I was sitting cross-legged in a quiet ditation chamber, my breathing slow and steady as I directed my senses and focused them to look inward. The stillness of the room enveloped like an insulating cocoon, shutting out the Academy's bustling training grounds and any other Padawan. I could no longer feel them as I focused on myself, learning to control my ability and let it only work when I willed it to do so. For the past three days, I have devoted my mornings to ditation instead of sparring, the sa as in the afternoons. I knew Vila wasn’t happy about it… but it had to be done. Master Skywalker’s guidance echoed in my mind, reminding of the importance of stabilizing my presence in the Force and I had to succeed before I worked on anything else. It would be fundantal for my future.
Inhale. Exhale. Let the Force flow through .
At first, it had been a struggle. The shifting energy within and around felt like a chaotic current resisting my attempts to calm it. But with each session, I could also sense the changes happening to it. My efforts were not in vain. The current was less chaotic now, more like a fast-flowing stream than a raging, flooding river. I tried to visualize it settling down further, grounding myself in the mont until all of it turned into a calm lake. Around , I could feel the Force pulsing quietly, a harmonious rhythm that ca from the world itself, sothing I had the ability to tap into. Finally, it began to feel more natural as I made the connection in my mind.
When I felt more in control, I tried to extend my awareness outward, careful to keep my presence steady. First, I must feel myself and then learn to control it to touch others. The lesson from Ben was clear: my ability to sense their thoughts and feelings shouldn’t feel intrusive. I had to maintain the boundaries of my own energy, ensuring it didn’t overwhelm those around . And only do it on my command.
“What are you feeling?” Ben’s voice echoed in my mory.
My thoughts answered without thinking: calm, stillness, clarity—a mantra that I kept repeating.
I exhaled slowly, opening my eyes. The ditation chamber’s soft light greeted my eyes, making squint. I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of pride at the progress I had made. It wasn’t perfect yet, but I was learning to control my gift slowly but surely, to manage the sensitivity that I was gifted by the Force.
“Soon, I can return to normalcy…” I told myself, smiling, thinking about Vila and our sparring matches that had to pause for now.
She had been surprisingly understanding of my absence from our usual sparring sessions. She’d teased once or twice, but when she saw how seriously I was taking my training, she didn’t press the issue. She’d simply smirked and said:
“You’d better be ready to duel when you’re done ditating, or I’ll make you regret it. I won’t wait for you to catch up!”
Once again, I chuckled at the mory, her laughter echoing softly in my mory. Vila’s fiery spirit was sothing I seed to get very used to, and I began missing it nowadays. I also realized that I trusted her implicitly, but I also knew how easily her temper could get the better of her. Being absent right when Iowi is still doing his best to get to us… I could only hope that she’d keep it in check while I focused on my own growth.
“No… she will be fine,” I told myself, stretching a little before repeating my ditation routine one more ti.
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The training grounds were, as usual, noise from the shouts of Padawans exchanging techniques, their sabers clashing as they sharpened their mastery of their chosen forms. Vila, standing amongst the others, twirled her orange blade with practiced ease, her movents sharp and aggressive as she sparred with the only other Padawan who was up for being her partner, Jalo Vreek. The Rodian, despite being battered and pushed back at every possible mont, chuckled, his green saber clashing against hers in a flurry of strikes, trying his best to hold it together longer than yesterday.
“Getting better, Jalo!” Vila said, grinning slightly as she parried his attack. “But you’re still too predictable with those overhead strikes.”
“Predictable?” Jalo moaned, feinting left before sweeping low with a rapid spin. Even with this trick, she quickly managed to block and push back, making Jalo stumble back as she pressed the attack and the sudden opening.
“Woah, woah, you win, you win!” he laughed, raising his free hand in mock surrender. “You win this round!”
“Too easy~! Don’t give up so quickly!” Vila shrugged while she deactivated her saber, offering him a hand. “Good match, though. You’re improving.”
“Thanks!” Jalo accepted the hand, but before he could say anything more, a sharp voice cut through the noise.
“Well, that was... spirited,” Iowi r’tak said, his tone laced with an underlying condescension. He stood at the edge of the training area, flanked by Aren Drelis and Lira Syndal. Their expressions mirrored Iowi’s. It was calm, controlled, and only faintly judgntal, just enough for Vila to notice it.
“Huh?” Vila’s lekku twitched as she turned to face them, her eyes twitching, and she was already feeling her anger rising. “Got sothing to say, Senior Padawan Iowi?”
“Only so of my heartfelt advice.” Iowi smiled faintly. “Only that your form lacks discipline. All that energy, yet so little refinent. It’s no wonder so Padawans question whether you’re fit to wield a lightsaber. You need to go back to the basics and fix your foundation, Padawan Vila.”
