Kalja knew them both well. Just as Cadence was now training under Kalja, Kalja had trained under Faye for four years until obtaining the title of Jedi Knight. She had lived with the Halomeks and became an honorary member of the family in that time. Those days were mostly pleasant memories for Kalja.
Mostly.
Sigarr's older brother, Rowen, a living legend of the Galactic Civil War and the conflicts beyond, was finally retiring from service in the New Republic. Of course Sigarr was not about to let such a momentous occasion go by without a big celebration party in honor of his brother. In a few days time, he was going to host a giant retirement party for Rowen. As such he had sent out invites to everyone Rowen had ever known plus some other honored dignitaries.
One such invite had been sent to Kalja's mother on Tython to come and represent the Jedi Order. Her mother had politely declined as she was too busy running things on Tython to leave, but she offered up her daughter to represent the Jedi Order instead. Kalja had already received an invite as a friend of the family, but now she was also going in an official capacity as a Jedi Ambassador.
That was the situation. It was about as soft a mission as Kalja could ever dream of, but she still sensed Cadence's nervousness as they got closer to Ord Mercek.
Soft or not, this was Cadence's first official mission for the Jedi Order. The younger girl was bound to be nervous.
"Almost there," Kalja said to her. "Just keep a few things in mind once we arrive: I'll handle the Jedi business, so defer to me if you ever feel like you're being overwhelmed. The second point is even more important."
"Which is?"
Kalja glanced at her with a smile. "Don't forget to relax and have fun! Sigarr is hosting us until the party and you'll be hard-pressed to find a better one in all the galaxy. Make sure to show him and his family your respect and in turn he'll show you the time of your life. We're arriving a few days ahead of time specifically to acclimate and take it easy."
Cadence nodded back. "I'll try."
"Good," Kalja replied as she turned her attention back to the console. "Then prepare yourself. We've arrived."
She then brought the Windfall out of Hyperspace above Ord Mercek and the REC shipyards. Ord Mercek was a beautiful looking planet, equal parts oceans and land masses, with two moons orbiting around around it. The planet's most striking feature, however, were the iridescent rings that circled the planet. They captured the light of the sun and reflected it back as a rainbow of colors.
The shipyards themselves were massive and buzzing with constant activity, patrolled by several Defender-class Star Destroyers and their starfighter escorts. As such their arrival did not go unnoticed.
The comlink activated almost immediately. "Welcome to Ord Mercek, Windfall. This is the Corus. You've been given permission to land at the Halomek compound. Please follow the flight vector we're providing to you and we hope you enjoy your stay."
"Thank you, Corus," Kalja responded. "We'll do our best."
Before long they had pierced the atmosphere and were guided to a landing pad at what looked to be a private spaceport. A speeder was waiting for them as Kalja and Cadence handed over their luggage and sat down. They were soon taken down a private mountain road as Kalja explained a little more about their arrangement.
"Sigarr owns all of this land," she said to Cadence. "The private spaceport, the road we're on now that connects to his mansion, and of course the compound where he had his mansion built. It's a planet ruled by wealthy business owners and Sigarr is one of the wealthiest. Most of the aristocracy try to preserve as much of the planet's natural beauty that they can outside of the cities."
Soon they pulled up to a massive compound. The mansion was enormous and parts of it even looked to be built into the nearby cliffside overlooking one of Ord Mercek's oceans. Kalja and Cadence exited the vehicle before Kalja boldly walked up to the massive front doors and rang the doorbell...
***
From Young Jedi: Legacy's Shadow:
Kalja gave Cadence a reassuring smile. "I don't think I've ever seen Master Ward wear the traditional Jedi robes a day in her life. Besides, you're my Apprentice and you can wear whatever you want as far as I'm concerned."Pryde wrote: Mon Mar 18, 2024 8:16 am The allure of space travel quickly wore off as the training began. Cadence had been awed as the veil of Tython faded away, revealing a vast emptiness full of stars. James's fireworks display was a nice touch. She considered Kalja might have been right about the display being for her, but she—well... She knew how she got whenver his name was mentioned. Pointing out to Kalja the momentous occasion of her taking on a padawan was really more of a defense mechanism.
After their jump to lightspeed Kalja began her training in earnest. The goal was to lessen her reliance on singing to access her powers, something Cadence was beginning to feel might be impossible. At the very least, she needed to learn how to hum like she meant it, otherwise she might find herself in a dangerous situation, unable to defend herself due to sheer embarrassment.
Her shyness over her singing voice was another thing she needed to overcome.
The trip to Ord Mercek felt longer than it was, in large part due to Kalja's training. Cadence thought she was hard on herself with her training regimen, but hers was nothing compared to Kalja's. At the end of the day, she'd fall into bed completely exhausted, only to wake up the next morning just to do it again. Despite the hardship, however, she'd rather be doing that than standing in the foyer of the largest house she'd ever seen waiting to meet two of the most famous people in the galaxy. At least one of which whose reputation terrified her.
