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1.2 ──TENDRILS
OF LIVES A NEW
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Life sparks in the darkness of the galaxy. The High Republic is remembered as a time of peace, and for the galaxy as a whole it was. But for the Jedi, for the harmonious peacekeepers of the galaxy, roots of unrest begin to grow in the darkness. And their senses become clouded as a thirteen year old is brought half dead to the Jedi temple on Coruscant with a crimson plasma blade limp in his hand.

The time of the High Republic has passed, but none know what is coming...

    
A thirteen year old twi-lek youngling is beginning her course in the medical hall of the Jedi temple when the boy is brought in. About her age, the human boy has sun-bronzed skin stained with his own blood and tousled dark hair pressed to his forehead with sweat. His skin shines a paler shade than it should be, a foreign lightsaber in the hand of the Jedi Master who found him and Syala realizes that it's the boy's own saber. His throat has been slashed open, the skin at the edges of the wound burned an awful charcoal color and the wound bubbles as his body revolts against the burn of a lightsaber's carnage.

Syala is chosen to help care for the boy, and soon he is rushed into surgery with the hope of saving his life and possibly his voice. They had done all that they could, and the boy was taken into a private room and attached to multiple machines that beep with the hope or end of a life. The Master who had found the boy tells Syala to sit with him, watch for signs of life or, if the force wills it and his time comes, for death.

Syala Elnen sits with the boy for several days after the surgery waiting for any sign that he is coming back to the galaxy. She becomes bored alone in the room with the boy who finally looks like he isn't a dying corpse and she begins to talk to him. The conversations were one-sided of course, even if he was awake Syala knows that he might not be able to talk, but she hopes it comforts him deep within the surface of his dreams.

One night Syala takes his hand gently, his tanned skin contrasting against her own rich blue tone. She begins to speak to him, starting with the same thing she has began with every time.

"Hello, my name is Syala Elnen. I'm still here," Syala pauses when he shifts and a smile dances across her lips. "You're getting better and better everyday. I know you're having dreams, or nightmares really, but you're safe. You know I overheard the masters talking, they say your lightsaber is red. I don't quite believe you could be a sith though, the force is telling me that you aren't exactly who we think and that's okay because I'll help you figure it out.

You know when you wake up we'll be able to train together. Well after you fully heal and maybe we can find out if you can speak! I've learnt several types of sign language so that I can be an interpreter and go to more of the Council's meetings so maybe I can teach you how to sign when you wake up so that we can talk."

The boy shifts in his sleep again, and Syala's features soften at the small beginnings of a smile fluttering across his features. "All the doctors and masters who come by call you 'boy' or 'youngling', well I mean they call me 'youngling' too but I don't like that I can't call you something. I've come up with names that could be yours except none of them ever feel right."

Syala's attention is drawn away from her ramblings as one of the monitor's rhythms changes and a frown falls over her features. "Do not wake up," Syala orders, pointing a finger sternly at the unconscious boy, as she stands from her chair by him and goes out to call a medical droid. Asking the droid to find the master in charge of herself and the boy, Syala hurries back into the room and quickly sketches the changes of his brain activity.

"Yes, Syala?" The older woman asks, her forest dark green scale-like-skin greys near the twin horns on her head and her forked tongue tastes the air in impatience of the youngling. "Master, I think he's waking up," Syala's wide eyes watch those of Master Yugdy as she runs over the charts Syala had just sketched.

"Child, I do think you're right. Stay here while I contact the others," and Syala can barely make out a 'yes, Master Yugdy' before the reptilian woman is gone to summon more masters to the boy's side.

Syala sits with the boy, watching as his eyes flutter and her own eyes flit to and from the door as tension rises in the room and her anxiety grows at the prospect of him waking afraid.

Master Yudgy did return before the boy had woken up though with masters Mace Windu, Plo Koon, Shaak-Ti and Yoda not far behind her. Syala stands when the five enter the small medbay room.

And in that moment he wakes-

He bursts out of the bed, shocking the six in the room with him and he can see one reach for a lightsaber at their hip. His panicked, bloodshot eyes glide over each of the adults; the tall togruta woman, the ancient lizard woman, the bald man reaching for his saber, the small green man, and someone he does not know how to define. Then his eyes find the young twi-lek girl watching him in the same way that he's watching her - except her eyes plead with him in an emotion that's been thrown from his soul in a crimson soaked casket.

