00.02 Prologue

[Some Months Later]

[Jedi Temple, Coruscant]

Jedi Master Tahl smiled to herself as she watched the cluster of younglings, the Falcon Clan in Flight so to speak; arrive for their meal after a short training session with Master Yoda. Training of course being only very light introductions to the more 'exciting' parts of being a Jedi, such as how to hold a training saber, and all part of the acclimatisation to life in the Temple. To being part of their true family and at peace with the force, and it was both a joy and an honour for her too...

"Tahl, ever watchful of your little flock as usual?"

She smiled, turning her head at approaching presence "Qui-Gon, attempting to sneak upon me, also as usual?"

Her friend chuckled "As if I ever could get past your watchfulness. No, I have just returned and it is good to see you as ever"

"And I you my friend" Tahl beamed back before turning her attention to her little flock as Qui-Gon called it "....and yes, I am watching out for my Flying Falcons"

"Heh, ah those were the days"

She smiled "Indeed they were, were they not?"

"Oh yes, quite the troublemakers back then"

"That was you, very much you"

"Perhaps....from a certain point of view"

She rolled her eyes "Yes, from mine, and the Masters if I recall"

"Well. I choose to recall differently...." he muttered in amusement folding arms across his chest before nodding at the distant group "...and how are our Falcon Clan? Up to your exacting standards"

"They are younglings Qui, and not a bad bunch, though one or two are finding it hard to be away from their families and in the Temple. One actually told Master Windu off apparently for bringing him here? Threats and all?"

Qui-Gon gave a snort of amusement "Only Mace, he, I mean the youngling, hasn't been troubled"

She sighed "Yes and No, some initial glaring and lack of engagement, but I think he sees somewhat in the Force, dreams maybe, as he's like the Crotchety Old Master of the Clan. Trouble connecting with the others at times, but strangely let drop the missing his birth family faster than I expected"

"Everyone has their own little oddities, even without species differences, which one can I ask? The Miralian?"

She shook her head "Somelite, offshoot of Krork or maybe Gamoreans...." seeing his confusion "...the green-skinned boy between the Miralian and the two Mikkians. From the Outer Rim, never heard of them before this"

"Neither had I, but there is always something new to learn I find. Now, shall we dine together Tahl my dear?"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------​

[Some more months later]

[Jedi Temple, Coruscant]

"What you want Daron, class over" Kazdan grumbled back unhappily to his fellow Initiate from the Outer Rim as the younger green-skin humanoid approached him "...should you not be with your clan"

The other Initiate nodded "Maybe, but classes are over right? So, I've heard great things about you and working with droids and other tech stuff, and I was well...looking for some help in understanding that"

Kazdan grunted, trying to ignore the taller Initiate walking along beside him "Not interested"

"Oh, come on, you haven't even heard me out yet!"

"Don't want to, tired"

"Were all tired, soooo...pretty please?"

"Yeah, so go away and kriffing annoy some other sentient"

"Ah Kazdan, if you help, I'll help you at some point in the future"

He grunted, waving off the other like swatting away an annoying, albeit overly large, insect "I heard you do not wish to be a Jedi anyway, so can you not bother another Initiate or one of the Instructors while you waste everyone's time"

"Nope, you're like a regular tech wizard I hear, ya'know fer one our, your, age....since your older an' all. And, I'm likely stuck here for some time, so loadsa time reclaim a debt given"

"Go away"

"Come on, even a few pointers? "

"Go away"

"The sooner you help me the sooner I'll leave you alone"

"Mmmmmrrrrrrr...fine" he growled back pulling out a datapad from his pack and brought up a list of useful beginners guides, and then sending to Initiate Daron "...there. Now go away, leave me in peace"

"See, that wasn't hard now was it! Thanks! Need help with anything let me know...." the other said back far too happily waving his own pad around as Kazdan made to get away from him and the other idiots he had to associate with here...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------​

[Two Years Later]

[Jedi Temple, Coruscant]

"Daron?" Tiplee asked curiously as she saw her fellow Clan member as he hummed to himself, moving holographic pieces around in front of him "What are you doing?"

"Trying to build a droid....kinda, in hologram form because they won't let me do it down in droid area, because....reasons"

She frowned "Did you break something and make the Instructors mad?"

"No, managed to get the cleaning droids to paint Master Windu's room in purple glitter. Got found out, not let near the those droids anymore"

"Why....why did you do that?" then she giggled "...and then not tell us?"

"Duh, cuz I was trying to avoid getting caught, and, more importantly, what you don't know can't get you in trouble. As to why....vengeance shall be mine, even if it's rather petty I'll admit. Still took ages to plan out"

"Heh heh, why do you do such silly things, you're like usually super grown up and boring"

"Boring?"

"Huh-huh, Sis thinks so too, an' not funny old like Master Yoda, but boring old like Master Yaddle"

"I don't think she's that old actually, not Yoda old anyway....but yeah, we and Windu have this thing, and I won't let him forget that"

"You're weird Daron, we're going to be Jedi, and it'll be awesome, and...."

"True, I am weird, and yer gonna be Jedi, great ones....me, eh...." her friend's eyes seemed so distant a moment before sighing "...well, I'll burn that bridge when I get to it"

Tiplee grabbed him by the shoulders "Don't be silly, you'll be great! Like me! And Tiplar! Off saving the Galaxy from pirates and slavers and Hutts, just you see! It'll be the best! Now fun! Practice!"

Daron laughed, shutting off the hologram and dropping the pad unto his bed, then allowed her push him out towards cool stuff like practicing with a training saber "Fine, fine, whatever you say!"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------​

[Some Time Later]

[Crystal Caves, Ilum]

Yoda smiled as he sat upon the cold rock as the sun continued to set upon Ilum and he used his senses to keep track of then younglings completing their gathering. Just a small amused chuckle at such small joys "Return soon, they shall, victorious in quest"

Quinlan Vos gave an amused look "I think most everyone does find their crystal eventually"

"Eventually, yes, if slower some are"

"I wasn't that bad...." the human padawan, soon to be knight if Yoda was correct in his estimate, muttered almost to himself as Yoda amused himself at having seen that performance. It was a small joy of his to see the younglings grow like this, to reach out on their first true steps on the path to being a Jedi. Also a responsibility and duty to watch from afar to ensure that no true harm came to them as they went about this mission; injuries were not unheard off after all.

'Hmm, hmmm, more cautious than others, but bravely forward, yes' he thought to himself feeling the group press forward as a group rather than split up into individuals or pairs as was normal. It was hard to feel the young Somelite boy who'd set himself as leader of sorts, one of those gifts of the Force for him, but the others were clearly visible and easy to track with closed eyes. No, this group of Initiates pressed forward together, helping each other and being guided one by one to their crystals....a slow and steady approach perhaps, but certain, and resolute in purpose.

The Darkness each summoned in their fears fleeing before them, purpose being achieved one after another, till only the hard to see leader was left. Searching and reaching out with the force as his fellows had down, but far more warily as if the Force would turn upon him at any moment. Yoda sighed at that; there were many positives to such early understanding of cooperation and trusting in your fellow Jedi, but it could come with the fault of not dealing with other issues. Still, he smiled, and filed away those thoughts on training all these younglings further on any of those concerns.

"Succeed they have"

"I'm sure Master Windu will be delighted"

Yoda chuckled again, the occasional 'untraceable' prank upon his fellow Master was rather amusing, and served to keep him focused on correcting his efforts in diplomacy. And in teaching the consequences of failing such even with a youngling "Eased these pranks have, age has and will guide with wisdom. Now to teach the greatness of building their first lightsaber we must"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------​