the sith. They alwase expect more meat for the grinder. Now Vrook, why would I escape when my employers could just as easily free me. But if there is a weakness, I'd love to know."

[Tysyacha]

Vrook turned to the prisoner again. "If your employers could just as easily

free you, then why aren't they here right now?" He scoffed. "As for Tysy,

she does have potential, but not everyone can meet the standards of

the Jedi Order. Why would she join the Sith? Surely not out of simple

revenge, because Tysy knows the Sith would expect her to kill people.

This Padawan loathes such an idea, except in self-defense."

 

He put his hand on his left hip, and hung on to the wall with his right.

 

"Would you care to tell me why you're concerned about anyone but yourself?

I thought mercenaries were that way." One could see the mocking glint in his eyes.

[steven]

"When did I say I was a mercinary? Thats right I didn't you just assumed I was a mercinary. Now master jedi. I surpose I should tell you who I am. My names Zarlak Wolfe. I'm a commando working for the republic. The senate sent me here to take care of that mandalorian raider problem you seem to be doing nothing about!" I lost my father during the mandalorian war so just the though of mandaloiran made me angry and slightly depressed.

[Tysyacha]

Vrook stepped back, clearly shocked. "You're a soldier for the Republic?

Then I--I apologize, sir! I mistakenly assumed you were the leader of

a criminal gang that has been robbing and harassing the peaceful citizens of

Dantooine, the Black Contraband! Just a moment. Let me release you."

 

The Jedi Master flipped a switch, and Zarlak Wolfe's Force Cage vanished.

 

"You must understand--we're under a great deal of stress here, what

with Darth Malak and his Sith making plans for all of us. Did you hear

what he did to Taris? Vaporized, wiped off the map, and we knew

nothing of the attack! I'm ashamed, and very angry, and you can

imagine what emotions like those do to a man." Vrook looked weary.

 

Before he continued, however, he turned to the other man, Ryan Pano.

 

"I remember you now," he said. "You were exiled from the Jedi Order.

Pano was your name, wasn't it? Ryan Pano. I said that if you ever

returned to the Enclave, you would be arrested and put in prison.

Well, now you are, and if you are who I think you are, then you

deserve your fate." He turned and exited, motioning Zarlak to follow.

 

"Sir," he began, "in order to regain your trust, I shall tell you of the great

man whom our Enclave has decided to train in order to try and stop Malak.

He is Darth Revan, the Dark Lord of the Sith, although Malak has damaged

his mind. Revan does not remember anything--who he is, or what his life

has been--so we Jedi have decided to make him a Padawan, one of ours.

That is why I had to fail Tysy--do you understand? This is a Sith Lord!"

[steven]

"Revan!? This is interesting.." It was a big surprise to hear Revan, the cause the the sith civil war, was still alive, living a new life. "I understand but what will happen to her? She has good poitentional and could aid both of our faction. What if I take her back to coruscant with me?"

 

My mood had changed from what it was earlier. My concern was for the girl. I knew if she has forced to leave whatever happened to her wouldn't be enjoyable. Or maybe it was because I knew who she was.

[Vladimir-Vlada]

"You always think that it is all the way you think, Vrook. But I can tell that all you've ever brought was halt in progress because of that." began Ryan with disrespect towards Vrook, but still polite.

"You are dangerous Vrook. Whoever promoted you, must have been someone who can only hope for you to improve. But he or she fooled him or herself. You believe that you are good enough for everything, but no one is good enough for anything."

"The worst thing is that when someone isn't good enough at just one thing, that you have the right to throw away their work, no matter if it was their lifes work."

Ryan looked at Tysy with sorrow and then turned to Vrook.

"I see that she is a Jedi Consular. And she might not be good with a sabre. Why Vrook? Did you forget that you are a Consular yourself and that you are pretty bad with a light sabre yourself?" asked Ryan with disrespect.

"Just you continue like that, your time is nearing it's end Vrook. In the end, you will have to pay." said Ryan like he was making a promise that he will fulfill it as the last goal he will ever make..

[Tysyacha]

Vrook heard Ryan Pano, the Jedi Exile, shouting from his Force Cage.

He told Zarlak, "Please excuse me for a moment. I must attend to

my other prisoner." He bowed and then returned to the holding cells.

 

"Exile," he began, trying to control his temper as all good Jedi must.

"You say that I will be the one to pay for my actions, for expelling

Tysy. However, I did that for two good reasons. One, because the

girl did not meet our standards of Jedi combat excellence. Two--"

 

Here he strode forcefully up to Ryan Pano's Force cage and knelt down.

 

"I expelled her in order to make room for my new Padawan, or should

I say our new Padawan, since Dorak and Vandar and I are cooperating

to train him. He is your old Master, Darth Revan, during the Mandalorian

Wars! I know that you're surprised, Exile, but he has lost his memory.

Darth Malak, his former apprentice, has destroyed his mind through

the power of the Dark Side. We intend to rebuild it, we Jedi, and

hopefully Revan will rejoin us as one of our finest knights to date."

 

He stood up. "However, I won't let you meet him. If you tell him that

he is Revan, he will most assuredly turn back to the Dark Side. We

have not told him the truth. Doing so will be suicide for the Order.

If you promise not to tell Darth Revan of his true identity, I will

let you go. There's no good reason to keep you locked up here,

as we are sending you back to your exile." He released the cage.

 

After doing so, he and Ryan met Zarlak again, and Master Vrook said,

"If you can find her, you may. I give you permission to take her back

to Coruscant, and you may train her as you like. However, if she

is not to be found, that is no great loss, as Revan is our gain."

[Tysyacha]

Meanwhile, Tysy, her heart broken for the second time, had fled

into a broken and run-down farmhouse she had heard about. It had

been turned into a makeshift cantina, a dive called the Spiked Slime.

