Star Wars, Vol. 01: Darkness is the Path

Chapter 2

"John Kennirvi," the solemn Jedi Master lifted his activated lightsaber above the dark-haired head of his kneeling Padawan. "By the power of the Force, I knight thee, Jedi Knight John Kennirvi!" Bringing the plasma blade down to just two inches above John's right shoulder, the Master then brought it up and back down on the left shoulder. Finally, he raised it until its blade was perfectly vertical in the air, deactivated it, and slipped it to his waist. Resting his hands on the upper arms of the kneeling young man, he commanded him to stand and be recognized.

Beaming with pride, John Kennirvi stood to his feet beside his master and glanced around the Council room at the familiar faces that he had known since before he could remember.

There was Master Sandy Kennirvi; just recently, he had found that the last name was not a coincidence but they were both blood twins who had been rescued from a Hutt massacre on their distant homeworld of Ylesia.

She was smiling with great pride at her newfound, newly knighted brother. To her left was her Padawan, Lucas Horshin, a native to Coruscant. Standing just to their right and clad in a dark crimson Jedi cloak, was another human native of Coruscant, Deborah Bindreyz.

She had been a good helper during John's training and had aided him to the best of her abilities whenever he had a question or problem to solve.

Just to her right and slightly behind her stood the two who had been as sisters to him and had also been great aides during his many years in his stay here at the Jedi training temple on Coruscant. The both of them being sisters, Melody and Melissa Benzil were humans from closer and somewhat tempestuous world known as Ruusan; but were both very strong in the Force and excellent guardians of the many worlds against the powerful enemy hordes known as the Sith.

This was his day when he finally gained the right to be knighted. With great feelings of pride and success, John hugged his close friends and family. Taken from his blood family when he was but an infant, he did not know anything about them so that gave him the sentiment that these masters and learners of the strange essence known as the Force were his family. Now that he had attained the rank of Jedi Knight, he felt more like them and it gave him a great sense of contentment and security.

A few hours later, John was silently walking beside his sister as they slowly made their way down a long stone hallway of the great sanctorum. The only sounds to be heard was that of the distant drone of people talking in hushed voices and that of the two Jedi robes swishing about their own legs.

"Well, how does being a Jedi Knight make you feel?" Sandy spoke up.

Turning his head to look into her sparkling eyes, John answered, "It makes me sense that my life actually has a meaning to it; a goal."

The older sibling nodded, her long red hair rippling down over her shoulders and back. With a smile she remarked, "Your weapon seems natural there on your hip."

Glancing down at his own lightsaber, John nodded with a grin. He recalled the day when he had been sent on the task to find the special gem that was used in the making of Jedi lightsabers.

"Do you remember the lesson you learned when you went on that mission?" She asked as if she had read his thoughts.

He contemplated his answer before he answered. Then turning, he smiled, "Patience and endurance are great virtues to possess when one goes through trials."

A melodic laugh broke from the Master's throat as she turned to a large wooden door and gently eased it open. Stepping into the shadowy interior of the room, she motioned him to follow her.

Inside, were several large couches furnished with the finest offworld animal furs as well as many trinkets.

"The others will be here in a moment," she spoke almost in a whisper.

"Others?" he questioned.

"The rest of us who were selected for our new mission."

John froze as her words came to him. Turning to her, before seating himself on one of the soft couches, he inquired, "You mean, I am to join you all?"

"Yes," she smiled proudly. "This is to be your first mission as a Jedi Knight."

John grinned triumphantly as he stood up and stepped over to the large window that reached from floor to ceiling in the wall on the far side of the room. Staring out over the hundreds of oblique minarets and domes of the great planet city, he grew very contemplative for a few moments. Then the strange sensation that another being was in the room swept over him and he turned in the direction of a dark corner. In the shadows, he could make out the slender form of a woman. Her hood was draped over her head as she stood there as still as a statue.

At that moment, Sandy broke the stillness, "Master Melody," she interjected. "We did not know you were there. How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to see that our new Knight has the great potential for being a profound leader some day," the other master remarked as she stepped from the shadows into the dim light of the three lamps that stood in a triangle spread out a few yards away from each other over the center of the room. Pulling her hood back, she nodded her regard to John and turned to her peer.

"Are the others coming soon?"

"Yes," Master Kennirvi motioned to the door. "In fact, they should be arriving now."

As soon as the words left her lips, three cloaked figures appeared at the doorway and entered the room. The two Jedi Knights were Deborah Bindreyz and Melissa Binzel. The third was Master Sandy's Padawan, Lucas Horshin. All three greeted their fellow Jedi as they acquired a seat each for themselves.

John quickly moved from his place at the window and reseated himself on the couch beside his sister.

Everyone turned their full attention reverently to the honorable Master Melody Binzel of the High Council of the Jedi Order as she stood in the center of the room and informed them of the mission they were about to partake of.

"It has to do with your home planet, Ylesia," she motioned to John and Sandy. "A band of Hutts have overtaken most of the major cities and are threatening to use its vast armed forces to attack Coruscant. Usually, we would not be very worried about this, but they have made an alliance with a certain Order that is very powerful. And the Council and I have decided that the best move we could make would be to send in a group of Jedi to eliminate this rebellion and bring order and stability back to the planet."

Everyone was silent for a moment. Then Master Sandy inquired, "What Order do you speak of?"

"The Order of the Sith," came the grim reply.

The answer brought a very thick pensive covering over the whole group as they gravely realized the importance of this mission.

The Sith and the Jedi had always been at odds ever since the first rogue Jedi had broken away from the Jedi Order and established a new and evil Order. They had been at ultimate war with each other for centuries and most wondered if it would every come to a conclusion. True the Sith by nature were very greedy and prideful; meaning they should have obviously turned on each other to seek greater rank above all others. But that day had come yet even though everyone hoped it would be soon.

"So the goal would be to persuade the Hutts to hand over the leadership and suppress them as well as find a way to locate the source of the Sith influence." Jedi Knight Melissa proposed hesitantly.

"Exactly," Master Binzel nodded.

"Great," John stood to his feet. "When do we start?"

"Wehave till tomorrow to prepare," the master informed him.