OOC: This is going to start out closed but I'll probably open it up after a few posts.

IC:

Kenshin could still remember Master Wade. He was a rugged man with a wrinkled brow, as if he had experienced many things and they had made him age prematurely. A knowing face. His gaze was always calm, his eyes two infinite pools of patience. And that tousled dark brown hair and beard gave him the look of someone that had went wherever the wind went.

"...You remind me of myself when I was young..."

Those words were still so clear. Kenshin recalled them as if it was said just yesterday even though Master Wade said them barely over a murmur years ago. Maybe a lifetime ago.

He never knew much about Master Wade's past, but the Jedi Knight definitely gave off the aura of a once wanderer. One that had learned much from experiencing a little of everything.

Kenshin never thought of himself of being like Master Wade. He must have had such an adventerous life. And yet, here he was in the middle of no where, going wherever the wind went.

Just like Master Wade.

Probably under very different circumstances and reasons but still. He was wandering and doing little things that changed lives. It was hard work helping individuals but it was a start. And he was following the Jedi Code. Helping and protecting. On a totally smaller scale, but a more personal scale.

"Oof."

Kenshin opened his eyes to see the face of a little girl with red-gold hair framed by the blue of the sky. She tugged at his face and giggled.

"What is it, Adara?"

He rolled over slightly making her slide off his stomach and onto the grass.

"Your whiskers make you look funny."

Kenshin grinned and propped himself up to a sitting position. He scanned the field with a content sigh.

"Is that all?"

Adara giggled and ran a hand over his chin.

"No, they tickle too. Oh, and dinner's ready."

Kenshin smiled at the mention of food. He could really use something to eat.

"Okay, let's go then. I'll race you."

The two got up and dashed across the field towards the small house at the edge of the valley.

The pungent smell of sweat and dirt mingled with the acidic aroma of fresh picked fruit. The atmosphere of the greenhouse was heavy with a wet blanket of warmth and humidity; the environment was purposely set that way for the particular crop in the room.

Amidst the crate stacking, mumbling, shuffling of people and other sounds of a place at hard work was Kenshin. The forest green tunic he wore was wrinkled and his baggy tan pants were soiled. He was kneeling before a small patch of dirt and was meticulously transfering a small seedling from its pot to the ground.

The place is a small one, no more than a few hundred family units. The families here, however, are close knit and the friendships strong. The town's main income seems to be agriculture. They grow mostly grains, but there are a few greenhouses of fruit and vegetables. The town is located in a very rural area.

The little people with little people kind of worries.

At first impression, they seem so ignorant; they are the extremely trustful and caring type. However, though they may be a bit behind in technology they are very up to date with the current news and very knowledgable, passing down secrets and traditions generation by generation.

It's a whole new way of life out here. One so simple and carefree. Definitely worth protecting. And that's what I plan to do...

The sharp clang of a bell signalled the end of his shift. After picking up his belongings from his locker, he hopped onto his speeder and made his way to the Deynan residence where he was taking temporary shelter.

As he came 'home', he was greeted with a hug by the ever cheerful Adara and recieved a smile of welcome from Lugh, the leader of the town.

Mark came running from behind the house waving a wooden lightsaber replica with great excitement. Another boy followed and a fight scene commenced.

Kenshin grinned as Mark threw him a spare wooden shaft and he jumped into the fray as well.

It was a beautiful day. The grass still wet with dew and the buzzing silence of a world waking was suspended in the air. A carefree, lethargic feeling.

But atmosphere of the conversation between the two Jedi was drastically different. A sullen weight hovered in the air and it fit perfectly on his shoulders; a thick iron mantle of confusion, frustration and doubt. It was forged by past events, a polished weight he carried with diligence and understanding for a long time.

But recently it had begun to rust at the joints; And it chafed.

The topic was a difficult subject as well, consisting of controversial matters in theoretical situations; the concepts and morals reforming as the situations changed.

He could still feel Master Cole's gaze on him and the Jedi Master's slight frustration as the man tried to grasp important statements to prove his point. While he himself sat there in a half trance taking every well made arguement apart.

Maybe he had been rude. Perhaps he could have been a better listener and student. Master Cole was only trying to reassure him. And had chose to listen.

But none of the Jedi Master's points hit home. They all bounced off the steelly walls of his well rooted morals. Well, all except for one.

That one statement had made him think. He could still hear Master Cole's voice and his fatherly tone as he said it.

"I am curious to know of what you would do if there were no such things as Padawans, Knights and Masters..."

Here he was, putting that theory to the test. Living the principles of the Jedi outside of the Jedi stronghold and outside of the Jedi social structure.

He just hoped that his spot in the Jedi society was still there when he returned.