 

Tysy coughed as the smells of herbal smoke and liquor filled her lungs.

"One juma juice, T8-9," she told the droid bartender, trying to hide

her red eyes even though she knew robots didn't sense feelings well.

"And make it extra strong. Please." She coughed again and sat down.

 

Even though juma juice was a tasty stimulant, meant to give one

an intense burst of energy quickly, Tysy took small sips. She didn't

want to get too 'hyped' too fast, especially in a seedy place like this.

Bar fights were common, even in bars upon usually-placid Dantooine.

 

"I hope this helps me forget," she said, "or at least turn to something else!"

[Vladimir-Vlada]

"I didn't say that you will pay for Tysy only, I said that you will pay overall." whispered Ryan to Vrook in a disrpesectful manner, kneeling down. Ryan paused for a second and then asked:

"What do you mean that you want to train Revan? Didn't you always say that it was a mistak to train him? Why would you do it again? The only thing he is good for, considering that he lost his memory, is either leadership or-"

Ryan looked at Vrook in shock.

"You want to use him. You want to dig out his artifact of power."

Vrook shushed him a bit.

"Not so loud." warned Vrook.

"So you give a chance to him, the man that began all this mess and killed millions. And I, who fought and saved millions, am exiled?" Ryan depoleyed a rethorical question. "You are a worm, Vrook. A manipulative coward who can't do anything right."

"Now that I think of it." began Ryan "I am glad that I was exiled. Choosing to serve under you was one of the worst mistakes of my life."

"And Malachor doesn't count?" asked Vrook with despise.

Ryan frowned with hate and disrespect:

"Pulling your arguments from someone elses mistakes. I was expecting better."

Vrook got up and started talking to Zarlak:

"Now, we can make sure that you-"

As Vrook talked, Ryan was still kneeling down, looking at Vrook with disprespect and despise. He wanted to bring justice to this world more than anything. And he was going to do it right now, right then.

 

((Can I control Revan also?))

[Writer]

"A little young yet to be here, aren't you Tysy?" Crystal asked quietly, taking a seat next to the younger girl. As she sat, she frowned.

 

"I haven't seen much of you lately," she went on. "Come now, Tysy. Tell me why you've been hiding."

[Tysyacha]

(OOC: Yes, you may control Revan as well.)

 

Tysy smiled a half-sad smile at her more experienced friend, and then

she sighed. "I've--I've failed the Jedi Order. Master Vrook says that I

don't meet the combat standards that he and Vandar and Dorak have

set forth, and so I can't become a Jedi Knight." She took another sip

of her juma juice. "Even though he's right, I can't believe he failed me!"

 

Realizing what she'd just said, Tysy gave a short laugh. "Hmph! More like

I failed him. Crystal, do you know this has been my dream since I was seven?

It's a hard one to realize, but it's even harder to give up." She looked at

Crystal sadly. "Was he right? Did I let the Jedi down, or did he let me down?"

[Writer]

"Neither one," Crystal answered with a smile. "Come Tysy, I'll teach you what I know." She smirked. "Given the fact that I'm a telepath among Jedi, I should be able to offer you helpful teachings based on what I've subconsciously gathered from them."

 

"And you needn't worry about the Council's approval," she added with a smile. "The Jedi Council does not control me, nor does it have the right to tell me what to do. Remember, Tysy, I am no Jedi. Merely a Force-stupid telepath with telekinetic abilities."

 

She laughed and stood. "But come away, Tysy. This is no place for either of us."

[steven]

A man then came in screeming "MANDALORIANS RAIDERS ARE HERE!!" The man went flue foward with the sound of a riffile being fired. A split second later several mandalorians entered the cantina and becan shooting everything that moves.

 

((Now you can get captured and Zarlak will come and rescue you or you can kill them))

 

I had gotten quiet bored and I needed to complete my mission so that those blasted mandalorians didn't do any more damage. "Just tell me where you put my weapons and equipment. The more time I waist in this ses-pit the more damage the mandalorians do to the people who YOU are ment to protect"

[Vladimir-Vlada]

((Do we have to follow the KOTOR 1 story?))

 

Ryan was still kneeling, trying to think what will he do. Suddenly the shields became disabled and he got up and walked out of the cage. Vrook looked at Ryan and pulled his green lightsabre at him.

"I am warning you, Exile. One more step and you are dead."

Ryan looked at the green sabre with despise. He was threatened before, he was threatened most of time and he was threatened now. Not anymore.

"You know Vrook." began Ryan "I am sick of the things that I recieved in my life."

"And I am going to make sure that no one ever brings injustice again!" said Ryan grabbing his two hands and knocking the lightsabre out of his hand. Vrook tried to use the Force, but Ryan punched Vrook with his right hand in the torso. Vrook made several steps back and Ryan approached him. Before Vrook could react, Ryan kicked him with his right leg in the torso; Ryan then ducked andjumped knocking down Vrook. Vrook was unconciouss. Ryan then turned to Zarlak:

"I have a sugestion for you. We can cooperate and try to fight these Mandalorians to defend the Enclave. Then we will grab a ship and try to get out of here."

[steven]

"Sure. I could use a hand.I allready have a shuttle here in the landing pads" I dont know why I did this but I bent down and injected him with a sleeping poition and pulled him into a force-cage. I got out and activated the force cage "The poition will keep him asleep for 12 hours and I'm guessing it'll take him another half an hour to get out So we dont have much time to kill their leader"

[Tysyacha]

((If you would, that would be great. I meant for Tysy's story to parallel the

KOTOR I events. Thank you, Vlad! By the way, are the Mandalorian raiders

in the Enclave, as I suspect they are, or at the Spiked Slime with Crystal

and Tysy?))