None of the masters dare speak a word, but Syala will not stand by a silent spectator any longer in the boy's fate.

"My name is Syala," she starts before Master Windu hisses for her to 'shut up' and she does so with a scared flinch. But he knows her voice, and his guard lowers as he maintains eye contact with her as he takes a careful step towards her. And Syala throws all caution into the Force's hand as she takes a step towards him too, after all he's woken in an odd place surrounded by people who aren't being very comforting. Some part of her screams inside that each step is part of some plan, and Syala's soul relaxes and allows for the force to guide her forward. This time when Windu goes to stop Syala from approaching the boy, Master Plo Koon's hand on his arm mutes him in milliseconds.

"I'm Syala," she repeats, moving her hands with basic sign in case he recognizes any of the motions. "I've been sitting with you since your surgery ended. We healed the outer wounds on your throat." One of his hands instinctively reaches up and gently touches the spreading scar across his throat that's still painted with a repulsive black and purple bruise on top of scarring skin. "A Jedi found you nearly dead and dying, with... with a saber. They brought you here, we don't know if you'll be able to speak yet," Syala's eyes stay on his as she takes another timid step towards him, "we don't know anything about you actually."
    
The boy's eyes go to his hands, his own blood washed as well as it could be from his tainted skin, only Syala can't help grinning as his fingers form the letters of a name in basic sign. "His name is Rysi Dallo," Syala informs the five masters still in the room, a smile evident in her tone.

Syala convinces Rysi to sit back down on the bed, even if he refuses to let anyone other than her and Master Plo Koon near him it's some kind of progress. (At first thought Syala was confused at why Rysi automatically trusted Master Plo except she quickly remembered that the man had brought her to the temple as a kind wave in the force, that's his gift.)

With time Rysi was able to speak, his voice hoarse and worn and his instinct pulled him to signing whenever he could. And then one day he explained what had happened to him, why he was found nearly dead.

The Jedi Council decided that Rysi Dallo would become a youngling, and soon a padawan and then a Jedi Master...

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Thoughts primed with anxiety ripple through Rysi Dallo as he tenderly takes the purple plasma blade from Master Windu. After a year at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant he's finally being allowed a lightsaber, and the rank of padawan.

Syala had squeezed his hand when he told her what Master Windu had told him, for ever since the day he had woken up he had stuck by her side and Syala welcomed the company. A few weeks ago Syala had become Padawan Elnen to Master Plo Koon. She assured him that soon he would be given the rank as well, but his worries are wander along the path of whom? would want to train him if not Plo Koon.

Master Windu turns Rysi around, his own purple blade bumping against his hip, nodding to a Master in the shadows. His master. Out steps Master Depa Billaba wrapped in her robes and her hair braided intricately. She steps up and the two bow to each other, Depa stands behind Rysi and pulls his hair into a small braid. It's endearing, a tradition of the Jedi to first establish the relationship between Master and Padawan.
    
Rysi looks up to his Master when she's done and his stomach drops with his heart as he finds his master's eyes avoiding him entirely. His anxiety rushes back into him, buzzing in his bones. For everyone in the temple can paint smiles and fake forgiveness like second nature, but when it comes time for the true proof of change it seems that the attributes Rysi has been taught that the Jedi hold dear aren't in their hearts. (Well maybe except for Syala, for she's always been by his side.)

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Rysi Dallo could've sworn that some magical thing like the force made him fly to the other end of the training mat, except Syala Elnen is standing on the half he had been on before her kick had punted him away. She's standing there smirking, brow raising in another challenge and oh, he just has to beat her. Syala's master sits on a mat on the floor near his master talking about the two's weaponless spar. Syala can hear the smile wide on her master's face as he tells her to remember to plant her feet to prepare for the next attack. Meanwhile Rysi's master doesn't hide her sliver of disappointment and reminds Rysi to 'at least try to land on your feet.'

