The Other Side of Grace 10

I woke up nervous from a listless night full of restless dreams. Not a good way to start one of the most important days of my life. I got up, showered, dressed, ate a decent breakfast and then as arranged I went to the meeting place where I would be picked up along with several other students and taken to where the Trials were being held.

I had discussed the day before with Lord Vader about having the day off for the trials. I wanted to make certain that he knew where I was and what I was doing so that on some off chance that he might actually miss me at work and wonder where I was that he wouldn’t send a bunch of stormtroopers out to drag me back. That would have just been very embarrassing.
His end of the conversation had been as cheery as ever ending with a somewhat terse;

“See that you neither fail nor disappoint me in these trials, girl. I expect nothing but excellence.” He admonished.

I just smiled. “Thank you for your kind words of encouragement, my lord.” One of these days I was going to get thumped for having a smart mouth but as he leaned to sever the holonet connection I could have sworn I heard him chuckle.

There were seven other students waiting at the appointed meeting place. I had not studied with any of them, Master Kjestyll taught me alone. He said the Emperor wished it so I had been given private lessons. It was both an advantage and a disadvantage. Although on occasion, my master managed to arrange for me to have a sparring partner other than himself, I rarely had the opportunity to fight against people who were at the same level I was, more or less. I was the outsider of this group; the others all knew each other well. They had been laughing and joking but as I had approached they had gone silent.

I waved and said hullo in my standard cheery isn’t this wonderful we- are- all-just- going-to- be-the-best-of-friends voice, because I knew what they were thinking. I saw it in their eyes, the same way I saw the same look in everyone’s eyes these days. Oh look it’s Darth Vader’s little pet. I tried not to let it bother me but it did anyway. A few of them mumbled a quiet hullo back and the others just stared. Not much else for me to do except sit and wait, so I did and tried to find that quiet center within as I was doing so. When the transport arrived, along with Master Kjestyll and two other Masters of the Bunduki arts I did not know, I was grateful.

I sat on my own and ignored the cheerful camaraderie of the students travelling with me. It was easy to slip back into feeling left out and alone, even feeling sorry for myself but some where along the trip I began to realise that while I didn’t belong to this group of friends, I had my own group of people that I joked and giggled with. It occurred to me that when others saw me with Shiv and the gang, we too did exactly the same thing. We giggled and whispered and laughed. This group, they weren’t being mean, they just didn’t know me. This thought was comforting after the unquiet night I had experienced and I just closed my eyes and rested until we reached our destination.

Because of the secretive nature of the teachings I had been receiving I was quite surprised at the size of the gathering for the trials. There were over a hundred and fifty participants, from all over the galaxy and I was suddenly more than a little nervous.

One of the other students must have noticed this because he gave me shy smile. “It’ll be fine.” He said. “You’re trying for sixth, right?”

I nodded.

“There are only twelve or so combatants for that level, so it’s not as if you have to fight everyone here.” He grinned.

I grinned back. “Thanks, I was starting to feel as though I was stepping in front of a Krayt Ancient.”

He stuck out his hand for me to shake. “I’m Makki Iekki.” He said with a grin. “The others said you wouldn’t want to talk to us but I told them you were probably a bit shy.”

I took his hand and grinned back. “Merlyn Gabriel.”

He nodded and before I got to say more he added. “Yeah I knew that, guess most people know. They’re all a bit scared of you actually; I guess you thought we were being kinda rude.”

I shook my head. “Well, maybe a little bit but mostly what I thought was how lucky you all are that you get to do this together, I don’t often get to train with others.” I said. “And most people think I am pretty standoffish or being a snob, at least that’s what one of my friends who works at the palace told me a long time ago. With my job it’s hard to know how people will react.”

He nodded and grinned. “Guess it’s hard to know who to trust and talk to, given who you work for.”

“I didn’t think it was that big of a deal and I keep finding out I am wrong about that.”

He laughed. “Hell yeah, you were the big topic of gossip for ages, I knew the guy who had the job before you, not well mind you, but given what happened to him most of us thought you would be history in a week, two plus years later you are still around.” He shrugged. “To most of us that’s nothing short of a miracle. What’s he like to work with anyway?”