Cadence resisted the urge to pace, thinking her hosts might find it rather rude. Still, she couldn't help but fidget a bit. She had so much nervous energy built up inside her she felt like she needed to be doing something rather than nothing.
"Kalja, it is wonderful to see you," a man said as he descended the stairs. A woman in a beautiful Bunduki style dress hanging on his arm.
Cadence could easily guess who the pair were.
"This must be your apprentice."
Kalja smiled. "Word travels fast. I'm sorry my mother couldn't be here in my stead."
"Nonsense, we're glad to have you." He turned to Cadence, holding his hand out. "Sigarr Halomek."
"Um, Cadence—Sinclair, I mean. Cadence Sinclair." She reached to shake his hand, but was surprised when he cupped his fingers under her palm, kissing the back of her hand with an elegant bow.
"Charmed."
Meanwhile, the woman was staring daggers at her, leaving Cadence wondering if she'd done something to offend her.
"I see the Jedi dress code has gotten somewhat lax since I left the Order. Or do you just have no respect for your sacred charge?"
"Excuse me?"
Faye stepped away from Sigarr, circling Cadence and picking at her clothing. "Back in my day, students had more discipline. They wore the robes with pride. From what I hear, you have nothing but disdain, yet you dare call yourself a Jedi."
"No, that's not—I mean... I don't hate being a Jedi, I just—well... how do I... it's—"
Faye watched the girl fumble over her words, her lips curling up into a smile followed by laughter. "I'm sorry, dear, I couldn't resist."
She wrapped her arms around Cadence, being taller than her she had to duck slightly. "I'm so glad to finally meet you; I was starting to think your mother would never allow you to leave."
Cadence stared wide eyed at Kalja before sheepishly returning the hug. "Yea, well she almost didn't. Kalja got an earful about it—the Headmaster, I mean, not..."
Cadence's cheeks were burning bright red and she was still looking to Kalja for help.
Sigarr nodded. "Your rooms are all set. I've tried to stock it with clothing that you'd each be into, but I included some more formal options for the retirement party in a few days. Oh, and a few selections for some other locales if you feel like being a bit of a tourist. My personal recommendation: the beaches of Laoh are amazing this time of year. The crystal clear waters are just the right temperature and when dusk approaches, you can stargaze at the rings of the planet. It'll take your breath away. Oh, and if anything I included in your wardrobe is to your liking, feel free to keep it."
"That's too generous-" Cadence started to object, but Kalja stopped her by placing a hand on the younger girl's shoulder.
"I know it's dogma in the Jedi Order not to accept gifts during missions, but that's just how Sigarr is. Trust me." She sent a knowing glance at Sigarr. "Even if you refuse, he'll charm you into it before you know it."
Sigarr grinned back as he rubbed the bottom of his beard thoughtfully. "Is that so? As I recall, Kalja, you had no problem whatsoever accepting my hospitality when we first met back in the day. Very little charm required."
Kalja laughed a bit at the statement. "Ah ha, yeah. I suppose that's true."
"Speaking of clothing," Faye added. "I see that you've added Bunduki accents to your robes, Kalja. Are you prepared to back up such a bold choice?"
Kalja smiled before bowing towards Faye in the style of a Follower of Palawa. "Of course! I look forward to proving I am worthy of them, Master Ward."
Faye returned the bow. "Good. Meet me in the dojo in 10 standard minutes and we'll see just how well you've retained my teachings." She then gave Sigarr a quick goodbye kiss before disappearing into the depths of the mansion.
Kalja rubbed her hands together eagerly. The combat droids at the temple could do a decent version of Faye, but they couldn't compare to the real deal. She looked over at Sigarr. "Same room I stayed at before?"
He nodded.
"Okay, I'm going to change into my training clothes and I'll see you both down there," she decided as she dashed off into the mansion. "Cadence, make sure you pay attention once the duel starts! This will be the level that I want us to be at eventually!" And with that she was gone before Cadence could say a word.
"Have you ever seen your Master go all out in a fight?" Sigarr asked Cadence as he gestured for her to follow him inside, taking it all in stride.
Servant droids had, by this point, already taken all the luggage Cadence had brought with her, so it was just her and Sigarr now. She shook her head. "I've heard some stories, but I've never seen it."
"It's pretty remarkable to see them go at it," Sigarr told her as he led her past the foyer and into the mansion proper. "Don't let this get out, but Faye has been pretty excited to see Kalja again. Seems the opposite is true too. Once Kalja began to take things seriously after the incident, I don't think there's been anyone else who can offer Faye as much of a challenge in hand-to-hand combat as your Master."