23 ABY
Jedi Temple
Naboo


The blades came together, green against yellow. Energy hissed and sizzled as the weapons swept the air, seeking an opening, a weakness to exploit. The combatants circled, probing with their blades, slashing and thrusting with as much expertise as they had at their command. It was like any normal battle but for two variables. These were Jedi Padawans engaged in combat during the monthly combat championships. And it was pitch black.

Usually, the dueling arena was well lit, allowing the combatants to see one another while they fought. This was especially true during the championships. However, this time the combatants had opted for real-world settings. Which meant that other variables had to be thrown into the fight. Which was why the room was pitch black.

Behind the green energy blade, Mynenial stood in Position One, waiting for her opponent to strike again. She was one of the older competitors here today, but she had not learned enough under a master to disqualify her. So she opted to enter, hoping to be chosen as a Padawan by one of the Masters in the crowd.

Several years earlier, she had been the Padawan of Master Corran Horn. But he had disappeared without a trace, and she was left without a master. She had returned to the Temple only to find that all the Masters had an apprentice already, and she was told to take lessons from all the masters as best she could. She would also teach herself under the watchful eye of those masters that remained in the Temple.

But she wanted out of there now. She wanted to use the skills she had learned as a Jedi for something other than just sitting and meditating, or dueling others in the arena. She wanted to change the galaxy for good. And the quickest way she could think of to achieve that goal was to win this contest.

But now she was at a disadvantage. Her opponent, the Cathar Jedi Iella, was an expert at quick, sudden attacks, and the Cathar's natural ability to change her pigmentation meant that Mynenial was forced to rely only on the Force and the other's blade to find her. The blades clashed again and again.

Mynenial was not without ability herself. A Dathomirian by birth, she had inherited the survivalist and warrior nature of her ancestors. Her time visiting the planet had enhanced her natural abilities until she could match almost anyone her age in hand-to-hand combat. But one fact remained...the Cather knew the Force better.

And that would be the Jedi's weakness. Iella struck again, but instead of blocking, Mynenial crouched and swept her foot out towards the other's feet. A quick Force-assisted leap saved her from falling prey to the sweep, but Mynenial had been counting on that move. As Iella leapt, Mynenial launched into a back handspring. As she landed, she kicked upwards.

Iella had somersaulted in the air and was just coming out of her tuck when Mynenial's foot struck her full in the mouth. The Cathar flipped backwards, her feet flying forwards, and landed hard on her back. She was moving immediately, rolling away from the expected strike and leaping to her feet.

But Mynenial hadn't struck. She had waited for the Cathar to rise before slashing at waist height. Iella barely managed to get her saber up in time to block.

The blades locked for a moment, and Mynenial stared into the yellow orbs of the Cathar. Then Iella blinked, flipped off her saber, and disappeared into the darkness.

It was a game of hide and seek, now. Mynenial switched her own blade off, and the darkness was complete. Not a whisper could be heard from the stands. This match was very even, and almost everyone was wondering who would come out victorious. Those that could reached out with their senses, trying to find the combatants and determine their intentions.

Mynenial moved slowly, ready to activate her saber at the first noise. But Iella was better. As a Cathar, she heard Mynenial's footsteps and managed to creep around behind her. She crept forward, masking her own steps with those of Mynenial. Her saber left her belt quietly, moving slowly to her hand. Two feet...one foot...

Searing pain! The green blade sliced the air and the neck of Iella. The lights came on and the combatants deactivated their sabers. "Well done, both of you," commented Master Cole Donovan. "You have both proven very adept in the Force and in your skills."

Iella was downcast. "That may be true," she said, turning to Mynenia, "but you were the one that beat me."

Mynenial smiled. "But you put up a very good fight. If I hadn't felt you coming a moment before you struck, our roles would have been reversed. I bested you in the dark; I would be interested to see how we did in the light."

"As would I," replied Iella. "If that is all for today, though, I must head down to the med center. These burns need attention."

Mynenial sat back and surveyed the floor. Two other apprentices were sparring now; they were fairly evenly matched. Although Mynenial would not fight again before the noon meal, she stayed nearby to watch the rest of the competitors. She wanted to know everything she could about her potential opponents.

Engrossed as she was in the fight, she didn't notice Master Donovan approaching behind her. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Turning swiftly, she recognized his face and relaxed. "I'm fine, Master. Iella's blade never touched me."

Cole Donovan smiled. "I wasn't talking about the contest, Mynenial. I meant are you all right?"

Mynenial cocked her head, silently questioning the reasoning behind his statement.

He continued. "Ever since my apprentice left the Temple, I've had my eye on you. I still have not forgotten the duel between you and he several years ago. After Master Horn disappeared, I've been keeping especially close watch on you, and I've noticed some disturbing changes in your attitude. Changes that I saw in Ithron before he departed."

As he concluded, Mynenial took a sip of water. "What sort of changes, Master?" she asked.

Donovan pursed his lips. "Hm. They're hard to explain. It's a subtle thing. Dissatisfaction, perhaps. Disillusionment. Things like that."

Mynenial smiled. "Well, Master, you know that I've always wanted the Jedi to do more in the galaxy. We seem to have taken a passive role, not one that involves us in making the galaxy a better place. With the New Order growing stronger by the day, and other governments either growing more like them or unable to stop them, or even embroiled in their own petty conflicts, it would seem that it is the role of the Jedi to be a stabilizing force. And there is always the threat of the Sith."

Donovan considered her words for a moment. "You are correct in this, Mynenial. The Jedi have taken a more passive role. But answer one question for me - is it the Jedi way to force peace and stability on those who do not wish it? Is it the place of the Jedi to force beings into accepting the rule of this government or that simply because we think it is the best? What if we thought the Empire was the best form of government? Should we support it?"

