Form VI: A little of everything.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei and R4 drifted in space. The Former Jedi cut the engines about an hour ago, but thanks to the vacuum of space, his course stayed true and his speed never slowed down. Luckily this patch of space was pretty empty and there was little need to adjust the starfighter's course.

At the moment the Force Cripple and his droid were having a slight argument.

"No, I don't think the next piece is out here. Dantooine is on the far side of its orbit this time of year! But if we just travel in the opposite direction of its orbit, we'll get there! I promise!"

The droid was about to answer: the first few words of a sentence appeared on Wei's screen, then deleted themselves. The next several words were alarming.

We are very far off course.

"How far?" Wei asked with an arched eyebrow.

The galaxy map appeared. A red dot indicated Dantooine. A yellow dot indicated the space ship. They were far enough out of Dantooine's space, they were almost to the Outer Rim.

"No way! How long have we been talking this out?"

I don't want to say.

When a droid won't tell you information you're asking for, you know it's bad news. But Wei did know one thing. The next time he was asked if droids feel shame or guilt, his answer would be an emphatic yes.

"Is that..." Wei paused. "That's Geonosis, isn't it?"

"Yes. It is. Wei Wu Wei, we need you here, on this planet."

"You need me here?"

A multitude of Force Ghosts appeared to fill the entirety of the space between the ship and the planet of Geonosis that Wei had a hard time telling who was who.

We are the Jedi who lost our lives on that planet during the battle that began the Clone Wars. We did not focus our training on combat, because we thought we would never need it. We utilized the sixth lightsaber form, Niman. Known as the Way of the Rancor, or the Diplomat's Form, Niman was meant to be an effective blending of the previous five forms into an effective, generalized martial art. But we did not commit to it, and were put to our death by battle droids.

Wei nodded. "I remember. So what would you like me to do about it?"

"Avenge us, Wei Wu Wei! Create for future Jedi a Niman that will allow Jedi whose gifts are not for combat to effectively defend themselves in times of great need! Do not allow the sixth form to fall into disuse and ill repute because of our deaths!"

Wei sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'll do my best."

He looked over at the astromech. "Land us on the planet, R4. I have something that needs doing there."

The droid offered an affirmative chirp and landed the craft on the planet where the Clone Wars began.

[Wei Wu Wei]

On the planet below, Wei sat with his fingers knit under his chin. He had never done anything like this before. Develop a style of lightsaber combat from scratch?

"Niman is called the Moderation Form, because it did not focus on bladework as much as the other forms. The moves are simple, and easy for someone to pick up without a great deal of practice."

Wei nodded.

"Because of this, many adherents of Niman were encouraged to integrate Force-based moves--like puhing and pulling--into their lightsaber combat.

Wei frowned and shook his head. "Well, that won't be happening with this new Niman style. I have a hard enough time with telekinetics as it is without having to find a way to do it in the blink of an eye during a heated battle."

"Ultimately, the Form depends very much on a person's intuition and creativity to blend techniques into an effective fighting style, unlike other forms which offer practices responses that can be learned from rote."

The Force Cripple scratched his chin. He needed to create a lightsaber style that was easy to pick up, effective in open combat, and could develop a series of training exercises that could prepare a person for a wide array of situations without relying too heavily on his or her intuition.

"Intuition is something that can only be gained through experiencing several battles, anyway," the former Jedi muttered to himself.

Wei sat back in the pilot's couch and reached for his personal datapad. He pulled the stylus from where it stayed. He tapped the screen. The display lit up, showing Wei a holo of his wife and the field for entering a password.

His heart ached as he gazed at the picture. He could remember her raven-black hair, her almond colored eyes, and the smile the holo kept on her face was even more radiant in person.

"How did you meet?"

Wei glanced up at the Force Ghost. "We met late one night. It had been raining all day that day, and it finally stopped in time for a pleasant walk home."

Wei had never put in 16 hours of work before. But he had managed to do it that day. A particularly wealthy businessman insisted on getting all of his office and home furniture in wood--all handcrafted, no less! Wei's lightsaber training translated well into carving the intricate patterns specified for detail work. Of course, all the assembled furniture made it to the detail shop the day before it had to be shipped. Zooki and Balastare both shook their heads and threw up their hands, and declared the job impossible to complete. Plus , they both had families. So Wei stayed by himself after the first 8 hours were done to finish the only work order on his list all day.

Wei walked home with the umbrella under his arm, strolling in the dark and looking up at the stars that now peeked down at Talus through the scattering clouds. He returned his gaze to the street long enough to avoid bumping into a street lamp when he noticed a woman walking alone and clutching something to her chest.

How long had she been there? Wei shrugged and looked up at the sky once more when he heard a muffled cry. He looked for the woman again, but she seemed to have vanished.

The former Jedi hurried over to where he saw her last and glanced down a small alleyway. He could make out three silhouettes. One pressed against a building, the other two standing in the middle of the alleyway, facing her.

A mugging? Not if Wei could help it.

"Excuse me, please!" Wei called out. "Is everything all right here?"

He stepped into the alley.

"Nothing that concerns you! Just leave if you don't want to get hurt."

"Oh, I wouldn't want that. I wouldn't want to see anyone get hurt. So I think you better stop what you're doing right now if you feel the same."

Wei didn't need a connection with the Force to see the vibroblade coming towards him. Wei sidestepped, brought the umbrella out from under his arm, and struck the first punk in the back of the head. The strike only managed to annoy Wei's opponent. He turned and tried another attack with the blade. Simple footwork put Wei out of the blade's path. A quick jab with the umbrella buckled the punk's knee and put his face in the brick wall. He was out.

Wei turned to the other. "And you?"

The second one charged Wei headlong, arms open and out to the side. Wei almost shook his head in disbelief. The Force Cripple took the opening and jabbed the thug in the throat. The criminal fell backwards onto the ground clutching his throat.

Wei approached the woman. "Are you all right?"

She opened one eye and turned her face to him. "Yes, I think so."

Wei looked over his shoulder in time to see the defeated criminals leave the alley.

"It's safe now," he said to her. "May I walk you home?"

"Yes, please," she said. "I'm Chariss, by the way. Thanks for coming to help. They wanted the money I have."

Wei nodded. "Wei Wu Wei. It's good to meet you. And now we're going to get both you, and your money home safe."

Thunder rumbled and water began to drizzle out of the clouds.

"And here I thought it was done for the day." Wei opened his umbrella. "Care to join me?"

"Thanks. I left my umbrella at the shop."

"What kind of shop is it?"

"A deli and bakery. We make some good sandwiches and some of the best treacles and tarts you'll find in the system!"

Chariss stepped under the umbrella and brushed against Wei. "You smell like wood. Do you work at the factory?"

