A New Story Begins

[Hanix Bnar]

It was a cool and sunny day on Naboo. The wind was blowing freely across the hills near a small town in the wilderness as a young boy sat against a tree as others in the background played. Some may have considered it odd, but to Hanix it was normal. He used to be that boy who played with the other kids, but that had been years ago; that had been before his father had disappeared; that had been before his mother had mysteriously died. Now he wasn't that playful, young boy any more. He kept to himself and he always visited this tree; the tree where he last saw his father. So there he was, sat against the tree wearing a baggy pair of grey pants that were torn around the bottoms, and a blue shirt that looked rather weathered as well.

He came here every few days and sat, hoping that his father would one day return to him; but part of him knew better. Part of him knew that he was never coming back. Still, that wasn't what kept him coming back. No, what kept him coming back was that when he sat at this tree, it was like his father was still there. He could hear his voice reaching out to him, guiding him. He had made the mistake of telling the family that took him in, and they told him he was overly imaginative. They would tell him that he was just coping with the loss of his family. Still he came because it was the last thing he had.

"Hanix, my son. Why do you look so sad?"

His head perked up as he looked around, expecting to see his father; but as happened before, there was nothing. He never spoke back, but he always thought out his response. His head hung low because today had been the day his father had vanished all those years ago. It was the hardest day of the year for him. It was the only day each year that he would spend all day by this tree.

"I am sorry, but I had to leave. I have told you so many times. Know that I always loved you."

He never understood that, but he had hoped it was true. He always hoped that his father wouldn't abandon him over nothing, but sometimes he wondered why. His father's voice never told him why he left, but Hanix knew it had to of been important. Still, he just wished he would return. He wanted to see his father again; he always wondered if he was still alive and if he would ever see him again.

"I am sorry, Hanix. I wish I could see you again, but that is not what the universe has in store."

A tear began to fall from his eye as he quickly wiped it away, trying to be strong. Then he felt a feeling that he had felt before, a feeling that told him he would not hear the voice again that day. It was as if something had left him. Hanix wanted to know so much more; he wanted to know about his mother's death and his father's disappearance, but he knew he would not get any answers from the voice or from anyone here. He knew that there were no answers for him, and this place only reminded him of all the bad and cruel things that had happened in his life. Hanix took a deep breath and stood to his feet, and as he did he felt something. It was the opposite feeling that he felt when the voice left; it was the feeling of something arriving. He looked up, but didn't see anything in any direction, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something there as he continued to look around.

[Colton Hunter]

The boy was right. Something else was out there. A hunter of the highest caliber. One that was not a fan of a place as peaceful and calm as Naboo. It was so... pristine. Crystalline blue waters, lush green forests, and sterile white cities... he preferred the dirty, rugged wilds of Jakelia, which the golden armored figure had called home. The Mandalorian's T-shaped visor scanned the area, slowly for several moments. His target was down. Deathwatch had always been a problem, and whoever was behind their latest strings of violence across the Mandalorian sector, and as the commander of Mando Cabure; Colton Hunter, the Jensaari, Chief of Clan Sorell felt it his duty, his very obligation, to remove the threat to the peace he had fought so hard to establish.

The helmet and broken blade of the man he had hunted down was now on his belt as he moved along the path, no longer needing to rely on the stealth of his previous mission... now, however, he felt a pull... a draw. His step faltered a moment, hesitated. He could feel the raw emotion... emotion that was full of a sort of heart break. One he understood well... one full of loss... His gaze turned to find the young man sitting there, lost in his thoughts... but then his gaze fell upon his.

"This planet is full of life and activity..." he commented, reaching up to take off his own helmet. He was a handsome man, though his face had been ruined from many a battle, two garish scars crossed his face, one from his right ear to the corner of his mouth, the other from the top of his left ear, and across one glowing red eye. His other eye was a silvery grey thing that bore into the man before him, dark black hair falling to his shoulders... "Peaceful in it's way," he added, "I don't mean to intrude," he said.