Mynenial smiled broadly. "That's a lot more than one question, Master." They both laughed, then Mynenial continued. "Perhaps it is not the Jedi way, Master. But my question was not one of what is now, but what it should be. Of course we should not support the Empire or force others to bow to our will. If we did that, we would become no better than the Sith.

"But there must be beings in the galaxy who cry out for the help of the Jedi. There are races even now slaving under the tyranny of the Empire, begging to be freed. The Sith hold sway over a large population. Emperor Hyfe himself is a follower of the Dark Side. Should we not be hunting them down, exterminating these threats to peace?"

Master Cole Donovan looked out over the arena as one of the apprentices swept the legs out from under the other and pointed his saber at his opponent's throat. "Mynenial," he said, "that is a question that has been asked by Jedi for millenia. What is our true role in the galaxy? Are we simply peacekeepers for a government of our choice, as in the latter days of the Old Republic? Are we servants of the government, as with the New Republic? Are we protectors of the galaxy, as in Revan's day, or servants of the people, as in the days of the Exile? Or, perhaps, are we to simply sit back and contemplate the mysteries of the Force, as the first Jedi did?

"Your question has no answer, Mynenial, or none that has been decided upon. You must simply accept the decisions of the Council, as they are much more in tune with the workings of the Force than you."

Mynenial frowned. "But how is that possible when these questions plague my mind? Should there not be some resolution? I feel the pain of the galaxy as it cries out, begging for comfort. Is there nothing the Jedi can do to help? And you did not answer my question about the Sith. Shouldn't we be hunting them down?"

Master Donovan stood. "Surely, Mynenial, you know better than that. To hunt down the Sith would go against every principle of the Code, for we cannot be at peace when we are hunting down other beings. As for how to accept the Council's decisions, it is a difficult thing to learn. Each Jedi must come to trust the wisdom of those more powerful than themselves, wiser than themselves. You must trust their wisdom."

With that, he walked off, satisfied that the girl would think on the discussion. And think she did. But her thoughts were not the sort that he would have wanted.

Lunchtime.

A relief from combat.

A break from the tournament.

But Mynenial recieved no relief from the questions that continued to plague her mind. Trust the wisdom of the Masters? she thought. What kind of an answer is that? He might have well not answered me at all!

Her mind continued to work even as she picked at the lunch offered her. The food, though one of her favorites, had lost its taste. She wasn't sure if it was because of the serious questions with which she was dealing or if it was something else.

Why did he give me a run-around answer when all I wanted was a reasonable explanation, a reasonable answer? Why did he not simply give me one? Or is it that he can't? Can the Jedi not answer my questions? Or are the Masters simply afraid to face the Sith, afraid to become more involved in the galaxy?

Unfortunately, Mynenial didn't have time to come up with an answer to any of these questions. She had barely an instant's warning before she heard the hum of a lightsaber blade behind her. Pushing against the floor, she slid backwards and slammed into the gut of one of her seven remaining opponents. The Jedi Apprentice, a Bothan male, gasped and dropped his saber as he flew backwards across the room.

Mynenial rose and turned, igniting her saber and coming into Position One. She counted four other sabers, one of them the Bothan's. Three of the remaining competitors had been hit in the surprise attack. The hum of the energy blades filled the cafe.

The Bothan rolled to his feet and called his saber into his hand. The five remaining combatants faced off, none willing to initiate hostilities now. Then Master Donovan entered the room. "Apprentices," he began, "You asked for real-world conditions, so we decided to grant your request. Often in the real world, you are not aware that your opponent is going to attack you. So, to simulate such an environment, I instructed four of you to strike one competitor each. That strike eliminated three competitors, one of which was an attacker. Well done, those of you who survived into this round.

"Now, as you might know, the real world is not as forgiving as the combat arena. There are often innocent bystanders and obstacles to move around. So the rules of this round are quite simple. Last one standing wins. If you strike a bystander, well, you are disqualified." He paused. "Go."

Mynenial knew what was coming, so when he gave the command, she lept, directly over the Bothan's head. Landing behind him, she spun, slicing her weapon through his torso. He yelped as the saber, set on low power, burned him slightly, then nodded to her and headed to the door.

Spinning again, Mira brought her saber to Position Two, the hilt by her left ear, the blade perpendicular to the floor. Only three other combatants were left now, two Rodians and a Twi'lek friend of hers, Taj'alorn. The Rodians had ganged up on Taj'alorn and were slowly forcing her back despite the Twi'lek's impressive Form III defense. Two against one was never an easy battle, especially since the three apprentices were evenly matched in skill.

Mynenial took only a moment to size up the situation. The Rodian on the left, Rocan, was using a Form I offense, but he wasn't very good at it. The other, Matto, was using Form IV very effectively, spinning and flipping around Taj'alorn, using every angle of attack. So, I can either join the Rodians and end up fighting them both, or I can take out those two, then turn on Taj'alorn. Real difficult choice, she thought sarcastically.

Jumping onto a nearby table, Mynenial launched herself across the room. Her blade came down in a green arc, meeting Matto just as he launched into another flip. The blade cut through his body from crotch to crown, ending his participation in the battle. With Matto gone, Taj'alorn went on the offensive, striking quickly to down Rocan.

The two remaining competitors stared at each other. "Guess it's just us now, eh?" said Mynenial to her friend.

Taj'alorn smiled. "You could just give up now. We both walk away winners after a fashion, since we worked together to beat the Rodians."

Mynenial chuckled. "Not a chance in hell." With that, she moved forward, and green met blue as the finalists began the elegant dance of combat that would decide the victor of the tournament.