Wei nodded. "I do the detail work. I go home every day covered in wood shavings." He chuckled. "Sorry I'm so dirty."

Chariss shook her head. "It's fine I like the smell of fresh cut wood." She looped her arm in the one Wei was using to hold the umbrella.

"And that's how it started."

Wei thought about it some more and then suddenly perked up. "Wait! I've got it!"

"What is it that you have?"

"A foundation for this new lightsaber form! Chariss, you elegant Angel!"

What is it?!"

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei popped the seal on the fighter's canopy. As he climbed out, he looked to his astromech.

"R4, I need you to record some footage." The former Jedi set up four places by scratching a big X in the dirt with his toe. "I'm going to repeat several lightsaber techniques, and I want them recorded from these four spots."

The droid whistled its compliance and rolled over to the nearest X.

"I'll perform a technique once, then I want you to move to the next spot. I'll do it again, then you move again. When you're ready at each spot, give me a small chirp. When you have all 4 recordings for a technique, whistle a tune."

R4 chirped.

The Force Cripple nodded and activated his saber. "Ok, this is Niman-as-is. I'm going to do three different drills with 10 motions each. When I've done all three, then we'll be good to move on to the next."

"You haven't answered my question."

Wei nodded. "Begin."

Wei started by tracing several defensive maneuvers in the air with his blade. "So, to answer your question, Mr. Force Ghost, I remembered something I did with Chariss shortly after that first meeting."

"Come by the restaurant tomorrow, and lunch will be on the house," Chariss said.

Wei agreed.

The next day when Wei stepped into the small deli, he found Chariss behind the counter taking orders. He stepped up to the counter and smiled at her. She smiled at him.

"Hi there! I'm here for lunch!"

"I'm glad you came! Hold on a minute." Chariss stepped towards the back of the counter and put her head into the kitchen area. "Mom and Dad, the person I told you about is here! The one that helped me out last night!"

The former Jedi suddenly discovered his face felt hot all the way to his ears.

"Ah, yes!" A rather jolly looking, slightly overweight man came out from around the corner. "I am pleased to meet you! Our Chariss told us how you helped us, and saved our day's profit!"

A willowly woman with a raven black ponytail laced with silver-grey strands of hair followed close behind. "You're Wei? Well, I know you're going to have to hurry back to the factory, so we won't keep you long. We just wanted to thank you. Is there anything you prefer for your sandwich?"

Feeling uncharacteristically awkward in the face of the family's praise, Wei drew a blank.

"Um, I'll just have whatever you recommend."

Chariss' father laughed from deep within his round belly. "Of couse, of course! Take a seat where you like, and I'll have Chariss bring you your meal when it's ready."

Wei nodded and found a small table for two in the corner where he could face the deli's door and windows. Minutes later, Chariss came over with a plate and a cup. "I hope you like it. It's not on the menu. My dad made it special for you. He wrote down what ingredients he used, so if you want another in the future, just order the Whole Wheat Wei." Now Chariss' cheeks pinked. "He likes alliterative names."

Wei chuckled and took one of the sandwich halves in his hand, and bit into it. "It's good," he said around the small mouthful.

Chariss beamed. "I'm glad. I'll let Dad know. Mom's making a small pie for you. It should be out shortly."

Wei thanked her and Chariss left him to his meal.

The small pie turned out to be six inches across and filled to the brim with the most delicious apples Wei had ever tasted. And sweet! Two slices in, Wei couldn't eat another bite.

He started to stand to ask Chariss for something to carry the rest of the pie home when a trio of Imperial soldiers walked into the deli and approached the counter.

"Look, fellas," the lead one said. "A beautiful girl to make us a sandwich. And pies too. Say, cutie, how'd you like to come home with me and make me a sandwich?"

Wei could see the smile on Chariss' face start to tug downwards. "We offer a 10% discount to members of our military," she said politely. "May I take your order?"

"Aw, now don't be that way. I just wanted to know if you'd like to come home with an officer of the Imperial military. And ten time winner of the Imperial Academy Fencing Competition." The soldier put his hand on the hilt of a vibrosword at his hip to emphasize his point.

"I'm sorry, but I'm working. I can't accept your offer. Would you like to place your order?" Discomfort started to creep into Chariss' voice.

Her father and mother stood in the doorway of the kitchen to check on their daughter.

"Very well then, I'd like a bantha burger on a wheat bun, and some of your sweet sugar." Then he took Chariss by the face and leaned in to kiss her.

Before Wei could even move, there was a loud sound like clapping. Chariss stood well back from the counter and the soldier's face was very red on one side.

"You shouldn't disrespect an Imperial officer that way. I'd hate to see your shop closed and your family arrested for sedition and aiding the Rebellion." The soldier's hand grasped the hilt of his sword.

"Please!" Chariss' father cut in, and stood between the soldier and his daughter. "My daughter isn't used to such direct talk from someone such as yourself. She's a little overwhelmed! Please, don't be upset. Allow me to offer you a free lunch."

The soldier waved his hands dismissively. "No thanks, old man. But I'll be back tomorrow to take your daughter home with me. I hope she's settled down by then."

The trio left. Chariss clung to her father and wept. The customers tried their best to return to their meals, but it was evident that no one was hungry any more.

Wei finally moved towards the counter. "Is everything all right?"

Chariss looked up from her's father shoulder. She brightened when she saw Wei. "Wei! So glad you're here! I don't know what to do! That soldier is going to come back tomorrow and either I go with him, or he'll arrest my family and close the shop! Can't you fight him like you did those other thugs?"

Wei put his knuckles to his chin and considered it. "I suppose I could. But that might not solve your problem entirely. He may just arrest me for assaulting an officer and arrest you all for hiring me."

Chariss looked confused. "But last night...and you handled those thungs so well with your umbrella! "

Wei held up a hand. "I think it might be better if you handled this one on your own."

"What? But I'm not a sword-fighter!"

"I know. Just trust me."

[Wei Wu Wei]

All the time Wei was telling his story he was shifting stances, turning Makashi stabs into Ataru slashes, then with an extra pivot finishing the combination with the Djem-So Falling Avalance.

Perhaps the Force Ghost knew Wei was just randomly stringing techniques together, but for Wei that seemed to be what Niman was.

"Ok, now we're going to start on New Niman." Wei looked at R4. "We're calling this holorecording 'Foundations.' Record for five seconds, then move to the next spot."

Wei held the opening stance for Shii-Cho.

"Why are you filming yourself in stances?"

"I want to choose a stance out of the five for this new Niman. I have one in mind already, but I need to see what is looks like as well as what it feels like."

"I see."

"Well, yeah. People think of martial arts like Teras kasi or the lightsaber Forms and go 'How cool! Look at all the flashy moves and high-flying attacks! That's amazing!' But really, if they were serious, they'd look at the person's stances. You know how many people participate in professional bouts have horrible stances They're wide open and totally not a threat. But because they use these flashy maneuvers, they're perceived as intimidating because no one knows better."

