Chapter 1: Becoming a Padawan

Nadia Grell nervously paced the floor of her newly assigned living quarters on board the starship Star of Ryloth, waiting for her master to arrive to begin their first official training session as master and padawan. She tripped over one of her knapsacks that were packed with the few belongings she was able to take with her, and hastily picked it up, tucking it away under the bed. The last thing she wanted was to make a bad impression, and tripping and falling on her face would have not been a good start to the relationship. Taking a deep breath, Nadia sat down on the edge of the bed, brushing her silver, chin length hair out of her face. She could do this. She’d dealt with so many different diplomats and politicians while traveling with her father, this was just another person, right?

Yeah, right, Nadia scoffed to herself. This wasn’t just another person. This was the Barsen’thor, the woman who single-handedly saved the Rift Alliance, among many other successes, though Nadia hadn’t been present for those. Nadia thought back to when she first met Jedi Master Kayora T’ven, on the diplomatic vessel Fortitude. The senators representing the planets in the Rift Alliance had gathered on the Fortitude to meet with Master T’ven, but they had been hijacked by agents from the Sith Empire while Master T’ven was on her way. Nadia had managed to sneak away and contact the Twi’lek when she arrived, warning her about the situation. She then had front row seats to the terrifying efficiency in which Master T’ven had cut through the Sith forces and saved the senators, even convincing them all to work together to direct the out of control Fortitude away from the nearby moon to preserve as many lives as possible.

Nadia would be lying if she said she wasn’t intimidated; Master T’ven exuded a calm confidence in whatever she did, yet one could still sense the immense power under the surface. She negotiated with the same deft acumen as she did battling pirates and slavers. She appeared to have complete control over her life and herself. Nadia, on the other hand, felt like her life was barely contained chaos. Growing up with a force sensitivity hadn’t been easy, considering how rare it was on Sarkhai. Luckily, her father didn’t shun her and took her under his wing, allowing her to travel and learn while he performed his senatorial duties. Although she greatly appreciated the freedom that came along with that, Nadia still felt disconnected from her own life. This ethereal force connection had been swirling and percolating inside her, but she had no direction on what to do about it.

Per her late father’s wishes, Kayora had agreed to take Nadia on as her padawan. Not only her padawan, her first padawan, which did little to calm Nadia’s nerves. Hopping up off of the bed, Nadia began her pacing again, picking at one of her nails as she moved. She glanced up at her reflection in the small mirror that hung above an equally small sink. Her dark blue face paint contrasted intensely against her pale skin, but nearly matched her blue eyes, which even she could tell shone with worry. Letting out a sigh of frustration, she collapsed back onto the bed, which was probably going to end up with a permanent indentation from the number of times she had dropped onto it in such a fashion. 

Come on, she mentally chastised herself. If anything, it should be better that I’m her first padawan. It means she didn’t have some other padawan that was intelligent and clever and amazing that I would have to measure up against. Of course, the little voice in her head reminded her, that could also mean that Master T’ven only had herself as a reference for what a good padawan is, and she was obviously a model student if her current persona is anything to go by. Groaning, Nadia tried to stuff that little voice back into the box it belonged in, far in the back of her mind. As was expected, that little voice did not go quietly, and Nadia was certain it’d be back in action before too long.

“Nadia? May I come in?” Master T’ven’s soft voice preceded her arrival, and as Nadia looked up and saw the Twi’lek standing in the doorway, knuckles rapping lightly against the frame, she remembered the other reason she was nervous.

Kayora T’ven was beautiful. Her light green skin was smooth, though Nadia could see scars scattered about, like constellations in the sky. Master T’ven’s twin lekku hung down her back, striped with dark rings of pigmentation at irregular intervals. She wore a brown headband that was crowned with a metal symbol which Nadia did not know the meaning of, but was elegant without being gaudy. Another pair of dark markings were present on her face, emerging from behind the headband and swooping down to a point near the corner of her mouth, where her lips rested in a gentle smile, as they often did. Tearing her gaze away from her master’s lips, Nadia looked into her eyes, which were an intoxicating, vibrant purple, like staring at the petals of a Zeilla flower on Tenoo.

It wasn’t until the corner of Master T’ven’s lips twitched downward that Nadia had realized she’d been staring for far too long without answering the question. “Yes, of course Master, you can come in.” Nadia tried to smile, though internally she was banging her head against the wall. “I mean, well, it is your ship right?” She let out a laugh that was obviously forced as she stood up and gestured weakly with her hands. This was not going how she had hoped.