[Hanix Bnar]

A man wearing the armor of a Mandalorian appeared from out of the distance. The young boy watched as the young and formerly handsome man removed his helmet. He could see the battle scars that adorned his face from where he stood. Hanix felt a little uneasy as he looked at the man. There was something telling him that this man was dangerous; it was an instinct, and his instincts were rarely wrong. However, there was something else about this man; a peace about him. It felt as if the man didn't want any trouble, but if it arose, he was more then capable of squashing it.

"It is okay," the boy responded, "I am done here."Hanix didn't know what else to say. He was slightly scared. He had heard the stories about the Mandalorians. They were a people of war and violence, or at least, that is how the stories told it. Here on Naboo though, they were never seen or heard from. Hanix couldn't lie, his curiosity was slightly peaked, so he spoke once more,"It is definitely a lively place as you say; but it is not for me. Here we may not know war or much violence, but to some of us, there is no peace here."

Hanix grabbed a bag that was laying next to him and began to take a few steps away from the man, but something kept pulling at him. He turned to face the scarred man,"You're a Mandalorian, aren't you? You've fought battles far and wide? You've seen the galaxy and killed many men?"

[Colton Hunter]

Colt merely smiled, studying the boy. Then he sat, right on the ground, legs folding under him, crossing. His hands rested on his knees as he examined the inner workings within the young man.

"Peace is indeed hard to come by, but so long as one strives toward it, then the fighting that follows is worth it, within those tenements," he told him, his cheek twitching, just a bit as he mentioned killing people. He then sighed...

"Death is a way of life, I've seen a great many things in my life, killed many more... and I regret a great deal of it, and find solstice in fighting against that which I once was, others like that... Once there was a flame in my heart, one that burnt bright and angry... and I let it loose upon the world in the name of bad people..." he shrugged, "My life is varied, as I was pulled from a darkness many should never know, and into the light, warmth and compassion I never knew... then I had it all taken from me, in the same manner I had taken previously..." he waved a hand opposite him, inviting him to sit, or stay where he was. His choice.

"My name is Colton Hunter, Chief of Clan Sorell; I am the Jensaari, Commander of Mando Cabure," he added, with a warm smile, though his good eye did seem haunted in a way. "Think of us as Mandalorian constables," he allowed, "We keep the peace, what about you?" he asked, reaching out through the Force to get a feel of the boy... his own signature was weak, untrained... but the potential could be strong. He could help if he'd let him.

[Arruna Lom]

Naboo, a planet that was said to be a shining beacon of peace and prosperity in the galaxy was not a planet Arruna had ever been to. It was said to be a bustling planet of lush, green, vegetation and peace with the perfect balance of development and nature. In other words the perfect poster child of achieving balance Arruna was striving to reach.

It had been a while since Arruna had returned to active duty of sorts to the Blue Star Pirates, but the transition from leave of absence to active duty was slow. Many in the Blue Star Pirates still didn't trust the reformed former Sith, and that still infuriated her, but to even out her temper, Arruna focused on the fact that she was being given a second chance to straighten everything out. Plus her sister was getting a chance as well to get her life together after all those years of being forced into slavery.

She hadn't been faced with any major confrontations for quite some time, so whether or not Arruna had truly gotten a handle of that desirable balance she wanted had yet to be seen. Arruna thought she had, even if she still favored the dark side a bit over the light side because of her emotions. The true test would inevitably come once she got enough courage to face the Sith.

But for right now, that was not in the cards. Arruna had enough sense to know she was not ready to face the culprits of her demons and monsters, yet. Instead what was in the cards for right now was a simple pick up of some desperately needed couplets for repair of some older ships in the Blue Star Pirates' fleets and the supplier called Naboo home.