Wei took a breath. "A solid stance can turn even the weakest fighter into a serious threat because they're not easily put off balance."

R4 reached the end of the first cycle. Wei shifted his stance and held it.

"I'm guessing this notion has something to do with the sword-wielding soldier and your late wife?"

"You catch on quick."

Owing to the double shift he worked, Wei took off from work the following day. He sat in the same spot in Chariss' deli eating the same sandwich waiting for the same soldier to walk in and make the same sleezy offer he made the day before.

Chariss took orders as usual, but when there was a lull, Wei could see her nervously drumming her perfectly manicured fingernails on the counter. Since he had time to people watch, he watched her for a while. She had her mother's hair. Raven black, glossy, braided into two long ropes whose ends were held in place at the back of her head with a set of small clips that blended in perfectly.

She wore her make up modestly. Her cheeks and lips wore soft pinkish hues. She wore no eye makeup that Wei could see. Her clothes hugged her slender frame. She definitely favored her mother.

Chariss took a customer her meal. Wei noticed she tended to move on the balls of her feet, almost like she were dancing. But her steps were always hurried, and she practically flew back behind the counter each time she was forced to go out from behind it.

At last, the soldiers returned during the slow time between lunch and dinner.

"Well?" the officer asked, hand on his sword.

Chariss' eyes flitted to Wei and back to the officer. "I want to challenge you to a sword fight."

The officer turned to his cronies and laughed. "Ok, if that's what you want." He started to draw his weapon.

"Wait! I'm not finished. I want a year to practice. During that year you can't come to the shop to harass me and you have to leave me alone when I'm at home or out on the street."

"Seriously?"

It was plain in her face that Chariss was struggling to remain calm. "Yes. You're not going to be transferred by next year, are you? Besides, what's one year of training for a beginner compared to the experience of someone like you?"

"Ok, you can have your duel. What can I say? Call me intrigued."

Chariss nodded. "Thank you. If you win, of course I'll go with you. And if I win, you will leave me and my family alone, and transfer off this planet as soon as you are able."

"Well, with a wager like that, how can I say no? I'll come back for you this time next year. Don't do anything to spoil yourself for me until then."

The officer and his friends walked out while at the same time Chariss released the breath she had been holding. She ran up to Wei and fought tears.

"Are you sure about this? Are you going to really be able to teach me to do this?"

Wei placed his hands on Chariss' shoulders. "Of course! Don't worry about it! Remember, anticipation is a distraction. For the time being all we need to focus on is getting you prepared. That means lessons, a weapon, and a place to train."

"Do we have that?"

"I have the lessons, and Dad's got an empty warehouse. We'll get a weapon in a few months when you have some basics down. In the meantime I've got some practice weapons we can use at the warehouse already."

Chariss nodded and dabbed at her eyes with a napkin. "All right. I'll trust you. When do we begin practice?"

Wei shrugged. "We can start today when you're finished with work."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei shifted into the Djem-So opening stance.

"That man sounds like he was a real problem."

"To the people he bullied, he was a serious problem."

R4 tweeted that he was done.

"Ok, let's see these." Wei sat on the edge of the starfighter and beckoned R4 to him. The little droid displayed each stance image as a set of four.

"Soresu is out. Djem-so too. Too specialized. Soresu can be difficult to hold for any length of time, even if it is only really a starting point for a battle. Without proper experience, the Djem-So opening stance is really only a great big greeting card for a blaster-bolt in the chest."

The Force Cripple ran his hand through his dusty, tangled hair. R4, can you display the remaining three side by side please?"

The droid offered a happy-sounding whistle. Then, the one image shrunk down, and split into three. Three separate stances spun in front of Wei.

"Ataru offers solid foot placement."

Wei nodded at the Force Ghost's insight. "True, but that's only because stability is important to maintain a good center of balance while performing all the flips and spins." He wave his hand dismissively at the Ataru holo. R4 removed the recording, then centered and enlarged the other two.

"Makashi affords a narrow profile, but the low position of the lightsaber blade more or less dictates your options. It's good, but for Niman I think it's more important to keep your options open."

Wei jumped up from his seat and stepped back into the square. R4 took up a position at one of the corners and prepared to record. The Former Jedi took up the Shii-Cho opening stance.

"I used this stance for Chariss."

Chariss stood in the empty warehouse, holding a broom handle. "What exactly am I supposed to be doing?"

"We're practicing stance today. Foundations are the most important element of any enterprise. In vibrosword combat, it is essential that your stance be solid."

The Former Jedi got into position next to Chariss. "Like this. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart with one leg in front and the other behind. See how I am? The front leg is bent not quite 90 degrees. The rear leg is somewhat stretched out behind, but not straight out and stiff. Keep that knee bent too. Your hips and shoulders should face your opponent square on. Hold your sword in front of you with the tip of the blade pointing at your opponent's nose. For now, I recommend using both hands to start."

Chariss looked at Wei's stance and mimicked it as best she could. She started out with her right foot leading, but her left hand higher on the "hilt" of her practice sword.

"Like this?" She asked.

Wei looked her over. "Not bad for a first try. Here, let me help."

He stepped close to her and started making tweaks to her stance. "What's your dominant hand?" He asked her as he squared her shoulders towards her opponent.

"My right hand. Is that important?"

Wei shrugged and squared up her hips a little more. "Doesn't have to be. I tend to place my dominant hand higher on the hilt than the other, because if I switch to a one-handed grip, I'm more likely to use that hand. Keeping a grip closer to the guard helps you maintain better control."

Wei used his foot to gently push her back one out to the proper width. "How does that feel?"

Face pink from beginner's embarrassment, she quickly switched her hands on the broom handle. "It feels strange. I feel kind of stretched in my legs."

"I get that. 'Bitter before Sweet,' as one of my instructors once told me. but that's also what today is for. Hold that stance until I finish getting the next exercise set up."

Chariss swallowed. "Ok."

Wei had a large roll of reflective adhesive tape. He got the roll started, then carefully laid down a long strip on the floor. He tore it from the roll, then made a second line parallel to the first. They were set as far apart as Chariss' feet.

"Hows it coming?"

His pupils delicate brow showed a slight sheen in the warehouse light and her legs trembled slightly.

"I'm definitely NOT used to this!" She tried to keep the discomfort from her voice and chuckled nervously. "I'm sorry."

Wei shrugged. "Don't be. Your leg muscles aren't used to being used this way or holding a position like this one. But they will."

He took her by the wrists and tugged her into a normal standing position. "I have some water in a pair of bottles by the door. Get some water and We'll stretch your legs for a minute or two."