“Abrupt and unpredictable.” I said with a smile. “What do you do?”

“Hoping to eventually get into the Royal Guard, this is part of the pre training.” He said running a hand through his short dark hair.

“What level are you going for?”

“Ninth.”

“Oh, wow. And is Master Kjestyll your teacher?”

He shook his head, “No he actually doesn’t teach any classes he supervises mostly, my actual master is the Zabrak over there, Master Fessi. Actually most of the TKA students are pretty envious of you. Master Kjestyll doesn’t give private lessons to just anyone. He only has, I think, three or four solo students and you’re one. How did you swing that?”

I shrugged. “It wasn’t my idea, it was the Emperor’s.” I told him, figuring the truth was better than a lie.

Makki nodded knowingly. “No one says no the Emperor and lives.”

I couldn’t help my grin because I knew someone that did exactly that and got away with it.

“When was your last trial, Merlyn?” he asked as we scanned over the trial floor and the crowds gathered in small groups.

“Almost a year and a half, I have been away on assignment for Lord Vader, so I am a bit behind, but the last trial I was at was very small and very private. Nothing like this.”

“Yeah, this is big. I think they are starting to open up the schools a bit more, not sure why though. For the longest time it was all very hush, hush but the Emperor changed things some months back, before that you couldn’t even utter the name of what we all learn but now you can. I don’t know what happened or why but I am not complaining.” He said.

“I hadn’t heard that, but then my master is pretty tight lipped about most things, we don’t speak a lot.” I told him.

Makki nodded. “He is one of the best. We are lucky to have him at the school. I was nervous when my master told me I would be ready to take these trials. When I disagreed he said ‘If Master Kjestyll arranged for a trial then you must be ready; he would not put you out there if you weren’t.’ It was your master who stopped me from going for my ninth six months ago because he knew I wasn’t quite there yet, even though Master Fessi said I was. I was really angry but you known what? He was right.”

“I am sure you will do well, Ninth trials are at the end of the day right?”

He nodded. “They save the best for last, I get to watch you all bust your butts first.” He laughed. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to the others. They are all dying to find out more about you anyway.

I was introduced and once the initial shyness wore off we all chattered about what was happening. All of us were nervous and none of us had attended such a large example of the Trials before. The buzz in the air was infectious.

Of the group I was with no one else was trying for sixth, two were a level beneath me, going for fifth, what I was now and except for Makki, the other four were all vying for eighth level. None of us would compete until later on so we had plenty of time to watch the juniors and get really wound up.

The arena was not large, and the testing was done by three masters watching the students. Passing the trials was based on several things, form, speed, skill and accuracy but also honour played a big part of it. This was not a competition or even a tournament but it felt a little like one. Each person was matched with a partner whose skill and level pretty much equalled their own. The judging masters would watch and appraise the students’ skill based on what they saw. Each pair had three matches and while it was stressed many times by the person doing the announcing that this was not a competition, there were no prizes being handed out and unlawful conduct would not be tolerated but it sure didn’t feel that way.

Master Kjestyll was one of the selected judges and the other two masters, Master Fessi and Master Loridan were in charge of watching over us. We were herded into our waiting area on the wooden benches and told on no uncertain terms that we were to behave ourselves. The morning passed by easily enough and we watched, more quietly than some of the other groups, as the lower Trial participants began their testing.

It was easy to see the slight differences in the various schools that were there. Makki and I had fun pointing them out to each other. The way certain hand motions were made, or how a crescent moon kick was executed. I was curious to see how the variations in styles also combined, the defensive verses the offensive. It was almost relaxing to watch the little kids pass from level one to level two; they were still unafraid of anything life had yet to throw at them and mostly just enjoyed what they were doing. The older the participants got the more tense the atmosphere became. Even though this was not a tournament it sure was starting to feel like one.

Two of the pairs going for level four had to be stopped because instead of trying to show off their technique and prove they were skilled enough to move on and learn at the next level they were actually trying to beat the brains out of each other. I was surprised at the quick brutality of a one particular pair and wondered if it hadn’t been some sort of a grudge match without anyone knowing.

Makki filled me in on some of the gossip about school rivalries ending with the second largest school in the system. “The Corellian Star school hates us most of all, any judge who pairs one of them with one of us is asking for trouble.” He said.