Though Arruna was no longer a lowly First Mate in the company, but rather a Captain, her superiors still wanted to monitor her a bit before giving her more challenging and more secretive tasks assigned to more experienced Nightshades it seemed. It was frustrating of course, but Arruna knew if only she remained patient a bit longer, and could keep in control, more challenging and profitable tasks would soon follow.

So until then, Arruna happily and patiently completed her tasks. Unlike the years she was a slave, though many tasks were rather menial at the moment, she never had to fear beatings and what not. Off duty she was free to do whatever for the most part, and unlike her time as a slave, there was plenty of room for promotions-without having to fight for your life and hurt innocents in the process.

So here she was on her way to the supplier to gather the order when she came upon the unfolding scene before her after, on a whim and something inside of her convinced her to go the more scenic route.

The azure Twi'Lek had indeed followed her whim and that voice inside by having decided to take a longer and more scenic route to her destination in a wilderness village according to the map provided to her. Consequently, the scenery along the way was indeed breathtakingly beautiful with its lush greenery, the polar opposite of the arid lands of her home planet of Ryloth. However, the unfolding scene before her was even more incredible, as she swore she saw him.

The Mandalorian, or in other words the man that had helped her free slaves before, the man who had taught her about how the Force could be used to accelerate healing of certain bodily ailments, the man who Arruna had seriously been thinking about searching for on Jakelia for quite some time for guidance, the man who had first planted the healthy seed of her current obsession in her soul-the need for balance, the one other person who truly thought the Twi'Lek could truly be brought back from the darkness, even in spite of what she had done.

She swore it was him, Colton Hunter, and Arruna was awash with emotions as she inched ever closer to the scene to get a better look of the young man and what appeared to be that familiar Mandalorian who appeared to be trying to guide a wayward soul along the right path, once more.

Hopefully, the boy would not make the same mistake she had so long ago. Upon potentially finding him, the azure Twi'Lek was surprised, shocked, delighted, amazed, and relieved that he was still alive all at once. That was of course if Arruna's intuition that this Mandalorian was indeed him was correct.

"Colton Hunter? Am I dreaming this, or is that really you? If not I apologize. You just remind me a lot of him and I will leave you in peace if you are not who I think you are with my sincerest apologies," the azure Twi'Lek inquired as she removed the hood of her grey cloak to reveal her lekku.

"Sorry for interrupting," she sincerely directed her apology toward the young man by the tree, "But I couldn't quell my excitement of potentially finding out if I just inadvertently ran into an old friend of mine that I haven't seen for ages. I'm Arruna Lom."

And with that she waited for replies.

[Hanix Bnar]

Hanix went to go introduce himself to Colton when he felt another arrival. He looked around, not knowing what he was feeling or where it was coming from. After a few moments, his eyes finally settled on a young Twi'Lek woman, who approached them, somewhat excited in her appearance as she approached the Mandoralian and Hanix. The young boy listened to her as she spoke. She had a very endearing voice and it appeared her intentions were pure.

"No, it is perfectly okay." The boy responded,"I am Hanix Bnar." The boy looked to them both as he spoke his name. This day had turned into quite the interesting one. He had never met a Twi'Lek or a Mandalorian before, and now in one day, he had met them both. It was actually quite exciting. "I am actually very pleased to have met the both of you. We don't see many outsiders out here. I am sure in the cities they are everywhere, but I have never left this town."

Hanix then looked to Colton. He wondered if the man knew this women, and if so, what was there connection; he was so curious. The boy wanted to know so much, not just about them, but the rest of the galaxy. And here he was, speaking to two people who had gotten to see parts of the galaxy that he had only dreamed about. Hanix took a slight breath as he spoke,"So Colton, do you know this woman?"

[Colton Hunter]

Colt felt another enter their vicinity. And he didn't even need to look up from where the figure had appeared. He immediately knew who she was. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, as he sat there on the ground, as if in meditation. A part of him ached, he realized. How many apprentices had he taken on since Adara? Adara had been his first, and to him, she was still his adopted daughter, but once he had taken the position of Chief among Sorell, he had befriended and taught many, many more. Arruna was among them. A slave on Gargon who gained her own freedom, her chains had literally been broken... and she had turned to the Sith. But Colt had made a devastating blow to the Sith that day by planting a seed. An offer. Go to the Sith if she must, but come find him when she wanted more answers. And she had.