Master T’ven took a step into the room and paused, watching Nadia attempt to figure out what to do with her hands. Should she cross her arms? No, that’s closed off and confrontational. Hands at her sides? Somehow that looks worse. Inevitably she ended up picking at her fingernail again, but quickly stopped and clasped her hands together, looking at the floor.

“Nadia?” The concern in Master T’ven’s voice caused Nadia to look up and see that there was also concern on Master T’ven’s face. This was it. This was the moment Master T’ven told her that she’d made a mistake and that Nadia would have to go back to the Jedi Temple on Tython, or worse, back to Sarkhai. She didn’t even know what she’d do on her homeworld, now that her father was gone. Nadia had a flashback to when her and Master T’ven had tracked down her father after his kidnapping, only to arrive too late. Immediately, Nadia had lashed out at her father’s captor and killer, nearly killing him herself. Fortunately, Master T’ven had stayed her hand, though their foe had denied their assistance and took his own life. Nadia had been extremely worried that Master T’ven would be disgusted at her actions, but of course she hadn’t been. Even barely knowing Nadia, she had seen the absolute best in her.

“Nadia, look at me.” Snapping out of her destructive spiral, Nadia looked into those deep purple eyes again, hoping that this wasn’t the last time that she got to see them.

“Are you nervous?”

Startled, Nadia’s mouth opened and closed several times without any words coming out. That was not what she expected Master T’ven to say, but she wasn’t surprised that she had picked up on her nervousness. She was definitely not doing a good job of hiding it. “Yes, Master T’ven. I’m sorry, I’m sure that’s not what you’re expecting from your first padawan, but I didn’t think I’d ever be in a position where I would actually be taught how to use the force and certainly not by someone-”

Master T’ven raised a hand, cutting off Nadia’s rambling. “You are not who I expected to have as my first padawan either,” she said, moving further into the room and sitting down gingerly at the edge of the bed. “But unexpected does not mean unwanted.” She smiled, a full smile, not just a hint, which nearly caused Nadia’s knees to give out. Fortunately, Master T’ven had patted a hand on the bed, inviting Nadia to sit, which she did, in definitely a not graceful manner.

“I have done many things in my time with the Jedi Order,” Master T’ven stated, which to Nadia felt like the understatement of the century. “But I have not had a padawan of my own, and never had to teach another. I feel that I am entering unknown territory, and am uncertain with how suited I will be as a teacher.” She held up her hand, preemptively cutting off a protest that Nadia herself barely was aware she was about to voice. “While I am uncertain, I by no means plan to shy away from the challenge. I will do my very best to train you, to teach you, and to help you become who you are meant to be in this galaxy. And I am elated that you are my first.”

Nadia felt her cheeks grow red at the unintended innuendo, quickly banishing the thought from her head. It was not appropriate to think of her master that way, especially when she didn’t even know what Master T’ven’s preferences were. She quickly banished that thought as well, before her mind could latch onto it for too long.

“Thank you master, I am relieved to hear you say that. I am very nervous, but am still very honored to be your padawan. I will also do my very best, and I promise that I will not let you down, master.”

Master T’ven smiled again before standing and gesturing for Nadia to do the same. “Then shall we get started with our first lesson?” At Nadia’s exuberant head nodding, Master T’ven laughed and knelt down onto the floor, assuming a meditative pose that Nadia copied. “Excellent. Before we begin I have one request.” Nadia’s eyebrows practically jumped to the top of her forehead, as she couldn’t possibly fathom what she could provide.

“Of course Master T’ven, what is it?”

“Please call me Kayora. Master T’ven is so … stuffy.”

“I’ll try, master. I mean, Kayora!” Nadia grimaced awkwardly and rubbed the back of her neck. “I do want to call you master as well though, because, I mean, you are my master.”

Kayora chuckled softly and nodded. “I understand. How about master while we are doing Jedi things, and Kayora when we are not? I am your master, but I would also like to be your friend, if that is alright with you.”

Nadia felt a star had just been born inside her chest. Unwilling to trust what might come out of her mouth, she simply smiled and nodded vigorously. Kayora’s smile in return made the star glow a little brighter. Not only was she going to be trained by the mighty Barsen’thor, but she wanted to be friends too? Nadia didn’t think any moment in her life could surpass the sheer joy she felt right now.

“Splendid. Then let’s get started.”