Chariss was grateful for the water. As she stretched the tense muscles in her legs, she and Wei traded small talk. "Where did you learn this?"

Wei hesitated a bit before finally answering. "Coruscant."

"That was a long pause for such a short answer."

Wei shifted from stretching one leg to the other, trying to think of how much falsehood he could mix with the truth. "Sorry. I don't really like to talk about what I did before. I did work during the Clone Wars I'm not really at liberty to discuss--even if I wanted to. After it was all over, I was cut loose and all ties I had to anything involving the Clone Wars was sealed. Like they never happened. Like I never existed. And that's really more than I ought to be telling you."

Chariss frowned. Wei stood. "That's enough stretching," he said.

"Get into your stance, and put on foot on each line of tape here. Now, I'm going to show you how to move in your stance. We're going to move forward and backward for now. We'll add lateral movement later."

Chariss got back into stance. It was easier with the tape to act as a guide.

"Watch first," Wei said. "Put your weight over your front foot, then let your back foot move in a crescent towards your front foot until you have a sort of mirror image of your original stance. Don't just drag your foot along, but don't pick it straight up off the ground. Imagine the room is full of clutter and you're sweeping the clutter out of the way with your foot."

Wei performed the movment. "Like this. Your feet should always end up back on the tape with your toes pointed forward."


Chariss and Wei practiced stances and movement for a few hours before Wei finally decided enough was enough and it was time to go home.


Wei left the tape of the floor and the broom handles in a corner. He locked up and walked Chariss home.


“Wei, thank you for the lessons. I learned a lot today.”


“It was good. You're doing well.”


“And Wei?”


“Uh huh?”


“Sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to make you remember something bad. I just want to get to know you.”


Wei shrugged. “It's all right.”


Chariss nodded. “Ok. Practice tomorrow?”


“Perhaps a little. We may just exercise. We'll need to strengthen your legs and core in order to better establish your stance.”


Wei stood and looked at R4. “We have stances and movement down?”


R4 hooted. “Good. We'll establish some defensive techniques next.”

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei returned to the Shii-cho stance. "It goes without saying that Soresu offers the best defensive techniques," he said to the Force ghost. "But we're going to do something a little different."


He brought his elbows in and practiced a set of standard Soresu blocking techniques that covered the five target zones--head, left arm, right arm, right leg, left leg.


"Then we take Soresu techniques, and with a little bit of Ataru movement, we invert the Djem-So mindset and--"


The former Jedi blocked outwards as though he were blocking a thrust. He stepped to one side, gave his wrist a quarter turn, and with a sharp pivoting turn, slashed low.


"I don't quite follow," the Force Ghost said with a frown.


Wei frowned. "Chariss didn't either at first. Hold on, I have an idea."


He turned to R4. "Come over here and give me a totally side view on this next recording. I'm going to repeat the technique, then I want you to run it as life-size as you can get."


A moment later, the Force Cripple stood across from a smaller hologram of himself. He got into position and gave R4 a nod. He thrust at the holo, and moved his blade in sync with the holo's movements. The recording stepped aside, and as the image's saber turned over, it appeared to hook the blade across the back of Wei's. He mimed stumbling forward when the image's weapon would have pulled at his. The holo's sword slid off Wei's. In the final part of the technique, the recorded lightsaber swung around and cleaved Wei's leg at the knee.


"I understand now! Djem-so philosophy demands defensive moves become offensive moves by bashing away attacks as opposed to merely blocking them, which is why only the strong take to that form very well. But this way, a Jedi could use his opponent's power to his advantage! Very clever!"


Wei laughed. Not a nervous laugh or one filled with irony or thinly veiled sadness: a real laugh. "Thanks! Chariss wasn't ever very strong, so I needed a way for her to get the drop on someone without having to simply wait for an opening."


"Did the technique take long to develop?"


"Not as long as you would think, but it was the one we spent the most time on. I actually managed to make it fun once in a while."


Months had passed since Chariss started her training with Wei. They would practice swordplay on the first, third, and fifth days of the week and exercised on the second, fourth, and sixth days. The seventh day was always for recuperation.


Still, Wei and Chariss spent nearly all their free time together. At her parents' insistence, Wei visited the deli every day for lunch. He never paid a credit for any of his meals. It bothered him at first, but after finding his credits in the post box at home the day he tried to pay, he gave up.


Chariss and her parents also allowed her to schedule her own lunch breaks around Wei's. The pair discussed more than just sword practice. They discussed holofilms, books, and their childhoods.


Listening to Chariss discuss her childhood helped him fabricate his own. As he heard about the songs, shows, and games she played as a kid, he was able to pretend to have gaps in his memory, which she helpfully filled in for him.


As far as anyone was concerned, Wei was just an adoptee raised on Coruscant who reunited with his birth father after years of faithful service to the Republic.


One day, the pair of them sat outside during their regular lunch together. Each had a slice of their favorite pie and a small bowl of whipped cream between them (because Chairss' mother could never seem to do anything in portions small enough for twenty people).



The conversation turned to training. "So what are you going to teach me today?" Chariss asked.


Wei leaned back in his chair and tapped his fork on his plate while he thought. The entire first month of training consisted entirely of stances and movement. Now from time to time, whenever Wei shouted "Beginning stance!" Chariss would immediately snap into a perfect stance.


The young woman would always get a little flustered and surprised at herself, which caused Wei to immediately fall into gales of laughter. And it never got old. If she was sitting, it only got better.


It would inevitably end with Chariss playfully hitting him with her fists until they both were forced to lean on each other so they did not fall down.

The next month dealt entirely with defensive techniques. Chariss learned about space, and how to think of her own space and her opponent's space. She also drilled blocking techniques until they took over her dreams.

At last, it was the third month, and Wei felt it was time to work on striking back.

"Ok, we're going to start working on attacking today."


Chariss clapped excitedly. "Wonderful! When do we start?"

Wei leaned forward and with inconspicuous nonchalance dipped his finger in the whipped cream. "I'm not working today, and neither are you. We can start any time."

"Can we start now?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he said with a smile.


Quick as a flash, Wei's hand flew out and left a smudge of whipped cream on her dainty nose.

"Ah! Why you!"


Chariss quickly scooped a small glob of the cold sticky cream on her own finger and tried to smear it on Wei's face. He dodged and stood. Wei got a new glob and swiped at his student again. This time she was on guard, and moved his finger aside with the same unthinking ease as blinking her eyes.

"I did it! I blocked you for real!"

Wei replied with a smudge on her chin. Chariss reached out to repay him, but missed Wei's face entirely. He started to circle the table. "Remember when we learned to recognize attacks that enter your space? Now you need to learn how to reach into your opponent's space. It's simple enough when it's just your arm. We'll practice with the swords later. Come on and try to touch me. If you can get me once, we'll stop. If you can't, then we'll be practicing for three more hours."