The two sixteen years olds had moved past the rank of 'youngling' in the temple and are now padawans to two of the best Jedi in the Order (in Syala's opinion). Syala's master, Plo Koon, was overjoyed to be able to train another young woman as his last padawan had become a master. And the blue twi-lek girl has been friends with her rule-stickler bestie since Rysi was brought to the temple on Coruscant years ago. Rysi's master, Depa Billaba, is often unbothered to tell him exactly what he's doing wrong or failing at. Of course, how could he blame his master, Master Billaba hadn't been overly excited to get the 'reject' that had spent his first few months at the temple in the med bay. He has been her padawan for almost three years now, but nothing he's done has ever been good enough. And he can't help the anger bubbling in his gut as he goes to spar with Sy again. Anger at his master that is, how is it his fault that his parents practically threw him into the arms of a Sith Lord when he wasn't even old enough to talk for a couple extra credits. It's not like he asked to go through all of the stuff he did. And he hates his lightsaber even more than the memories. Purple, the color to remind those who have fallen from the light that they have fallen. He'd rather forget that he accepted the dark side, 'I mean aren't I supposed to let my feelings and my past go?'

When one of his jabs hits Sy a little too hard in her ribs she gasps and retreats a few steps. He stops scared as she breaths deeply to refill her lungs. Rysi wants to curse himself because out of everyone he knows, he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he hurt Syala. She's one of the very few people in the temple who actually acts like she wants him there.

Syala smiles at Rysi when she is able to breathe regularly again, "guess I deserved that for literally kicking your butt earlier."

"As if," he frowns, getting ready to go again but Master Plo Koon interrupts them.

"Padawans." They both pause and nod their heads as they relax their postures. Plo Koon smiles, "good spars. Syala we're being requested by the council for an assignment."

"Yes, Master!" Syala grins at Rysi, excitement bubbling at getting to go on a mission fills her chest as she hurries after her master, "bye, Rysi! Master Billaba."

But Master Billaba has no plans that involve ending her padawan's training today. Going to a cabinet she pulls out a training saber and hands it to Rysi with the simple, callous words that they will practice with sabers together until he can hold his own for long enough. Rysi stands and doesn't ignite the somehow always purple saber until his master ignites her own green saber. Depa begins the spar by quickly closing the space between her and Rysi and he hurriedly raises his own saber to defend himself.

Parries and blocks ensue as the two's spar becomes more intense to the point that Rysi's heart pounds heavily and fear hangs at the forefront of his mind. Until Billaba has Rysi sprawled on his back, the practice saber tossed from his hand. She doesn't stop though and holds the blade just above his throat, ready to discipline her padawan when her eyes open and freeze on her padawan. Rysi lies on his back, eyes closed and neck tilted up and away from the plasma blade as far as it can go where old scars paint his skin with a fractured puzzle of a horrible childhood.

Guilt pours into her and she drops her saber as it un-ignites, falling to her knees in front of her padawan with tears running fast. Hearing the saber power off, Rysi peeks his eyes open to find Master Billaba terrified of herself. Pulling the teen into her shaking arms, Depa sobs as she apologizes over and over again because 'what was I thinking'. Rysi hugs her back, shaking himself and she realizes how scared he had been of her during the spar which only makes her pull him closer.

"Master, I'm fine," Rysi's voice is muffled against his master's cloak and Depa let's him pull away by a foot.

"I don't know what I was doing, I didn't even realize─ Rysi I'm so sorry," she whispers, "you are an amazing padawan. You fight wonderfully, and I'm sorry I haven't said so before. I haven't been a person worthy of being a Master, much less yours, you haven't deserved anything─"

And Rysi launches himself back into his Master's arms crying now as well because what else could he ever desire to hear from the woman he looks up to the most except to hear that he belongs, that she's proud of who he's become because of her.

hello!! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!! don't be afraid to comment your thoughts and feelings!! I love and appreciate all feedback!!

tbh I wasn't ecstatic about Depa having to be a 'bad master' for a bit, so let's all cheer for the amazing Depa Billaba and her (finally) official chile!!

now onto the actual details - I've decided to throw out a small bit of the plot that I had planned for preprequels because I worked most parts into flashbacks that I believe will work oh so much better!! that means that possibly next chapter we'll be jumping directly into tpm!!

I should clarify that although Rysi and Syala aren't in the 'main cast' list THEY ARE 100% main characters. Rysi and Syala are some of my favorites because Rysi is my shy baby (who will be a full grown adult by tpm) with a torn past and he's pretty bad at forming friendships at first. Then Syala who's my ball of literal sunshine that will kick you in the face without blinking an eye (plus by now you should've seen an updated book cast in the acti divider!!)

I love you all sm!! katie
9/2/2021 (one of my 16th bday celebration gifts to y'all)