Star Wars: The Last Qymaili | ✔

21 | The Chosen One

Song: "Trust Goes Both Ways" from Rogue One OST

After a time of walking, they entered the main Temple halls. The guards at the entrance, holding double-bladed lightsabers the color of Iminec, paid them no heed. What were they? Renowned warriors, rejected for not being Force-sensitive enough? Jedi who'd chosen to don a different name and face and serve the Temple forever?

As they entered the hall, she immediately felt out of place. Jedi of various species spoke to one another in hushed voices, looking out the windows or walking down the halls. They all wore long robes, and the younger Jedi bore strange little braids trailing down their backs or chests.

She quietly ducked her head and shoved her gloved hands into her pockets, grateful that nobody could see her face. There were no Kaleesh here, which only served to make her look even stranger amidst humans, Togrutas, Twi'leks, and scads of other aliens she'd only read about.

"Arna!" a deep voice intoned from behind him, and both of them turned around. A scarred, bald man, whose complexion reminded Ronderu of a daelfruit, waved to them from a few meters away. He walked slowly toward them, bowing once he was near, and Arna returned it with a shy smile.

The man, who was slightly chubby but friendly-looking, shook Arna's hand jubilantly. "It has been too long. I was unaware you'd picked up a Padawan!"

Ronderu's face blossomed with heat, and Arna chuckled. "She's a foreigner. Bound to my service until she can pay off her debts for—"

Ronderu cleared her throat loudly. "I'm Ru. Ru san Jinn."

The man smiled. "I am the Jedi Master T'Chooka D'oon. Arna was my protégé a year ago."

"Your...." she searched for the word. "Padawan?"

"Exactly!" he said. "I'm beyond proud of him for having passed the trials and ascended to Knighthood." Ronderu didn't understand what most of this meant, so she just nodded along and smiled sheepishly in response.

"You two will dine with us?"

Arna nodded. "If the Jedi will entertain a visitor."

"I will make it so," D'oon said. "Come inside."

✺✺✺

As they walked down the halls, Ronderu kept her eyes to the ground. D'oon spoke to her after a time. "Your accent sounds Mandalorian, my young friend."

"I'm not your friend."

Ignoring her, he continued. "But underneath I hear traces of something the Republic has not heard since I was a young Padawan learner."

"I'm Kaleesh. But I've also practically become a Mandalorian citizen," she added bitterly.

"Arna treats you well?"

"Why wouldn't I?" his old Padawan said from beside them. "Ru likes me. She just doesn't want to admit it."

She supposed that was fair enough. "I must get home as soon as possible," she murmured, almost to herself. "I've already been away for too long."

Arna was notably silent at this, but D'oon picked up her response. "Anyone you're homesick for? A friend? Business partner? Spouse?"

My love. Strange emotions rolled off of Arna's aura, but she steeled herself and spoke. "I'm sure you've heard of the Kalee conflict, since you will be judging it today."

D'oon nodded somberly. "But you wish to return to that war zone?"

Thank the gods he's planning to side with us. She gazed toward the ground. "My loyalty is to my people, and one person there whom...." Whom I've gone sick with longing for.