After that, Chariss had no trouble defending herself from Wei's attacks. She just couldn't quite seem to touch him.



At one point Chariss and Wei made their moves at the same time. Their fingers locked at the knuckle. Chariss tried to get herself free from Wei to try for his face, but he stuck to her like glue.


"What do I do?" Chariss asked him.



"Try to set me off balance. Stay flexible. If your stance gets too rigid, I'll knock you over. Look for a moment when I seem to be close to over-extending and use my momentum against me."


Wei started to push towards Chariss. She leaned back and shifted to her left, then lunged. Wei shifted backwards and bent his arm. Chariss found herself as far forward as she could go. The extended her arm. She almost got to his nose when suddenly she felt Wei's wrist around hers like a hook. Wei tugged. Chariss stumbled forward and felt Wei's finger trace a line from her chin to her ear.


"No fair!"

"What? I told you to take me off balance. I didn't say you could only push. You made up that rule yourself."

Chariss jaw dropped open.

"Seek victory, not fairness."

With that, Chariss scooped out the rest of the whipped cream from the bowl, grabbed Wei by the wrist, and slathered his face until not a micrometer of his skin could be seen.

Wei stood shocked. Chariss calmly grabbed one of the napkins off the table and delicately dabbed at her face and hands. "How was that?" She asked in a mock-angry tone. "Not very fair, was it?"

Wei laughed. "No, it was not fair. Good work." He started to reach for one of the other napkins.

Chariss grabbed all the napkins from the table before Wei could reach them. "Now you have to get them back if you want to wipe your face!" She held them behind her back and returned to her stance.

"More practice? Ok."

"Who said anything about practice? You have to catch me first!"
Chariss stuck out her tongue at her teacher and friend, then turned and ran down the street for all she was worth.

"Hey!" Wei called and ran off down the street after her.

"I totally forgot there were three more tables outside with napkins at their place settings. I chased that woman for three blocks before I caught her."

Wei stopped practicing the movements. "This is the basic element of the new Form VI. I think standard Soresu techniques will work for dealing with blaster fire. Shien works too, depending on your style, I guess."

The Force Ghost nodded. "This is an interesting style. Are there other ways this technique can be applied?"

Wei nodded and resumed his stance.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei demonstrated some other techniques that targeted other zones. Wei countered an invisible low slash by hopping over the blade, then using his own blade to keep his opponent's weapon outside. Lastly, he countered with a thrust.

"The issue with the low attacks is you have to move quickly. With luck an attack to the opponent's open front will cause them to move out of the way. If you hesitate, you give up a large advantage."

Wei broke stance. "Sometimes it's easier just to dodge backwards. The key is to riposte and ruin the opponent's rhythm or else you'll be dancing until you're tired."

He shrugged. "We had a few problems blocking low. It wasn't an issue then, but it might be now."

"Why wasn't it a problem before?"


"Funny you should ask."

Empire Day on Talus felt like doomsday all over again to Wei. The Jedi Purge still mattered to the people of the new Empire. Those who loved the Republic and the Jedi were already whispering about a rebellion brewing in the galaxy somewhere. Wei just kept his mouth shut and tried not to look too sullen.

In the former Jedi's hometown, people were preparing for an unusually large celebration. Soldiers from the post were allowed leave for the holiday, and the town wanted to take advantage of the military credits. Even Chariss' parents were doing all they could to ensure the military visited the deli.

"Don't worry!" Her father said when his daughter protested. "We're giving you the day off to spend with Wei. Your cousins will be in town: they're finally old enough to work and dying to make a wage. They can handle things fine enough for us for one day."

Chariss was still worried about running into the officer. Her mother waved her hand as though she were fanning a rancid smell away from her.

"How can you be so worried about a man whose name you don't even know? He might be in the parade. Don't let it keep you from enjoying your day. Besides, Wei will be with you."

With that, Wei spent his day with Chariss holding onto his arm dragging him here and there across town while he tried not to look terribly depressed.

At first Chariss clung to him and seemed nervous with the way she looked around. But as the day wore on, she relaxed herself and her grip on Wei's arm. But she never let go. As she got more comfortable, Wei got more uneasy. When she was nervous about bumping into the officer, Wei at least felt like there was purpose for her being so close. He was protecting her. But afterwards, Wei didn't know how to feel or what to think.

She smelled like flowers. When she took him by the hand to pull him towards an outdoor display, he could feel the softness of her skin. He'd never been so close to a woman before. When she raised up on her toes to smile at him or look into his face he could feel his cheeks grow warm. He felt awkward, and oddly immature.

"Oh!" Chariss was on her toes again, speaking into Wei's ear. "There's a crowd over there! I wonder what they're looking at?"

Wei shrugged: a fresh whiff of her scent rendered him tongue-tied. It was just as well. She was already leading him over to the crowd. They pushed through until they found a set of posts cordoning off a circular area. Chariss' squeezed Wei's arm and moved a little behind him when she saw who was in the circle.

The officer stood with a practice vibrosword raised in a duel against another soldier. They wore protective gear but no helmets. Their chest armor bore three red dots--obviously targets.

Wei watched the officer intently. "Chariss, are you watching this?"

"I don't really want to. Can we just go?" She pulled on his hand, but Wei stayed rooted in place.

"Hide behind me if you don't want to be seen, but this is a good opportunity to learn."

Chariss grabbed the back of Wei's shirt and pulled a little harder. "What are we learning? How bad exactly he's going to beat me in a few months?"

"No," Wei said firmly, and offered her hand a squeeze he hoped was comforting. "We can see and learn how he fights. If we know his weaknesses we can better prepare you for your fight later."

Wei felt Chariss press her face into his back while he looked on the duel. The officer nearly always led with his right foot, and preferred jabs to slashing cuts. When he wanted to throw off his opponent, he would smack their blades together or feint a jab at the face.

Wei now understood. This ten time champion was good at being an ass in the ring and putting his toe on the rules. But not a single attack that struck his opponent went below the waist.

"Ok, I've seen enough."

He turned in place and suddenly found Chariss giving him a hug. "I don't know if I can do this after all, Wei."

He took Chariss by the chin and lifted her face to look into hers. "You can. I'm going to teach you. I know how he fights, and I'm going to teach you everything you will need to know. He won't be able to answer you in combat. Trust me?"

Chariss smiled and let go her embrace. "Of course I do! Since the day we've met, you've always been my hero."

Wei's gaze slid off to one side "I don't know about that. The first time, perhaps, but for now I'm just your teacher."

Chariss took his hand again. "And my closest friend." The young woman brightened. "Let's go!"

Wei guided his lightsaber blade along a smooth line, pivoted, and stabbed quickly.