“Not that any of the Palpatine School would engage in a grudge match, am I right ke’ashj Makki?” whispered Master Fessi, leaning down from his seat up from us to interrupt.

Makki looked up at him. “No master, we all know better than to engage in dishonourable conduct, but sometimes they do make it hard.”

Master Fessi nodded. “All the more reason to show the watching world how disciplined and good we are at what we do.” He said. “All the more reason to show this watching world how we obey and give pride to those who have taught us and gone before, would you not agree ke’ashj Merlyn?”

I nodded, smiling at the use of the title honoured student before my name. Master Kjestyll never called me that, he usually just called me child when he called me anything at all.

“We look forward to seeing your skill, ke’ashj Merlyn, Master Kjestyll says you have great promise for a student who began training so late.”

I blushed. “I am honoured by his praise.” I said, and then added, “I sure hope he’s right.”

Master Fessi laughed. “Find the stillness, little one, and you will find your strength. He has mentioned to me that you have had the honour of sparring with Lord Vader?”

I nodded and must have made a face because he laughed. “I have indeed been on the receiving end of a lesson or two.” I said.

Makki looked at me with wide eyes. “You fight with him and you live?”

“Well it is more like I spend an hour or two trying to avoid being killed and he thinks it’s funny.” I told them. “I usually end up pretty black and blue and mostly we fight with combat staves, and” I added, “he is mostly playing with me, like a jax with a mouse, trust me it’s not as much fun as it sounds.”

Master Fessi nodded. “Lord Vader has been well trained in many martial arts styles, including some of the Bunduki Arts. I am quite certain you have learnt a great deal from him ke’ashj Merlyn.”

I just nodded and gave Makki, who was staring at me as though I had suddenly sprouted five heads and turned green with pink spots, a big grin.

Master Fessi laughed. “I think you have just done the impossible, ke’ashj Merlyn, you have rendered my most garrulous student speechless. Well done.”

In that moment the announcement that the morning’s trials were over and there would be a half hour break for lunch broke any other comments coming my way. Huddled in our little group we ate high count nutrient bars that would not fill us up and make us sluggish, washed down with water. It wasn’t much of a lunch, but then as my trial time drew nearer I wasn’t all that hungry.

As the second half of the day got underway the tone of the event shifted slightly, as the higher levels began to show off their skills and advance upward so did the tension and the excitement.

We all watched with baited breath as the first two students from our small group, Alra and Jutiri were called into the trial square and paired off. Alra was in the first group and Jutiri in the third. They had been partnered with members from the Chandra’beh School from the planet of Malastare. Alra was very petit and she had been paired with someone who was almost twice her size, something I thought was a bit unfair but Master Fessi only shrugged.

“Size is not important, and sometimes being smaller can be advantageous, ke’ashj Alra is very good at taking advantage of her small size.” He said as he munched noisily on an apple.

And he had been right. She was fast and moved with a breezy ease that annoyed the hell out of her opponent. She passed her level easily and Makki whispered to me that she should have passed this level some time ago but had to skip the test because she had come down with vagles, a particularly nasty virus that caused severe burning in the joints.

We all cheered as the announcer gave the results of the first round of participants and then waited until it was Jutiri’s turn.

Jutiri was a medium height, well built young man about three years younger than I was. He had an easy way of moving that reminded me of my uncle’s jaxes. His opponent was taller, more wiry but no less graceful. They were very evenly matched and their three trial bouts were just gorgeous to watch and it was no surprise that they both passed. Nothing could hide their beaming smiles as the master of the ceremonies handed them each their new coloured kej-ji’doh jackets.

When my name was called I was ready. Just as I got up to prepare Master Fessi put a hand on my shoulder.

“Remember who you are and who has taught you ke’ashj Merlyn. Be the stillness do not seek it.” He said.

I bowed to him and thanked him for his words which I had needed to hear. I took a deep breath and then I took my place amongst the others of my trial class. It was a strange thing to look around and size up my peers. It wasn’t a tournament or even a competition but the competitive tension that filled the room was astonishing. No one it seemed learned the Bunduki Arts just for fun; each and every one of us had an edge to sharpen or in some cases an axe to grind.