Vilyam woke to find Master Adega looming over him, a dense web of lightning crackling and flowing harmlessly through his robes before surging into the Jedi Master's feet and into the ground.
What have I done?
He had absolutely no recollection of what had transpired while he was asleep, but he was undeniably convinced that he was the one who had caused whatever had happened.
This conviction was crystal clear on his face.
"M- Master I- I didn't know!"
Tears began to well up within his sapphire blue eyes as he started to recall his terrifying nightmare.
In the dream, his doppelganger had viciously snapped his mother's neck and then blasted him with an immensely painful bolt of Force Lightning.
Master Adega shook his head and smiled.
"Don't fret, young one. It's natural that you would have bad dreams every now and again, especially considering that you were quite old when we took you in!"
However, even as the Master said this, his thoughts held a different take.
This boy unleashed Force Lightning while unconscious, I may have to separate him from the rest of the children.
He paused his thoughts and scratched his furry chin.
Perhaps a journey with a Knight will sooth him.
Master Adega lifted his arm and pressed a device on his wrist which beeped once before a voice echoed out.
"Do you need something, Master?" An undoubtedly feminine voice rang from the device, causing Vilyam to question just who Master Adega was speaking to.
However, before he could ask Master Adega began speaking into the communication device.
"I'm in the Initiates' quarters. Please come and meet me here; you'll know which one it is!"
A moment passed before the feminine voice replied.
"Acknowledged, I'll be there shortly, Master!"
The device beeped once more as the communication ceased.
Vilyam fixed his gaze on the Master, a noticeable blend of confusion and a subtle undercurrent of apprehension present in his expression.
Barely moments later, the door swung open, revealing a Twi'lek woman stepping into the room.
Her purple skin was visibly glistening with perspiration, a clear indication to both William and Master Adega that she had likely been engaged in some rigorous training just prior to that moment.
"Master Adega, I'm assuming that your reason for calling me has something to do with the young initiate here, am I correct?"
Master Adega approached the Twi'lek Jedi and patted her shoulder.
"You are very correct, Mirelia meet Vilyam our newest Initiate, Initiate Vilyam, meet your new Master, Knight Mirelia."
My new Master? But what about Kadro Vess?
The confusion was quite evident on Vilyam's
face, causing both Master Adega and Knight Mirelia to respond with warm smiles, sensing the feelings he was expressing.
Master Adega was the first to break the silence.
"From this moment forward, you are officially designated as Mirelia's prospective Padawan. Should she deem you worthy of advancement, she will be the one to bestow upon you the rank of a true Padawan!"
He walked over to Vilyam and then reached out to ruffle his dark hair.
"May the Force be with you young one."
Having delivered these words, Master Adega then turned to leave the room, although not without pausing to whisper something that remained utterly inscrutable into Knight Mirelia's ear.
After a brief conversation with her, Master Adega nodded curtly towards the knight before turning to leave the room, his imposing presence, both physically and within the Force, following him out.
Knight Mirelia turned towards Vilyam, her hazel eyes peering directly into his sapphire blue eyes with intensity that caused him to unknowingly shiver.
"Gather your things, we will be leaving shortly!"
Without waiting for his reply, she turned to leave the room.
Vilyam scratched the back of his head and let out a long, drawn out sigh.
This is gonna suck!
Following a thorough stretching routine designed to loosen up his often-tense muscles, he finally managed to get himself off the bed and made his way towards the nearby mirror.
Vilyam stared into his own reflection for minutes that somehow felt like hours.
He was no longer that ignorant farm boy who had first arrived.
His body had evolved, he was no longer that small, terrified child who first became a Jedi Initiate, his body becoming sculpted due to the intense training regime as well as the modest food provided.
With a gesture of his hand, Vilyam made a brush float into his hand, and he proceeded to fix his sleep-matted dark hair.
Having finally managed to tame his once knotted and unruly hair into something more or less presentable, he then began to go about dressing himself in the garments of the day, which was naturally a robe.
He looks once more at his reflection a small, nearly imperceptible smile on his face as he mutters.
"Still handsome hehehe."
Following that, he started diligently packing his most necessary items into a backpack that was conveniently located nearby.
This included an extra set of underwear, a small selection of snacks that he had managed to save up, a few miscellaneous grooming tools, and most importantly, a photograph of his family.
"I'll be back soon, Dad!" He says before closing the rucksack and stepping towards the door.
Upon stepping out he was forced to shield his eyes from the intense sunlight, the light blinding him for a short time before his eyes adjusted properly.
All around him, the Initiates and younglings could be seen engaged in vigorous training; wooden training swords clashed repeatedly, their sounds echoing through the training halls, while small orbs of stone floated erratically in the air.
One particularly powerful Initiate held aloft what could only be described as a boulder, a truly formidable object, even as he swung his wooden sword with considerable force.
This specific Initiate was completely covered in a thick coat of fur, and each of his swings was followed by a powerful roar that seemed to subtly vibrate the very air surrounding him, followed by a burst of wind following his every strike.
As Vilyam moved through the training field, his gaze fell upon his Master, Knight Mirelia, who was leaning against the wall of the central chamber.
Her eyes were closed, and a palpable sense of calm seeming to envelop her like a comforting cloak.
As William started to make his way toward her, a number of eyes were drawn to him.
Some of these were friendly and welcoming, while a few held a noticeable hint of irritation.
However, one eye in particular stood out, radiating a clear and unmistakable malice.
Turning to face the hostile gaze fixed upon him, he found himself locked in a direct stare with Initiate Strom.
