Greater Than the Sum of Their Parts: Chapter Two

Tahiri settles onto the couch in the Master’s outer office, the secretary having already announced her. The blonde Jedi takes a moment to watch the Bith as she softly whistles commands to her console. Her eyes brighten at the thought of a new way to interface with the ungainly machines.

She is just about to get up and ask the secretary if she could learn the whistle code, when she senses a bubbling fount of Force energy heading towards the office. Tahiri looks towards the door, and watches as Noelani bounds into the room, her outer-cloak flapping behind her. Upon seeing Tahiri seated on the couch, she pulls herself to a stop, straightening, a blush coming to her cheeks.

“Sorry I’m late Master.”

Tahiri stands and lays a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “You’re not late Noelani, and never apologize for being yourself.”

“Master Skywalker will see you now.”

Tahiri turns towards the secretary, and bobs her head, gesturing for Noelani to follow her. She enters the Office to find Master Skywalker and his wife sitting on one of the pair of couches in a corner of the office.

Luke stands and turns towards them as Noelani enters the room, and his face falls into a show of utter disbelief and shock.

Then as quickly as Luke’s face turned to disbelief, it flickers back into his normal smiling features.

Tahiri polls the Force, sensing nothing out of the ordinary, and gives an internal shrug, assuming she is imagining things, that it’s just her nerves over taking an apprentice.

Then Luke speaks. “Tahiri, Noelani, come join us over here.”

Tahiri sits down on the couch opposite of the Jedi Masters, and Noelani settles herself beside her, her nervousness pooling in the Force, so Tahiri sends her calm and comforting thoughts.

Luke looks between them both, and for a second, Tahiri wonders if she had done something wrong.

“I want you both to understand just how important the Master-Apprentice relationship is. Tahiri, you will be responsible for everything Noelani does until she is Knighted and you will be responsible for ensuring that she becomes a Jedi. Do you understand and accept these responsibilities?”

“Yes, Master I do.”

Luke slowly nods his head, and then focuses onto Noelani. “Noelani, you are to learn what Tahiri teaches you. To obey her in all things. You are responsible for yourself, to ensure that you learn what you need to become the Jedi you will one day be. Do you understand and accept these responsibilities?”

Noelani bobs her head, a quick gestures of acceptance. “Yes, Master!”

Tahiri watches the girl, a ghost of a smile on her face.

Luke leans back slightly, settling into the couch. “Have you heard lately from Huf?”

Noelani nods her head. “Yes, he sent me a message a few days ago. Said the harvest was going fine, and that Lok got in trouble in Anchorhead again. And that the garage there had an explosion, took out all the most of the spare vaporator parts that Ms. Camie had in storage there.”

The console on Luke’s desk chimes, and Luke walks over to it and punches a few keys. He glances first at his wife, and then towards Tahiri and Noelani.

“Girls, I’m sorry that we can’t continue this discussion, but something has come up that Mara and I need to attend to.” He picks up a data chit, from the desk, and returns to the couches.

Passing the chit to Tahiri he smiles. “This is the keycode and room assignment for one of the larger quarters here at Ossus. It seems appropriate that we house apprentices with their Masters. May the Force be with you both.”

Tahiri stands and bows, with Noelani quickly following her actions. Together they walk from the room, Tahiri smiling happily.

As they leave the outer office, Tahiri wraps her arm around Noelani, and grins down at the young girl. “So did you ever expect to have an old lady like me for a roommate?”

Noelani looks up at her, her face screwed up in thought. “But you’re not that old.”

---------------------------------------------------

Luke continues to stand as he watches Tahiri and Noelani leave the room. As soon as the door is shut, he collapses onto the couch, covering his face with his hands.

Mara’s voice is soft and concerned. “Luke?”

Luke does not answer, just stands, and walks over to his desk, picking up the third data chit that was left over from his meeting with the three young Jedi this morning. There written in Mara’s precise handwriting is Tahiri’s name.

His fist clenches in anger, and his mechanical hand shatters the data chit. “Shavit.”

“Luke? Talk to me, what’s this about?”

“I gave Tahiri the wrong chit this morning. It had a list of potential apprentices for Jaina on it, rather than the list that I had prepared for Tahiri.”

Mara runs her hands on his shoulders, trying to calm him. “And what’s so bad about that.”

“Noelani. She shouldn’t be Tahiri’s apprentice.”

Mara’s hands drop away from his shoulders. “Why? They seemed well suited to me. In fact I don’t think I’ve seen Tahiri that happy since before Myrkr.”

Luke lets out a slight sigh and returns to the couch, dropping onto it, once more placing his hands over his face.

He feels the couch shift as Mara sits beside him. “Tell me what’s going on Luke. What is it?”

Luke lowers his hand and turns face to look Mara in the eyes. “You can’t tell this to anyone. Especially not to Tahiri and Noelani. Can you agree with that? Can you promise me that?”

Luke watches as Mara works through what she’s saying. Weighing things, evaluating his request. Finally she nods her head. “It’ll be our little secret.”

Luke sighs again, and lowers his eyes, turning away from Mara. “Remember shortly after Ebaq 9 when we felt Tahiri spike in the Force and then she went missing from her squadron? I went searching for her. Returned a week or so later.”

Mara slowly nods her head, and Luke can hear a hint of confusion in her voice. “Yes.”

“I told you that I couldn’t find her. That her fading happened so fast that I wasn’t able to discern where she really was.” Luke takes a deep breath and slowly exhales. “I lied.”

Luke can hear the definite confusion in her voice now. “So where was she?”

“A mining complex on Araxxis 3. In their med-ward.”

“Why was that so bad that you felt you had to lie to me about it?”

“It was the maternity section.”

Luke’s announcement hangs on the air, heavy and oppressive. He can hear Mara’s inhaling hiss of breath as she comprehends what Luke is saying. What Luke is admitting to having done.

“Noelani?”

Luke mutely nods his head.

“Tell me that she willingly gave up the baby.”

Luke slowly shakes his head. “No. I removed all memories she had of the pregnancy, and her child. Dropped her off on Mon Calamari, and took the baby girl to the Darklighter’s, Bigg’s parents, to raise, to adopt as one of their own. When I checked the apartment I had put Tahiri up in after dropping Noelani off, she was gone. I didn’t see her again until the night before our trip to the Unknown Regions.”

He feels the couch shift again, and looks up at Mara, just in time for her fist to connect with his face. The force of the punch knocks Luke off the couch, and he sprawls to the ground at Mara’s feet.

“You kriffing lying Sith! How could you do that to her?”

Luke sits up, rubbing his jaw. “I thought it was for the best. I thought she’d be happier this way. She was so young.”

Mara’s stare is cold and hard as she looks at him. She waves her hand in his direction making a guttural noise of disgust, and turns away, quickly walking from him. She pauses; her hand hovering over the door activation plate.

“Who’s the father?”

“Do you have to ask?”

Mara’s mouth tightens a bit, and she opens the door and leaves the room.