She had chained and enslaved herself within the Sith hierarchy, and he had hoped that, while she had realized her mistakes on her own, that he had been one of the rare good influences she had in her life. Her sister being another one. Her entire reason for her quest in the first place.

"Arruna," he said... his voice cracked just a bit. She was one he would have called apprentice, even had she joined the Jedi... but like himself, she was neither Sith nor Jedi. And that brought his thoughts back to Siya... another Twi'lek, who was powerful in the Force, a Jedi... another he had guided, helped... and failed. A Sith Lord had told him her fate, but he refused to believe it fully. Not until he had evidence of her body.

"If ever there was an example of what the Force was capable of, there you are, it's good to see you," he stated, though he still didn't turn to look at her, she'd be able to feel him watching her through the Force, offering that connection, for her to join and intertwine with, soothing and comforting, like a hug.... though there was some mischief there too... he'd most likely give her a hug once he got up, but for now, he was focused on the boy.

"I knew her better than she knew herself, once upon a time... she's since grown in strength and wisdom," he told the boy finally, sweeping a hand out to where he sat, inviting Arruna to join him in his own meditations, his gaze turned back toward the boy, studying him. He had never left Naboo..? Hm, well then.

"Have you ever felt things people around you didn't? A tugging at your senses? A soft whisper? A call? Something weighing you down from inside?" he asked him finally.

[Arruna Lom]

Thankfully it seemed the boy didn't mind her intrusion, and that was a relief. The boy even introduced himself, and as he did so she smiled a bit. But the thing that made her heart leap with joy was the fact that this Mandalorian was indeed the one Arruna had thought he was. The man known as Colt indeed recognized her, and even though as he responded to Arruna's initial inquiry he did not make eye contact with the azure Twi'Lek, Arruna was able to feel him watching her. And once that connection was made, she happily jumped at the offer to complete the connection. In the past she had tried to seriously limit her connection to the Force, but now was not one of those times. Rather she welcomed it with open arms as she readily accepted the invitation by the Mandalorian to join in his meditations.

It is so good to see you, too, Colt. It is amazing what the Force is indeed capable of," Arruna commented with a bit of a wry grin, Our paths have again crossed, and for that I am extremely grateful. You flatter me with your comment of how I've grown in wisdom and strength, but I must confess I've been at a standstill for quite sometime. I thought I could do it all by myself, blinded by hubris, but I can't. But that is a conversation for another time, I reckon," before directing her attention back to the boy.

"Pleased to meet you Hanix Bnar. This is actually my first time on Naboo, and I must say it is as breathtaking as so many make it out to be-a perfect balance of wilderness and civilization," Arruna commented sincerely before changing the topic back to Colt's inquiry of the boy.

"If you have indeed ever felt any of those things Colton has mentioned, I assure you that you are not crazy, losing your mind, or anything of that nature. It simply means that you, like the two of us simply have a stronger than normal connection to what is known as the Force that connects all things together. It has been called other things as well-White Current by the legendary Fallanassi, mistresses of illusion, the Ashla, and Power of Cosmos, just to name a few. But what the Force is in simpler terms is an invisible energy field that binds all living things, together."

And with that she said nothing more at the moment, preferring to give Colton the reins of this discussion, as he was far more experienced in such things than she was. Even though technically she had been promoted enough to take on an Acolyte or Apprentice with the Sith, albeit in secret, she never had. She back then was not ready for the responsibility, and even today Arruna wasn't ready. There was far too much learning that still needed to be done, but perhaps she could at least assist a bit as the boy learned more.