"We spent all day in the town square until sunset, when the whole town piled in speeders and drove to the outskirts of town. TIE fighters of all kinds performed formation flying maneuvers until dark, then there was a fireworks display."

And you and Chariss went together, of course?"

Wei nodded. "Our families sat in the back of one of my dad's lumber-haulers. The back of the speeder was open to the air with a railing on the sides and back to keep things from sliding out of it."

The Force Cripple's brow furrowed. "She spent the whole night leaning on my shoulder. Fell asleep on me on the ride back."

Wei tried to shake the thoughts out of his head and return to his lightsaber work. He stood still for a while trying to decide what to try next.

"Forget it, let's see the footage so far."

[Wei Wu Wei]

"The style seems to be coming together well. I'm impressed. But it should still be tested in combat, don't you think?"

Wei nodded. "I know. But how do I practice? There's no one here to spar against." The Force Cripple paused. "Chariss had issues practicing against a person at first."

"That can be problematic for people who are not interested in fighting. It could have been that most of those that died on this planet during that battle just could not reconcile themselves to hurting another being--even if that battle mostly took place against droids."

Wei nodded. "Form VI is the Diplomat's form for good reason. Actually, getting Chariss used to the idea of hurting someone and risk being hurt was relatively simple."

Wei stood in a set of used plastiform armor he picked up for cheap at the surplus store that opened on Empire Day. Chariss and Wei each held a vibrosword. The year was half over, and Wei felt it was time to stop using wooden dowels and start using the real thing.

"You need as much time as possible to acclimate to the weight of it," Wei said. "If you wait until the last second to handle your weapon, you'll wear out because your muscles won't be used to something so much heavier."

Chariss grimaced. "I don't like it."

"The sword? What's wrong with it? It's the standard length for someone your height."

She sighed. "No, it's just that we've been drilling for all this time. We hardly ever practice against one another, except for the reversal techniques. So why are we going to start sparring all the time?"

Wei took up his helmet from where it rested on a shelf and loosened the chin strap. "Because you need to also get used to the idea of hurting someone with your attacks, and risk being hurt yourself."

"So why don't I get armor?" She asked.

"Wei smiled. "You do get armor. It's over there."

Folded neatly on a second shelf sat a fibermesh vest and a pair of leggings.

"That's it?!" She practically screeched.

"Yes. You can wear it under your clothes when you fight. It's designed to be worn like that and can put a stop to most blades."

"But what about my arms? My face?"

Wei offered a grim smile. "Well, you'll have to keep those safe yourself."

"Wei!" It was apparent in her tone that Chariss was having serious second thoughts about what she was about to have to do.

Without a word Wei closed the distance and stabbed towards Chariss' cheek. The young woman closed her eyes, turned her face away, and braced herself for what she thought was certain pain and an ugly scar.

CLANG!

Chariss opened one eye and discovered Wei's sword several inches to her right.

"What just--"

Wei slashed left and and right.

CLANG! CLANG!

Chariss jumped every time the swords clashed owing to a mixed feeling of confusion and fear.

"It's like I'm running on--"

Wei performed a vertical chop, followed through with a thrust, then traced a deadly arc towards Chariss' ankles.

CLANG CLANG CLANG!

"Wei! Stop!"

Wei persisted with one more thrust. Chariss hooked his sword with hers, pulled him forward and turned, stopping only when the edge of her blade met the armor on the back of Wei's calves.

Chariss stumbled backward. Her hands dropped the weapon they were holding and flew to her mouth.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I nearly hurt you!" Chariss stepped forward to hug her friend and teacher. "Are you ok?"

Wei nodded and returned the embrace. "Of course I am." He gave her a pat on the back before removing her arms from around his middle. "To answer all your interrupted thoughts, you were fighting with what's called muscle memory. The motions we've practiced day in and day out for the last several months are so wired into your brain that you can do them as easily as you might take a stroll down the block or ring up a purchase at the deli."

Chariss took Wei's large, rough hands. "I don't want to hurt you though!"

Wei shrugged. "It's a concept you'll have to get used to. You can't let personal feelings prevent you from practicing the full techniques. If you practice stopping short every time we spar from now until you face that Imperial officer, your muscle memory will work against you, and you'll always stop short." He gave her smaller, softer hands a gentle squeeze, then took her over to where her sword lay on the floor of the warehouse.

"Take it up. Strike my armor as hard as you can," he said.

Chariss did so, but couldn't quite make herself do what she was told.

"Chariss. I wouldn't ask you to do it if I though I was likely to get hurt. Now come along.

She shook her head. "Please, Wei, no."

Wei shook his head. "Then I hope you enjoy your life as that man's trophy."

That statement seemed to help Chariss change her mind. She shut her eyes tight and swung her vibrosword as hard as she could. "I DON'T WANT TO MARRY HIM!"

Chariss heard the air move in the wake of her weapon's arc. She heard a dull thunk and felt the sword's blade strike something solid. She opened her eyes to find Wei casually holding his forearm over his head with an amused grin.

"See? Doesn't hurt."

It seemed Wei's student was intent on apologizing for everything that day. "I shouldn't have swung at you out of anger! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"Perhaps, but at least now you see I'm completely protected. Can we resume training?"

Chariss nodded. "Ok."

Wei smiled slyly. "Once she finally got comfortable with her newer, faster reflexes and felt sure of the effectiveness of my armor, she actually got a big kick out sparring. She went at it with quite a will."

"But sparring and real combat are still very different."

Wei nodded. "I know."

"Have you been to the arena since the Clone Wars ended?"

Wei frowned. "No, I haven't."

"Will you go there with me now? I'd like you to see what became of that place."

Wei nodded and got up from his perch on the side of the fighter.

R4 whistled sadly.

"Don't worry, I'm not going far, and not for long."

But R4 had been in a similar situation before, and didn't like how familiar it seemed to him.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei crested a hill. From his vantage point, he could see through a hole in the arena wall. Amongst the rubble, bones, and broken droids several more droids milled about. Wei couldn't quite tell the models, but he could tell one thing: all the standing droids were holding lightsabers.

"Why do they have those?" Wei asked with an undertone of anger.

"Apparently they were taken from the bodies of the fallen Jedi."

"How did they get them? Did we just not do that great a job taking care of our dead?" Wei asked. Indignation welled up inside him.

The Force Ghost shrugged. "I could not say. I am given to understand that most Jedi were cremated upon death, and their lightsabers with them. I suppose in the interest of pursuing Darth Tyrannus, and organizing the Republic forces against the Separatists, these Jedi were left here, or were hurriedly put to rest."

Wei nodded. "I suppose so. I became a Padawan a week or two after that battle."

"Wei Wu Wei, you don't think yourself a Jedi anymore, but if you would...""

Wei got the idea. "I would."

Lightsaber in hand, Wei walked purposefully towards the arena. He would take down those rogue droids. He would get those lightsabers back.

