Star Wars: The High Republic: Ruling Passion

Chapter Nine

Something about the sound of a traditional Miziri Vibrosabre being unsheathed sent a buzz through Te'elis. This is a house of truth! She remembered her master telling her about it on her first visit to Mizra. In this dojo, the Way of Absolute Candour was obeyed, opening oneself to the total communication of emotion without filter between thought and word. It was a sacred place of confessions and declarations, a safe place to be genuinely yourself. So, as Te'elis looked to Vriha, igniting her lightsabre, she had a few questions that required absolute candour.

As a youngling, Te'elis found it difficult when confronted with deception. To her, lies and deceit felt like blades being driven into her skull, a feeling that could only be described as a disturbance in the Force. She had never felt deception when it came to her master, albeit there was mystery but deception – no. So why did she now have an empty feeling in the pit of her stomach at the thought she could have been wrong all these years?

With elegance and focus, Vriha heavily utilized jabs and light cuts rather than the hack-and-slash movements Te'elis used when sparring with L'echar. Vriha was the most skilled single-combat fighter she had ever seen. Her lightsabre cracked when met with the vibrosabre.

"You're fighting just like Ori did when she had something on her mind," Vriha remarked as they duelled.

There was so much on her mind that Te'elis wasn't sure where to start. "The memorial candles."

Vriha's face fell, but she did not let up her game. "Speak your mind, Te'elis."

"Master Ori taught me that they are lit for family, not for close friends."

Being 140 years old didn't change her balance, as Vriha met this head-on. "She was my biological sister, born years before me when our mother was the Priestess on Coruscant. She was taken to the Jedi temple."

"But why not you, too?" Te'elis asked as she stopped sparing and looked into this woman's eyes. You have an apparent aptitude for the Force."

"Ori was a sacrifice. Our mother believed in fate and that her actions would be rewarded with another daughter with whom she could cultivate high-reaching dreams. When I was born, it was inconceivable that an off-worlder, even a Miziri born off-world, could ever be the High Priestess. My mother chose to take fate into her own hands. She arranged for my marriage with Alrik, the only child and son of the High Priestess."

Sitting on the dojo floor, Te'elis remembered her lessons about Mizra's staunchly matriarchal society. How fortuitous was it that Vriha's mother made such an arrangement? "Did you know about Ori's existence?"

With a soft smile, Vriha nodded. "I did. It was an honour. But I never expected to meet or know her as well as I ended up knowing her." There were tears in Vriha's eyes, and Te'elis sensed relief in her as she spoke.

"We are taught that attachment can be dangerous. I could see you were close and connected deeply, but I never expected this." Pausing, Te'elis looked up at Vriha. "It also explains why you know my every move."

Smiling, Vriha nodded. "Let's just say I've got over a hundred years of sparing against Ori under my belt."

~~~

As she practised the kithira, Te'elis' mind was filled with memories. There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no chaos; there is harmony. There is no death; there is the Force. She repeated in her mind. I am one with the Force; the Force is one with me.

Many things that her master had taught her were sometimes different from the orthodox Jedi teachings. Holding the different-shaped blocks, she used her memories of her master to construct an updated image of her master. It was different. She had more questions that needed answering, but as she built her kithira structure, the world around her became more evident. There were many things her master had protected Te'elis from.

Leaving Ziirah with Vriah, Te'elis made her way to the Ossuary Temple. Stepping into the back entrance, she looked around as the afternoon light filled the space with golden light, giving the room an orange hue. Pulling the pad out, she noted the name t'Viaen, her mother's clan, which was kept as a 'truth of one's own' on Mizra but memorialised in death.

The General of the Mortuary Guard, Saval, watched as Te'elis looked at the tomb name plaques. "Is there someone you're looking for, Master Jedi?" she asked in an accented basic. Her robes, made of heavy black cloth and a golden outer tunic, starkly contrasted her priestess counterparts; the general was quite the figure.

"I am looking for ..." Pausing for a moment, Te'elis wondered whether she could say the name of her clan, especially to a member of the Mortuary Guard. So, turning the pad around, she pointed to the name.

Raising an eyebrow, General Saval nodded. "I had wondered whether you might visit."

"You know who I am?"

Stopping in her tracks, Saval turned to face Te'elis. "It isn't every day that my order is called to assist a Jedi." Turning back, the general led her to two boxes labelled Maec tr'Sei t'Viaen and Dhael i-Ra'tleihfi t'Viaen.

"You were there when the Jedi found me?"

Standing before Dhael's stone, Saval nodded, "You would have been three or four years old. Your mother held you so tight, like a Val'kyrie protecting her nest. She would not let anyone take you but Jedi Master Ori. She knew she was alone and close to death."

Placing her hands on the tomb, Te'elis touched the bird-shaped signit, the object that held a memory. She opened herself to the Force, asking it to share that memory. Her mother was holding her tight, just as the general had said. Fear radiated off her as a Twi'lek Jedi tried her best to calm her. When Master Ori entered the cabin, knelt beside her, and placed her hand on her cheek, the fear disappeared. 'She is safe.' The who Te'elis knew to be a mortuary guard sat with her and held her hand as the woman consented to Ori taking the child. The body of a man was slumped in the pilot's chair. Te'elis could feel the same passion she understood all too well. This decision was not taken lightly. As Ori stood, she held the child tightly, humming a lullaby, the same one she had heard on Illum. The emotional connection was strong as the woman nodded in a bow. 'Dif-tor heh summa,' the woman said as she looked into her child's eyes. Live long and prosper.

Letting go, Te'elis stepped back; psychometry wasn't as natural to her as L'echar. It was overwhelming to open herself to these memories. Centring herself, she looked to General Saval. "Thank you."

"It was my duty," Saval replied with a nod.

Te'elis wanted to say more, but words failed her. Stopping, she looked one last time at her parents' final resting place. They had risked it all to keep her safe. From what she didn't know, she would find out.