[Hanix Bnar]

The boy took his place sitting down, his back against the tree, once more as the two old friends began to talk to each other. It was obvious that there was a deep connection between the two, but what was it. As they talked, he tried to watch their facial expressions and their body language for any clues, but the only thing he could figure out was that they were not romantic towards each other. No, there was way too much restraint for them to have been romantic. As he studied Arruna's face though, her eyes gave off a sense that she looked up to him, but why was unclear. He was trying to figure it out when his concentration was broken as she spoke directly to him.

"Yes, nice to meet you as well Arruna." He responded,"It is a very beautiful and peaceful place. Nothing exciting every happens here, it is as some call it, paradise." But to Hanix, it was far from paradise. Everything here reminded him of all that he had lost. This tree that he sat against reminded him of his father. Every day he had to pass his childhood home, reminding him of his mother, who was no longer with him as well. Hanix remembered when a new family had first moved in, it had angered him slightly to see such a happy family live where he had once been happy.

As he thought upon it, Colton spoke once more. As he listened, he wondered how he knew about his shame. His guardians had made it their goal to try and rid him of these senses. He knew when people were at the door before they even knocked or walked in. He heard the voice of his father at times, guiding him and aiding him. It was as if he could sense the future before it ever happened, but he could never tell who was there or what would happen. All he could ever tell is that some one was near or that something good or bad was about to happen. Hanix was about to speak, but as he went to open his mouth, Arruna added.

There is was, with her words, he now knew how they knew each other. They had either trained together or Arruna had trained under Colton. Yes, that had to be it. They both seemed to have something in common, and that thing was The Force. He had heard about it before, but he had never thought he had that gift. Hanix knew about the Jedi, he had heard the stories of them afterall. Naboo's history was riddled with stories of The Jedi; the most recent being The Jedi who saved one of their Queen's years and years ago. Still, he never thought or dreamed of having the abilities and powers that they had.

"Yes, I can sense things at times that others can't. I knew when both of you were near before I could even see you. I can sense when something bad is going to happen or if some one has bad intents. Everyone tells me that I am crazy, so I tend to keep to myself." It was so nice to finally say all of it; not just say it, but to say it and not be judged for it. It was like a load had been taken off his chest and it felt amazing. He then continued,"Are you both saying that you think I have a connection with The Force? Are you saying I could be a Jedi?"

[Colton Hunter]

"You freed yourself of your own chains twice now, Arruna, and to admit when you hubris effects you shows strength, you're always welcome on Jakelia, or anywhere else I travel," he offered her, his eyes watching Hanix for a few moments... he could see the very sparks of what he could become. And he smiled. "But I don't think you need my help, now that you recognize your humility, you can let that flow into your training, but even if I feel you need no help, I still will.," he told her, then bowed his head slightly.

"Hanix, I can see the Force radiating off of you like a beacon... most Force adepts have that same aura... albeit different in appearance," he told him, "If you wish to be a Jedi, you could be... the Force is many things, however... the Jedi are but a faction who have dedicated themselves to restricting their usage of the Force to the light... I however am no Jedi, nor am I a Sith... I walk a razor's edge, calling on its gifts of both the light... and the dark," he told him. "The Force connects everything- everyone to each other... it is life and it is death. Both a gentle breeze and the crash of thunder, the roll of the tide, the crackle of lightning..." he explained.

"And I have taken on students before... I can teach you a great deal of things, of how to achieve a sort of balance... But in the end, unlike with the Jedi's or even the Sith's constraints on the way you learn, your path will forever be your own... Light, Dark, somewhere in between? That path is yours alone, I merely offer you guidance," he told him.

"Guidance that will take you far from your prison, where the air is hot and humid, and the wildlife has evolved to kill you... among warriors who will harden and test your mettle... Where once you survive my training, you'll have endured the worst your life could have ever offered, at least physically and mentally... I will work all your muscles at once, and through that, you'll become strong," he promised.

"Because no one should go through life without at least a chance at their true potential," he mused.