[Wei Wu Wei]

The week before the big fight, Wei canceled all practice and exercise. He put the swords away, took the week off, and spend each morning waking to sleeping with Chariss. Though the former Jedi always made his best attempt to keep her from fretting during the year, it was a much bigger job to keep her relaxed that particular week.

They went hiking in the woods nearby, ate at every restaurant in town, had an enormous game of hide and seek where no one's home or business was off limits, and saw every single holofilm Chariss loved best.

Chariss laughed and enjoyed herself well enough at first. After a few days, she couldn't ignore her predicament. "Is all this in case I lose?" She finally asked one evening.

Wei shook his head. "No, it's to keep you relaxed. Anticipation is a distraction. You need to rest and be well at ease when you face this man. You'll be able to better judge his actions and respond with good choices."

Chariss nodded. "Ok, then. I'll trust you and try not to worry so much."

She never did ask again until the night before the duel. Wei and Chariss sat on the sofa in her living room one evening talking about Coruscant It was a rare moment when Wei could be honest with her about his past. Wei could feel sleep pulling down his eyelids.

"It's late. You need sleep for your big day tomorrow." Wei said. He stood and started towards the door.

"Wait!" She cried, and clutched his sleeve tightly in her hand. Wei turned. Concern etched his features. Chariss turned crimson and looked at the floor. "Wait," she said in a quieter, calmer voice. "Don't," she faltered. "Don't go. I don't want to be by myself." She looked up into his face. "Please."

Wei shifted from one foot to the next. "Are you sure?"

She nodded . "Yes, please."

Wei weighed it in his mind. Chariss needed rest. She needed to be calm. If leaving her alone was going to keep her from being calm and rested, then he had to stay.

"All right."

Chariss smiled. "Thanks, Wei."

Wei didn't know what else to do, so he returned to the sofa. "Just try to sleep. We can't stay up all night. I'll stay here. You get some sleep."

Chariss sat next to him and leaned against him. "Ok." She nestled into his side. She took a deep breath and sighed happily. "Good night."

Wei remembered the last time she fell asleep against him, but it had been something of an accident. Besides that, there had been other people around as well. Now Wei and Chariss were quite alone, and the former Jedi had no idea what to do. He held perfectly still, then before he knew it, Chariss was breathing softly and fast asleep.

He shifted for a moment or two to try to perhaps lay her on the sofa or carry her to her bed, but it became apparent to him how light a sleeper she was. Every little movement he made caused her to squirm or make quiet sounds in her sleep. After a half an hour, she had a fistful of his shirt firmly in her hand and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"I give up," he mouthed to the ceiling. He inclined his head toward hers, and soon fell asleep with his cheek resting on top of her head.

Wei stepped into the battleground. He pressed the ignition plate on his lightsaber and stood defiant against the droids as they took notice of him.

"JeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedAAAAAAAAAAAAAIII!" Their rusted vocabulators screeched.

The years hadn't been kind to these droids' memory cores.

"Droids." Wei would have never guessed he would have to fight these things again after all these years.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei found himself feeling like it was Empire Day all over again as he approached the small arena with Chariss. They pushed through the crowd that gathered around to see her take on a veteran fencer. Chariss held her sword in one hand, and Wei's hand in the other.

Wei stood at the edge of the crowd and motioned for Chariss to enter the circle. The officer was warming up with a few slashes and stabs. He wore the same protective chest armor he wore the day of his demonstration match.

"No protective gear? I'm not afraid to take home damaged goods, if that's your aim."


Chariss tried to grin. She wore her armor under a chocolate brown sweater and pair of well-fitting pants. She glanced at Wei, who only inclined his head in her direction. He wasn't worried at all.

"Remember your training," he told her at breakfast. "It's hard-wired into you now. Just stay calm and focus on the task at hand."

Chariss took her opening stance.

"Eager to get to it, huh?" The officer shrugged and pointed his own blade at her. "Then let's get this over with fast!"

The officer lunged at Chariss, and stabbed at her heart. She stepped aside, hooked the blades at the hilt, and pulled. The officer leaned forward, and took an extra step to steady himself. Chariss pivoted on her back foot, then swung her sword low. Her sword bit into the officer's calf. Her blade cleared his calf, leaving a serious wound.

"What?" The officer shouted. "NO ONE DOES THAT DURING A MATCH!"

Bolstered by her first successful attack, Chariss set up for him again. "But this isn't a match," she said. "This is a fight!"

Wei took the first droid in a more "hands-off" approach. He swept out wide and kept his body low, then stabbed the droid through its back panel. A smell of charred circuitry wafted into the air, and the lightsaber it held extinguished as it hit the ground.

Two more droids attacked from either side. Wei pancaked to the ground in time to hear the sound of lightsaber blades slicing through durasteel. He rolled out from under the droids' broken chassis before they could land on him. He stood in time to face three more.

"It's a little like Dooku's mansion all over again," he said. "Only this time, they aren't programmed to attack one at a time."


The Force Cripple suddenly found himself wishing his inaugural Form VI battle had been more like his wife's.

[Wei Wu Wei]

The officer limped forward. He chose to keep his good leg forward, and put all his weight on it. To Wei, the intent was clear: he wasn't going to budge from that spot.

Chariss took a big breath, and moved forward with the sweeping steps she had been practicing since her first day. She stabbed at the officer's face. He stopped her blade, but when he tried to withdraw it for a counterattack, she kept her own sword on his. Whichever way he moved his sword, he couldn't shake it free of hers. One more sweeping step put Chariss' foot behind the officers. She tucked her knee under his, grabbed him by his chest armor, then with a grunt she shoved as hard as she could.

The officer's knee folded around Chariss'. Without his good leg to stand on, he landed flat on his back. Wei could see Chariss smile for a moment in shocked pleasant surprise, then return to a serious expression a split second later when she remembered the fight wasn't over.

She moved his sword to the outside and stepped on the flat of the blade close to the hilt. She put her other foot on the officer's chest and the point of her sword against the tip of the his nose.

"Give up!" She said.

Wei could hear people murmuring around him. No one knew Chariss could be such a capable fighter.
Wei made his own blade stick to the first droid's blade, and stepped inside. Wei used leverage to turn the droid's saber further outside, then cleaved the machine's robotic arm at the elbow. The second droid swiped at him. Wei turned the first droid's body and shoved it into the second. The first droid took the attack in the head and fell heavily onto the second.

During the split second Two was getting untangled from One, Wei took on number Three. Three chopped overhead. The former Jedi batted the saber towards the ground as he moved aside. The additional momentum jerked Three's body downwards as Wei brought his saber upwards. The two met in a blinding flash of sparks. Three's head rolled away with its electronic eyes flickering into dimness.