“…” Hearing him speak, Vila stiffened. Although to many, it may sound like advice, she knew it better. No wonder her orange blade snapped to life again. “Say that again.”
“Um,” Jalo stepped between them, his hands raised in a placating gesture. “Hey, let’s all calm down. No need to—”
“Stay out of it, Jalo,” Vila snapped at him, her voice tinged with anger. Her gaze locked onto Iowi, who remained unfazed, a kind of ‘I told you so’ expression plastered on his face.
“I don’t need to repeat myself,” Iowi said smoothly. “Your aggression speaks for itself. It’s exactly what the Masters warn us about—letting our emotions cloud judgnt. It leads us astray. To the Dark Side.”
“I’m not the one clouded by anything!” Vila shot back, her voice rising, but she wasn’t helping herself, not in that mont. “You and your little group have been spreading lies about Kael and , twisting everyone’s opinions. Don’t think I haven’t noticed!”
“Lies?” Aren stepped forward, his expression cool. “Maybe you should take a look at your own behavior before making accusations. You’re proving our point right now. We don’t lie, we are Jedi. Unlike so others…”
“You…” Vila’s saber hissed like her voice as she took a step forward, her anger palpable by everyone around her. It was radiating from her body through the Force. “You don’t get to judge . Or Kael. You don’t know anything about us! You are not a Jedi Knight… especially not a Master… Padawan.”
“Vila!” Jalo tried again, his voice more urgent, but she was beyond reason.
“You think you’re so perfect, Iowi,” she continued, her voice trembling with emotion. “You think your little clique gets to decide who’s worthy of being a Jedi?” While speaking, she couldn’t help but rember her ‘master’ and how he thought he could determine which of his slaves lived or died. Or how they were used… It just made her fingers wrap around her saber’s hilt with a reinforced strength. “You’re just a bunch of cowards hiding behind rules and pretending it makes you better than everyone else!”
The surrounding Padawans had stopped their training, forming a loose circle around the confrontation by now. It was rare to see sothing like this happen, but… it was not sothing they wanted to miss. Murmurs rippled through the crowd as Vila’s words hung in the air. Iowi’s calm deanor cracked slightly after listening to her, a flicker of irritation crossing his face because he had nothing to openly refute her with. He quickly tried to take a breath, refocusing his thoughts and not let Vila anger him.
“You’re out of control,” he said, his voice low but firm. “And you’re proving everything we’ve said about you. You are unfit to be a Jedi.”
“Enough!” a commanding voice rang out the mont Iowi said those last words. Master Katarn strode into the circle, his presence imdiately silencing the crowd and forcing both parties to take a step back. His gaze swept over the group, lingering on Vila and Iowi, reading them and their feelings. “What is going on here?”
“A confrontation,” Vila said first as she deactivated her saber, her chest heaving as she struggled to rein in her emotions. “They’ve been spreading lies,” she continued, her voice shaky but defiant even in the face of Master Katarn. “About Kael. About . Trying to turn everyone against us. AND I HAD ENOUGH!”
“…” Master Katarn’s expression remained unreadable as he turned to Iowi. “Is this true?” He asked, but Iwoi could feel it was done out of necessity. He… He had to know about it; that was what Iowi felt.
“We’ve only been encouraging our peers to consider the traits of a true Jedi,” Iowi replied smoothly, choosing his words carefully. “If that has caused discord, it was never our intention.”
“Wasn’t it?” Katarn’s gaze hardened. “Encouraging self-reflection is one thing. Sowing division is another. This ends now.”
“Yes.” Iowi bowed his head slightly. “Of course, Master.”
“…” The crowd began to disperse under Katarn’s watchful eye, none of them daring to stay after Iowi’s group hastily retreated. Still, Vila remained rooted in place, her fists clenched at her sides, her saber trembling within it. Master Katarn noticed it and slowly stepped closer, his voice softening. “Vila, walk with .”
She hesitated but eventually followed, her head bowed a little. She clearly wasn’t in the mood to speak, but she couldn’t say no to one of the Masters of the Academy. Jalo cast a worried glance towards the Academy, trying to see into Kael’s usual ditation chamber, then back at Vila as she disappeared with Master Katarn. In the end… he couldn’t help but let out a long shrug.
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Suddenly, feeling sothing… troubling, I opened my eyes. Refocusing, trying to catch it, I began sensing the faint echo of Vila’s anger through the Force.
“So they went for her…” I sighed, knowing that my friend’s fiery spirit had once again set events into motion. So much so that one of the Jedi Masters took action. “Maybe this farce is coming to an end… I do hope so.”
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