The Wolf Pack

Chapter 8

Leaving the temple was more emotional than I had expected. Packing whay little belongings I had and knowing I wouldn't see my friends for a long time was weighing heavy on my heart. Saying goodbye to Nahdar was easier than saying goodbye to Ahsoka. Nahdar would be leaving with his own master and starting his own journey. Ahsoka on the other hand would be staying in the temple for a few more years. We had gone through so much together, we had become close as sisters, and knowing I wouldn't be seeing her for at least a year or two tugged at my heartstrings a little.

She stuck to me the entire day. She helped me pack, had her meals with me and even walked me to the landing platform where Master Plo was waiting. Before I boarded though, she gave me a gift. Something that was incredibly precious to her: one of her family's bead bracelets.

"When my family sent me away, they gave me three of these. They are supposed to symbolize family and a connection of souls. I want you to have one."

I teared up a little bit. Ahsoka was eleven, and at that age she already knew she would forever consider me a part of her family. Instead of saying anything, I put the bracelet on and in turn gave her the only jewelry I owned: an amethyst necklace A'Koba had given me before leaving.

"We'll see eachother again, 'Soka." I said hugging her. "I promise."

...

Our journey to Dorin was long, mostly because of the care we had to take while navigating. There was a reason it was so difficult to get there, and the black holes surrounding the planet were it. Master Plo had one of the strongest connections to the Force, or so the rumors said. Kel Dor had a very high rate of force sensitivity due to the environment they lived in, so it didn't really surprise me when I confirmed that rumor. While on route, Master Plo had tools me why he had decided to take me on as a Padawan, even if he had not intended on taking one in at first.

"Your first fight during the trials was what made me decide. Not only is your Form V very good for your age, but also the way you let yourself be guided by the Force." He explained while I ate breakfast one morning. We had been traveling at sub-light speed due to the difficult route. "Your technique is quite aggressive and ruthless, but when I reached out to feel the Force around you I found no malice, no anger, no resentment. Only prace and the Force."

"I chose Form V because it's the one that's more compatible with who I am as a person," I answered honestly. " I would rather have options from where to choose rather than having to sacrifice attacking over defending or vice versa. I don't like not having a plan B."

"Yet you are impulsive in your decisions and follow your intuition at every turn." Countered Master Plo.

"That's because my intuition hasn't failed me yet, Master."

...

Dorin's atmosphere was hostile to say the very least. It wasn't breathable, it was harmful to the skin, and most of all, it was unpredictable. When we first arrived, we had to orbit the planet for half a day because there was a gigantic electric storm raging that made landing impossible. Thankfully, I had been given a helmet before I left the Temple, so I didn't have to worry bout being unable to breathe. I did have to give up my robes for something that covered all my exposed skin, so I decided to go for something a lot like Tusken traditional robes, but with less layering. It took a while to get used to the restrictive nature of the helmet, to the way it narrowed my field of view. But when we exited the ship, I was glad for the protection. The air didn't look breathable, it resembled a gas chamber almost, and it was rather intimidating.

We were received by the council, and introductions were made. Kel Dor had very good relations with the Jedi, being one of the force sensitives whose views aligned with the Jedi the most. They were not warriors, not really, they simply had learned to wield the Force to adapt to their environment and survive. They mainly focused on environmental intervention and manipulation when it came to the Force. That is moving objects, creating environmental phenomena like fog, and precognition -which they used to predict storms.

"I used to do that when I lived in Tatooine. I didn't know it was because of the Force, I thought I'd simply learned to read the wind." I said when one of the members of the council explained how things worked there.

"Oh no, it is all the Force, Child. You will learn." Said Mim Tosti.

And learn I would.

...

Dorin's inhospitable atmosphere was a direct influence on Kel dor culture and Law, I realized. It was not only expected to open one's door to strangers during a storm, but it was illegal not to. Electric storms on Dorin were unexpected and deadly to anyone caught out in the open, to leave someone outside was a death sentence. So failing to give someone sanctuary was punished in the very same way. This brought a sense of compassion and unity to all Kel Dor. Slowly their appreciation for life and their urge to protect it started making sense. Master Plo Koon was known for being stern yet compassionate, so it did make sense that his culture was so. Law was just and firm and justice was delivered efficiently and swiftly. Kel Dor lived in peace and harmony amongst the chaos that was the environment they lived in. They were the calm in the eye of the storm, the refuge amidst calamity. It was no wonder they made amazing Jedi.

My training in Dorin involved a lot of meditation, a lot of patience, and a lot of discipline -which I am not afraid to admit, I have always lacked. Learning to predict storms was easier than I had anticipated, and my time in the Dune Sea -as short as it had been- was most likely the reason why. Much harder were lightsaber training and force manipulation techniques. Master Plo was relentless when it came to my physical training.

"You will find that your opponents will often be bigger and physically stronger. You need to learn to use their own strength against them, Kriari. Only then you will prevail." he would say.

And I would take every word in.

I was very young then, I was at a stage in my training where Master Plo would have all the answers to my questions. Times were simpler then, so I would take his words and call them gospel.

Even if it was frustrating to get knocked on my butt every day for at least two hours, I could feel myself getting stronger. I still lost every time I dueled my master, of course, but each day I could go longer without tiring as much. Each day, I would last longer whenever he pressed his attack. Each day I would be able to predict his moves more accurately and react accordingly. I had a long way to go before I even considered taking the trials, but at least I could see progress, and that was enough.