Good Jedi Bad Jedi: Below the Temple

Prologue

He waited until it was late at night. In the heart of the Republic's capital, Coruscant, there were always sentient beings flooding the crowded streets, markets, and skylanes, no matter what time it was. That was the reason he was determined to escaped alone in the dead of night, he wanted to see them for himself. Of course, high above up in the Jedi Temple, the apprentice was surrounded by beings of every shape and size, so it wasn't that he was searching for beings who looked different. It was something else he sought. In spite of how different all the other apprentices, padawans, and jedi were on the outside, they all seemed to talk the same, acted the same, and more profoundly, they all felt through the Force. He could feel the Force radiate off the Jedi like a- like a constant, warm, unebbing wind of calm measured control and self-discipline. While every member of the Jedi Order trained -no dedicated- their lives to understanding the Force, the mysterious but familiar energy that interwoved all life in the galaxy, they weren't the only beings touched by it.

Seemingly content to fade into the background of life were all the "normal" beings whose work kept the Temple running. They maintained the fleet of speeders and starships birthed in the hangar, they cooked the food served in the dining hall, they even kept the halls and meditation chambers clean. The boy, unlike most, took the time to notice them, to really see them, and each left a truly unique imprint in the Force. He'd open himself to them, dipping just below the surface of who they are, and would feel their aches and pains, or the struggles and worries weighing them down, but also the joy, the longing, the small victories and love that kept them going.

They were what inspired him to steal out into the dead of night, to descend from high in the Temple, and even farther down into the depths of the planet-wide city. If he was caught, his masters would make sure some the Temple's staff wouldn't have to worry about their cleaning duties for quite some time. He just had to see what life was like for most of the galaxy for himself. With nothing but the robes on his back, the young human apprentice had snuck out of his chambers, through the quiet halls of the the slumbering Temple, to a turbolift that the support staff used to come and go each day. He felt himself giddy with both fear and delight as he pressed the button, sending the lift tumbling down deep into the core of the planet. The boy had spent hours upon hours thinking about, imagining, what it would be like to walk among the countless beings of Coruscant, like he was one of them; all so different but still connected by the Force, and now he was finally here, he was finally doing it!

He stepped from the turbolift, his senses assaulted by new sensations as he began to wander through the crowds. The air was, he couldn't even put a word to it, as if the air was ... experienced; as if it had been breathed and rebreathed over and over, changing with each cycle. His vision was filled with lights, dim failing street lights, flashing neon-colored advertisements, the soft glow from the endless windows where beings where settling in for the night; together they created a constant dance of shifting competing shadows before his eyes. The sounds, oh the sounds! He was engulfed in a cacophony of unfamiliar voices spoken in more languages than he could count, the whine of soaring speeders provided a sharp crescendo, the whirring chugging sound of aging air filters provided a constant steady rhythm, it all created a symphony of the underlevels. Even the smells! The sickly sweet scent of decaying waste, the rich savory aroma of foods from street vendors, and the unwashed bodies of beings of every stripe and species, all new and all stoked an inferno of new sensations.

Despite all this, what the boy could perceive through his physical senses paled in comparison to everything he felt through the Force. As he continued wandering aimlessly, uncaring and unaware of where he was going or how he would find his way back, his consciousness constantly flew between his physical surroundings, and soaring on the currents of the Force. One moment he'd see a street seller trying to pass of his merchandise to any passing being, and the next he'd feel his desperation intermingled with excitement- the the momentary joy at the sight of an unsuspecting mark, followed by the disappointment as this weirdly dressed kid wandered by, looks like he's spaced out on spice or sumthin.

He saw an elderly Sullustan, slumped over against a building, only half awake reeking of a sharp acrid scent the boy wasn't familiar with. The old being might not have seemed much on the outside, but as the boy felt for him in the Force, he felt decades of adventure and experiences. He felt a wisdom, not the stolid steady wisdom of a Jedi Master, but a lived wisdom from making mistakes and having to live with the consequences. The being turned, his eyes briefly fixed on the boy, and held his hand out to him. The boy, unthinking, took it in his own. What's this little human playing at, just wanted a few credits. Strange, kid almost looks like he's wearing jedi robes, whatever I need another drink.

The boy passed a young mother, he had never known his mother, or any mother for that matter. The warmth she felt for her child seemed to radiate of her, it filled the boy with a new kind of love, one he had never knew he lacked until that moment. From a small corner of her being in the Force he felt something else, a nagging clawing fear, where will my next meal come from? What will happen if the rent is late again? What will I do if Sarai gets sick. What- what is that young human doing on his own? It's dangerous down here. Before she could do or say anything though the boy was moving out of her sight through the crowd.

Every step, every movement, filled him with new feelings, new emotions he never dreamed where possible. In the temple, his masters had always taught him that emotion - passion - was dangerous. That it could, would, lead to the dark side of the Force; that detachment from life was the true path to peace within the Force. The boy had always accepted this without question, but now he wasn't so sure. He felt down here the Force was more alive and vibrant than ever before. It was almost as if he was truly feeling it for the first time! He felt new highs, new lows, a wonderful and terrible supernova of life flowing over and through him, as if he was in the very center of the Force itself!

As he continued his journey into the bowels of Coruscant the crowds gradually began to thin, and the lights seemed to gradually dim, and before he knew it his surroundings had become more grim and dirty. However, the boy didn't seem to notice or care, but there were beings who did notice him.

He felt them though. There were two, and he felt their panic, driven by an almost uncontrollable desperation which grew as they saw the boy, threatening to overwhelm their thoughs. They were both sick, sick with something he couldn't recognize. It wasn't an infection or injury, but a poison running rampant through their bodies. Through the Force the boy could feel the wracking cough, the constant aches and pains, the lost time and memories. The boy felt a small twinge of fear as he realized they weren't desperate for a cure; the only thing they could think of was getting more of the poison, and they saw an opportunity in the boy.

The boy could feel his consciousness careen back into his now frozen form, too afraid to focus on his connection with the Force. He heard their footsteps echo in the darkness, growing in volume as the pair grew closer and closer. He felt his robes now damp with sweat clinging uncomfortably to his back and neck. He could see them- two adult males, both human. There was an almost predatory hunger in their eyes. One of the beings stepped into the lighte of an overhead lamp, his hand outstretched, beckoning to the boy as he purred, "Hey kid, you lost?" He smiled.

The boy didn't say anything. He couldn't.

"We can get you home safe. Don't worry, you can trust us," the second being offered as they both continued to approach the boy.

He tried to speak, but felt his voice constricted by cold fingers of fear which had wrapped tightly around his neck, threatening to strangle him. The first being reached behind his back, as both continued to stalk towards him.

Step.

Step.

Step.

He could feel his heart pounding, faster and faster, as if it was ready to burst through his chest.

The two beings were only, maybe, one meter away from the boy now. The one with his hand behind his back maneuvered it to his front, now holding small device the boy didn't recognize.

"I just need you to look real carefully into my retinal scanner here. Once we ID you, we can get you home. Ok?"

The boy new he was lying. He could feel it, but he didn't know what else to do.

All the sights, sounds, and smells that had enraptured the boy, were all gone. Replaced by a crippling silence, a dank stale odor, and the lifeless device the held in front of his eyes. A bright flash, brighter than anything he had ever seen, ever known, ever could have known, erupted in front of his vision. All he could see was pure blinding light, the last thing he would ever see.