"Well, I'll have one hell of a story to tell Master Cole at least..."

The padawan gave a quiet sigh as he gazed up at the vast blanket of indigo. The constellations gave off a soft, pure light. A semblance of comfort that was welcomed whole-heartedly.

The area was quiet, the hearts leaded and sullen. The smell of smoke still lingered in the air reminding them of the explosion; imprinting the event into their minds, claiming its place in their memories.

Kenshin stood at the scene of the fire, his face lined with concentration as if studying the aftermath with the other leaders of the town. But in fact, his face was lined with worry.

The explosion had been due to some sort of equiptment failure in this particular greenhouse and that was all he needed to know. He didn't care for the technical terms at the moment. Luckily no one died.

But the effect on Kenshin was still traumatizing.

It was reminder that he couldn't prevent accidents or natural disasters. He had known that since the beginning. It had been engraved somewhere in the back of his mind. However, now that it smacked him in the face, it hurt. A lot.

A lone figure trudged along beside an unpaved road amidst a desolate prairie. The atmosphere was warm and the air smelled heavily sweet with the scent of a brewing storm. A gust of wind danced through the wildflowers and weaved between the tall grass.

Kenshin paused as he looked backward at the mountain range, the wind whipping through his cloak as well as his hair. The oncoming clouds were slate grey as well as thick and foreboding.

Figuring that getting wet was inevitable, Kenshin decided to just keep on going forward. There seemed to be a cave in the rock on the other side of the valley, hopefully it was uninhabited.

A scream pierced the silent night air as the flash of a blaster shot was seen. Then all was silent again. A muffled grunt could be heard as the bodies collided, locked in the blood boiling rage of combat.

Suddenly, there was the snap-hiss and a blue flash. A yelp of pain was followed by the smell of sizzling flesh. The crack of bones could be heard as bodies were thrown against the floor.

A deafening clap resonated throughout the canyon. And as if on signal, the heavens heaved and unleashed its dammed up water.

Kenshin squinted upward at his destination. His long, unkempt hair plastered itself against his face and his clothes did the same to his body.

He had been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed that it had gotten dark as the storm clouds enveloped him.

The rain came down in sheets, making the water seem solid. Lightening flashed across the sky, lighting up the field.

Scurrying up the slight incline of rocks, Kenshin finally stepped into the cave. Giving it a quick scout, he gathered some twigs and grass to start a fire.

As the kinder crackled and came to life, the weary young man sat down beside the dancing flames to warm his chilled frame. As the warmth tingled through his fingers, Kenshin drifted off into mind once more.

The sleeping form shifted and rolled over, waking to the tender warmth of morning. Sitting up, Kenshin's eyes slowly focused at the sunlight streaming in from mouth of the cave.

The thunderstorm had passed, leaving the the previously somewhat parched field full of life. The song of birds was in the air as well as the buzzing of insects and the flowers were in full bloom.

Forcing his sore body up with a groan, Kenshin mentally made a note to himself not to fall asleep on cold, hard rock.

As he tried to indulge himself on the beautiful scene, his stomach began to protest.

"Of course. Breakfast."

But that would have to wait. He had sensed a dense population last night and it seemed to be located on the otherside of a forest.

Giving the thick mass of trees a thoughtful look, Kenshin shouldered his pack and trudged onward.

It's been...two years. It's almost time for phase three...

The dark dirt path was soft beneith the soles of his feet and the warm, hushed breeze rustling through the leaves was comforting.

Kenshin gazed upward at the sunlight filtering through the canopy of the forest as he walked. The broken shards of light illuminated the intwined branches.

There was a rustle in the foilage as a small furry, dark brown creature waddled out of the bushes and onto the path. It gave Kenshin a curious gaze with unfocused eyes.

Kenshin's gaze at the cub was just as curious. Why there was a bear cub in the center of his path staring was beyond him.

Shrugging the oddity off, he walked around the cub and continued on his way.

However, the bear cub wasn't done with him just yet and it followed somewhat deliberately, without bothering with stealth.

The longer the cub followed the more uneasy Kenshin became.

If there was a cub around, his mother was bound to be in the area as well. And at this rate, it was only a matter of time before he bumped into Mommy.

And he was dead right.

Grunting could be heard as the mother bear trudged out of the grasses and onto the path infront of him.

The cub was strutting behind him.

"Great," he thought, "I'm gonna be dead meat if I don't get junior here to step foward..."

Inching backward, Kenshin managed to skip over the half-grown cub without too much effort. But keeping him infront proved to be a different matter.

Evidently, Junior didn't like the front too much and as soon he was foward, he sauntered behind.

