29 BBY
Lothal was much the same as Asajj remembered it, bucolic and charming. The sparsely populated world had a single city with a population greater than a million, its agrarian people spread out over vast distances, working golden fields and guiding giant herds across the warm, verdant landscape. The herd beasts outnumbered the population, whose highest concern in the Galaxy was meaningless disputes with their local councils about matters so inane that they were utterly incomprehensible to offworlders like her. Sat in the shadow of Mon Cal, and supplying that heavily populated ocean world with excess foodstuffs, Lothal was one of the safest and most peaceful planets in the entire Outer Rim.
Asajj couldn't help but wonder why the ancient Jedi had chosen to build their Way Temple here? Was it just because of the world's Force Nexus, or maybe it meant that the Jedi were once much more present throughout the Galaxy? Either way, it was a huge commitment of resources for a world that had never been at the centre of anything. The Way Temple itself was disguised as a large natural stone formation, which made it seem almost like a bunker of some kind. Had the Jedi planned to come and hide here if the Sith won some ancient war?
"This is it." Asajj said, slowing the speeder down and parking it in the shadow of the Temple to shelter it from the blazing heat of the high summer sun. She turned in her seat to look at Tan'ya. "Nervous?"
The youngling gave the large rock formation an annoyed look. "We came all the way here for this?"
The journey here from Serenno had been a long one, down the Hydian to the Salin Corridor, all the way across to the Perlemmian, up almost to the end of the Perlemean, before turning off in the direction of Mon Cal. They were practically in Wild Space, but for the tiny little hyperlane of Prousley's Rim Run, that connected the few sparsely populated and remote sectors close to the Galaxy's edge. The journey had taken an entire week, which was time Tan'ya was itching to get back to Serenno, to continue her work with the military.
Asajj could sympathise, but this was too important to ignore. She would rather be at the New Temple, or on Phindar, winning over a few more Younglings for the school or a few more Knights to train them. In this case, Asajj had decided it was best to lead by example. All those Younglings would have to become Padawans one day, and Asajj would do her best to be a good role model by training Tan'ya into a fine Jedi. The Knight's of the New Temple couldn't just be the rejects of other Orders, they had to be able to train and prepare the next generation as well.
"The Temple will only reveal itself to a pair, the Padawan and their Master." Asajj smiled, hopping out of the speeder, and after a few moments Tan'ya jumped out behind her. "Help me raise it up."
Working together, the two of them were easily able to lift the stone formations up from the ground. What once looked like nothing but a solid rock had lifted to reveal a single entrance, with darkness beyond. The Temple settled into place, a staircase coming to a stop right before the two of them.
Remembering her time in the Temple, Asajj cast a sympathetic glance at Tan'ya. "The Jedi who built this aren't like the ones on Coruscant." She explained as they walked up the steps, her leading the way. "It will test you, and it won't be gentle. You need to overcome the Dark Side to leave."
"What does that mean?" Tan'ya demanded.
Asajj fell silent as they stepped through the archway into the central chamber, and Tan'ya blinked in surprise at the body of an ancient Jedi, sitting cross legged with his back to the entrance. "It means that I will wait here for you, until you return." Asajj answered softly, gathering up the nervous butterfly in her own stomach, before breathing out to let it fly away on the Force. The Light Side washed over her, and she sat down next to the desiccated corpse. "I will be communing, which will allow you to take the test. If you do not succeed, then I will remain here until I die."
"This is barbaric." Tan'ya muttered.
"...It's your choice whether to continue or not," Asajj explained. "If you don't think you have what it takes to become a Jedi, then we can go home and I can talk to your Father."
"I didn't say I wouldn't do it." Tan'ya grumbled. "What does it mean to overcome the Dark Side?"
"Fear, Anger, and Hate." Asajj said. "You have to overcome these things or we will remain here forever. The Force knows what's in your heart, and what's in your memories. Don't think you can trick it."
Tan'ya considered the gateway for a long time. Though she didn't lower her mental shields, it was clear she was nervous, which surprised Asajj. She'd never seen the girl scared before. Tan'ya was always energetic and eager to learn, involving herself in any system she came across.
"It's okay to be nervous." Asajj said.
"...It knows what's in my mind?"
"Yes."
"...Will it share that with you?"
"No."
Now Asajj was curious about what was inside Tan'ya's mind that she was worried about sharing. It wasn't her business to pry, but she didn't think Tan'ya could have any dark secrets, given her sheltered upbringing.
"What did it show you?" Tan'ya asked Asajj.
"That's private." Asajj replied. "...But for you, it was scenes from my past. When I was most afraid, and angry. When I came here, I remembered nothing of the one I hated most, but the Temple showed me. When I was sold into slavery my people made me drink a potion that blocked my memories so I couldn't share any of my people's secrets. But the Force lifted that veil, and revealed to me the one who had betrayed me. Talzin."
Tan'ya considered Asajj for a while. "...Alright. I can do this." She said.
Asajj watched as the young Padawan squared her shoulders, and walked forward through the stone arch. It was a few moments before she disappeared out of view, when Asajj closed her eyes, began to meditate, and lost herself to the currents of the Force.
...
AD 1987
Showa Era
A young boy sat alone in a large apartment, cross legged before the television. On the screen, Goku climbed up the long pillar to Corrin's tower, and the boy couldn't suppress his hunger much longer. Despite the excitement on screen he kept glancing at the clock on the wall, thinking of his father.
It was already 6:30, but he was still hoping his dad would make it home that night, with a bag of convenience store bentos for the both of them to share. It didn't have to be much, but anything would do. With careful steps, the boy stood up and walked towards the phone hanging on the wall, looking at the notepad beneath it where his father's number was written beneath the words: EMERGENCIES ONLY.
The boy picked up the phone, looking at the numbers on the pad, before deciding against it. He sighed, hung up, and went into the kitchen. He took out a meal from the freezer, and heated it up in the microwave before sitting down to eat it in front of the TV. He kept watching the television while glancing at the time, hoping his father would be home soon. Eventually the episode ended, and with no sign of his father the boy gave up. He turned off the tv, threw the food wrappers into the bin, and ran into his room.
As he lay in bed he bitterly reflected on the truth. It didn't matter what promises his father made, the man was too weak to keep them. Whether it was being on time, coming to a birthday, or even making time to call, the boy's father would always be under his manager's thumb.
The man would work a ninety hour week, most of it unpaid overtime, and never once would he utter a word of complaint to his boss, all in the vain hope of a promotion that would never come. Even if the promotion did come, the hours he worked would only increase.
The boy would know, because when he grew up he would inflict the same fate on those beneath him. Shaming, bullying, name calling, peer pressure, anything to keep himself above the office drone class. When finally the position opened up to rise in HR, the chance to hold the whip hand over even the floor managers, he jumped.
These hierarchies didn't reward hard work, they punished it with more work. The way to rise through the ranks was to not think, to not feel, but to snatch at opportunities and push aside those in front of you.
Don't grow attached. Don't look at names. Focus on yourself. Focus on things you can control. That was how he did it. How he would do it. How he would avoid the pathetic fate of his worthless father.
The boy rolled over onto his side, staring at his own reflection in his bedroom window. In the distance he saw the train rolling out of station, and remembered it was where he would meet his own fate. Murdered by a man whose name he didn't remember.
He swallowed nervously, rolling back over to look up at his roof.
...
If you want to read ahead of the public release you can join my patreon :
patreon.com/Rimanovi