Their eyes met, and in that instant, a palpable tension arose, thick enough to resist even the most forceful lightsaber blows.
This guy... I feel like he will eventually become a problem!
Vilyam gave Strom a smirk before turning his back on him, the act causing fury to rise in the eyes of Strom, a vengeful snarl appearing on his face
"I'll fix you one day, Rax. I'll fix your whole family!" Strom's eyes momentarily flickered with a hateful yellow light, but he quickly regained his composure, the yellow in his eyes disappearing just as quickly as it appeared.
Vilyam reached Knight Mirelia and she gestured with her head for him to follow, her head tails swaying from the movement.
Together they left the Jedi Temple and hopped into a landspeeder parked outside the gates.
"Uhm Master... Where are we going?"
Knight Mirelia smirked playfully but said nothing.
The landspeeder zipped through the city streets, expertly navigating around civilians and various obstacles thanks to the skilled piloting of the Twi'lek driving it.
Within minutes they arrived at a landing pad where a spaceship was waiting for them.
"This is my ship, it's a Defender-Class light Corvette, I call her the Defiant Spirit!"
Wow it's so big, I wonder if I will have one of my own someday.
As this thought occurred to him, Knight Mirelia expertly maneuvered the landspeeder to a stop before stepping out onto the ground, her gaze fixed on the spacecraft with a clear affection, as if it were the very place she truly called home.
As Vilyam stepped out, eyes still ablaze with anticipation, his Master, Knight Mirelia suddenly felt something wrong, as if the Force itself was warning her.
Suddenly she reached out in the Force and grasped her Padawan and tossed him towards the open ramp.
Two men in dark clothing approached with blasters, one of which held some kind of button in his off hand which he proceeded to click.
BOOOOOM
The landspeeder exploded, sending Knight Mirelia flying backwards but before she could crash she swept her hand behind her and used the a Force push to slow her descent, her other hand pulling the lightsaber from her waist.
SNAP... HISS!
With a distinct snap, her lightsaber sprang to life, its blade emanating a brilliant, almost electric cyan glow.
The two men began to fire their blasters at Mirelia, arcs of blazing red plasma creating a resonant electric twang in the air as they shot towards her.
As Vilyam stood up he watched as his Master easily blocked, deflected and sometimes sliced the bolts streaming towards Mirelia.
Mirelia raised her offhand and extended her hand, using the Force to manipulate the still-burning remains of the landspeeder. With a burst of energy, she sent it hurtling towards the two men who were currently attacking her, forcing them to quickly leap out of the way to avoid being hit.
Mirelia stepped back in measured strides, her boots scraping lightly against the scorched duracrete as she gave ground toward the starship.
Red blaster bolts screamed toward her.
Her lightsaber moved like a living thing.
SNAP-HISS-CRACK!
One bolt split against her blade and ricocheted skyward.
Another she caught and sent screaming back toward its sender, forcing one of the men to duck and roll.
She didn't rush.
Didn't panic.
Each step was deliberate.
Each breath controlled.
"Stay behind me," she said, not looking at Vilyam.
The two attackers recovered quickly, spreading out as they advanced, trying to flank her.
Smarter than thugs.
Desperate, but not reckless.
Mirelia's eyes narrowed.
Good.
That meant they were predictable.
The ramp behind her slid open with a hydraulic hiss, as if the ship itself had been holding its breath.
"Now."
She reached out with the Force, seized Vilyam by the front of his robes, and pulled him in hard, dragging him up the ramp as another volley of bolts lit the air behind them.
The instant her boots crossed the threshold, she pivoted and slashed once, and a bolt split in two, the halves carving glowing scars into the ramp walls.
Then she stepped fully inside.
The ramp began to close.
A calm, synthetic voice chimed through the ship's interior.
"Welcome back, Commander Mirelia."
"Code yellow," Mirelia snapped, already moving deeper into the corridor. "Activate automated defenses."
A brief pause.
Then-
"Code yellow acknowledged. Defensive systems online."
Outside, the two men slowed their approach, weapons raised, eyes locked on the ship.
Too quiet.
Too easy.
The hull shifted.
Panels along the ship's surface peeled back like metal petals, revealing sleek, recessed turrets that rotated into position with cold precision.
Thin red targeting beams flickered to life, painting the men in intersecting lines of light.
They froze.
For a heartbeat, the world held still.
Then one of them cursed.
"Run!"
They bolted.
Too late.
The turrets fired.
Not plasma, something sharper, harsher.
Crackling bolts of blue-white energy tore through the air, snapping like caged lightning unleashed.
The ground blackened where they struck, arcs dancing wildly across the surface.
One bolt clipped the edge of a man's coat, sending electricity crawling across the fabric.
He screamed, jerking violently as his body spasmed, barely managing to tear himself free before the next volley struck where he'd stood.
The second man didn't even look back.
They ran hard, weaving, stumbling, fleeing like prey that had just realized it wasn't the hunter.
The barrage followed them to the edge of the platform, relentless, precise, until both figures disappeared into the maze of the city beyond.
Silence returned in fragments.
The turrets retracted smoothly, folding back into the hull as if nothing had happened.
Inside the ship, Vilyam stood frozen, chest rising and falling in uneven breaths.
Mirelia deactivated her lightsaber with a sharp snap-hiss and clipped it back to her belt.
Only then did she glance at him.
"You still think this is going to suck?" she asked, one brow lifting slightly.
There was the faintest ghost of a smirk on her lips.