Sighing, Kenshin lept backward once more but his time he pressured Junior foward, restraining him from moving behind.

Wrong thing to do.

The cub gave a squeal-like whine and the powerhouse infront of him charged on signal with a roar.

Kenshin rolled aside and the mother bear skidded past him. Kenshin took this moment to run as far away as he could.

He zig-zagged through the greenery to slow her down. She'd eventually give up chase, he just didn't know how long.

After a long sprint, Kenshin paused in a small clearing to catch his breath. However, this allowed the bear to catch up.

Blumbering out of the trees, she paused and snorted at him. Growling, she swiped at his head, throwing her whole shoulder into the swing.

Instantly a white beam hummed into life in Kenshin's hands and in a flash the bear backed off. There was a small, closed and cauterized cut in her forearm.

Kenshin held a grim look and waited for another attack. To his surprise, she backed off and disappeared into the trees again.

Kenshin gave a sigh of relief and slid to the ground wearily as he deactivated Master Wade's saber with a snap-hiss.

He didn't know how long he had been walking. It was all the same to him, just one step after another. Kenshin gave a grunt as he stubbed his toe against a rock in his path.

Huh? The road's becoming rockier...

He suddenly jerked his head up, fully alert of his surrounding for the first time in hours.

He stood on top of a small hill overlooking a small suburban development. In the distance there was a metropolis, its skyline framed by purple and orange from the distant setting sun.

It's getting late...

Kenshin quickly scanned the area and noticed a lone tree nearby. It had a thick trunk and its leaves were packed tight.

He whistled quietly as he walked over to the tree and settled under its branches. It would be a good shelter for the night. Hopefully it didn't rain.

He gazed dreamily at the night sky as he lay on the soft grass.

What to do tomorrow...

He had spent a year in an isolated town, discovering concepts of society that had eluded him for so long. Then he had spent a year in the wilderness, learning about the rules of nature.

Now all he had left was to try life in a city. Out of the three, it was probably the most common yet he pictured this as the most dangerous.

City life was another type of wilderness. Instead of killing for survival there was another kind of predation. One, that was in some ways, worse than killing for food.

Money.

It is a tool, needed for survival. And yet it could bring out the worst in people. And people can be the most dangerous creatures of them all.

So in ways, the city was much worse than the wilderness.

Kenshin woke from a sharp prodding in the ribs and the sound of curious laughter. As his eyes adjusted to the morning light, he gave a grunt and sat up.

There were two kids. A girl about a little older than ten standard years and a boy maybe a little more than half that. The older child had a stern, cautious look but the little boy that held a stick grinned with abandon.

"You're a Jedi or something aren't you? Even if you aren't wearing the robes, you have a light sword."

The girl pointed at the chrome cylinder at Kenshin's waist. Kenshin just gave a solemn nod.

"Are you crazy? My sis here says you're crazy cuz you aren't invesigating a black market or out chasing some evil Sith in the city. She figures that you're a reject or something cuz you're doing the little things instead."

It was an innocent enough question but the little boy's sister had a look on her face that could kill.

Kenshin tried really, really hard not to burst out laughing. His self control managed to reduce it to a chuckle, but his clear blue eyes shone with amusement.

Am I crazy? Isn't there a saying like "If you think you're crazy, you're not."? But I suppose not many in their right mind would purposely go off wandering...

Kenshin gave the pair a quiet smile as he stood up and picked up his sack which was lying nearby.

"Yeah, I'm crazy alright."

The little boy beamed as he gazed upward at him.

"Then when I grow up, I'm gonna go crazy too and help people with the little things."

Kenshin was blank for a moment, lost for words at the little boy's definite tone. There was a short moment of silence before a grin tugged at the Jedi's face.

"You do that kid. You do that."

He gave the boy a joyful look as he ruffled his mouse brown head. Kenshin then faced the direction of the city and stepped back on the road.

The first signs of the city environment he noticed was not the smoothly paved roads, the increase of people or the obvious lack of greenery, but a change in the air quality.

It startled him to notice such a thing almost instantly. The air in the city wasn't polluted or anything. It just carried a more musty or dulled feeling contrasting to the crisp and light feel of the wilderness he had been in for so long.

Being in a city again brought back memories of times before this wanderer's quest for answers. A time that seemed so long ago.

It wasn't Theed. But he didn't want it to be Theed. Theed held the Jedi Academy and the Jedi Academy held thoughts and feelings he had left behind. Thoughts and feelings he wasn't ready to face just yet.

Kenshin wandered though the streets aimlessly. He really didn't know where to start this new adventure and he hadn't planned anything. He had tried, but his mind had gone blank.

So he opened himself to the Force and allowed himself to fall into a half alert state of mind.