Number Two dropped the droid carcass weighing it down. Before it could raise its weapon, Wei cut the droid down its vertical axis. Six down.

Wei surveyed the battlefield. The remaining droids had closed in. Totally surrounded and without help, Wei definitely wished this fight was turning out more like his wife's.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei set his jaw and prepared to attack. That's when he heard the blasting sound of engine thrusters. R4 flew in from over the far wall. The droid closed in, killed the thrusters, and on repulsors alone, angled the ship to sideswipe thirty droids into a broken heap. The ship climbed the small pile and the repulsors bucked, kicking the ship higher into the air. R4 re-engaged the thrusters and whistled happily.

Wei could almost imagine what the astromech was saying: Flying's for droids! Wei laughed.

The Force Cripple noticed a lightsaber at his foot. He kicked it into the air and caught it with his free hand. Dual-wielding wasn't Wei's strong suit, but having a hand for offense and a hand for defense didn't seem like it would hurt at the moment. He was still outnumbered, after all.

Wei activated the spare lightsaber, which brought forth a beautiful golden blade to life. The Force Cripple dove into two droids. The right-hand droid stalled on Wei's blade. With the defensive stickiness he had begun to master, it was simple enough to keep the droid's blade under control by feel while maneuvering around the left droid's saber and pierce its motorbox. He turned to the right-hand droid and swung laterally, cleaving the droid's head from "ear" to "ear". The lobotomized droid crumpled.

Wei continued, moving from droid pair to droid pair, using one droid's attack to pin it down while focusing on and dispatching the other.

"Why did I not think of this sooner?" Wei said with satisfaction when the last droid went down.

[Wei Wu Wei]

The crowd gasped. No one would have guessed how much Chariss had grown as a fighter.

"Amazing!"

"Who would have guessed a feminine gal like her could whoop a soldier like that!"

"Chariss has always been so even-tempered."

Wei, of course, was proud. He taught her well, and it paid off. Now she just had to be sure he'd capitulate.

The officer let go his sword. Chariss kicked it away and stepped back. The swordpoint never left its spot in front of his nose.

"Who wants to marry a bitch like you anyway?" he said at last.

"Officer Ragul!" a severe looking older man wearing an imperial commander's uniform appeared at the edge of the crowd. "What is the meaning of this?"

Chariss lowered her sword.

The officer stepped forward and two MPs slipped into the arena with blaster rifles raised. Chariss paled and turned towards them. She held her stance, but it was clear she was too frightened to move.

"I'm not here for you, ma'am." The commander pointed at Ragul. "I'm here for him. This kind of unsanctioned fighting is illegal. Harassing civilians is deplorable conduct. Attacking them is even worse."

Ragul sputtered a moment before finally bawling childishly, "It was HER idea!"

The commander nodded. "I know. I heard all about it, which is why I'm here. No doubt she felt if she went to the post to file a grievance against you, she'd only be targeted even more for her actions."

Wei was surprised. Looking closer, he could see the commander was one of the last remaining Clones. Made sense. Many of the clones believed in the rightness of what they did, even the destruction of the Jedi. It seemed this one still believed in the protection of the common being and defending the rights of all.

"Ma'am, he will be detained and shipped off planet as soon as possible for court martial. We will also be garnishing his wages as restitution for what he's put you through."

The commander smiled. "I wish it were enough to say that his defeat at your hands was punishment enough. You fought well. Here, take this datachip. I understand there is going to be a special group forming within the Empire soon. An Imperial Inquisitoriate. If you how exceptional skill and Force sensitivity, you may join them in the eradication of rogue Jedi."

Chariss took the chip without a word. She stood staring at it while the MPs placed Ragul in binders and took him away.

Wei gathered up the lightsabers from among the broken parts. "What should I do with these?"

The Force Ghost scratched his chin. "Why not take them with you? I'm sure you'll find a use for them sooner or later."

Wei nodded. "Very well."

"So, I presume Chariss defeated her foe?"

Wei nodded. "She did. We talked when the fight was over, but once I said good-bye to her that day, she didn't talk to me until a few days after."

"Oh. Why?"

Wei shrugged. "I guess she just had to deal with what happened. But she did get in touch with me later."

Wei got the message from Chariss a week after the fight. No image--just a quick message to meet on the small bridge between the square and the residences. He started out immediately.

When he got there, he stopped cold when he saw Chariss waiting for him. She wore a sapphire cheongsam with a pair of heels to match. She wore her hair in a bun, held in place with an ornate set of hairpins.

"Chariss?" Wei found his face growing hot and the words he wanted to say catching in his throat.

"Yes, Wei." She smiled. "Come close. I wanted to talk to you."

Wei approached her. She took his hand. Wei could feel the slight callouses that had formed from her training. He looked out at the view of the stream and the park nearby.

"Chariss, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have put you through all that. I didn't mean for you to get so--"

She placed a finger over his lips. "I'm all right. It was frightening, yes. But also exhilarating. It's not something I'm used to. But I'm glad I did it, and I'm glad you were there to teach me."

Wei breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good." Wei looked back at her and found his mind blank. "Um..." He fidgeted a little. "You look lovely."

She giggled at him. "Thanks. I wanted to dress like this for you. To say thank you. And also, there's something I've been wanting to do for a while. Something you helped me find the courage to do." She took both of Wei's hands in hers.

Wei's face wrinkled in quizzical wonder. "What's th-"

Chariss leaned in and kissed Wei passionately. Before he knew what he was doing, Wei had one arm wrapped around her waist and the other cradling her head as he returned the kiss.

When they parted at last, Wei disovered a feeling of excitement along with disappointment. Why did it have to end so soon?

"That. I love you, Wei Wu Wei."

The words felt warm, but also felt like they carried a great deal of force. It was as though he'd been struck hard by something heavy. He didn't really know what to say. He just stood there smiling.

"I love you too," he said at last.

"And that was that."

Wei climbed into the starfighter and prepared to take off. "By the way, you never introduced yourself. Most of the Force Ghosts I recognized or introduced themselves to me. But I'm sorry to say I don't think we met."

The Force ghost nodded. "Indeed, you're right. I'm Cin Drallig. It's nice to meet you, Wei Wu Wei."

Wei's jaw went slack. "Cin Drallig? THE Cin Drallig? Jedi Battlemaster? I wanted to train with you so badly when I was a youngling! I studied your holos all the time!"

"And now you have taught me something instead. I'm proud of you, Wei Wu Wei. I'm proud of all that you've accomplished in your training in recent months. I'm glad you talked to me about your wife and that time during your exile. Remember: it's not preventing emotions that brings us peace, but dealing with those emotions in a healthy way so we don't dwell on them and let them fester within us."

Wei nodded. "I'll do my best to remember."

"It's going to get harder from here. The Empire knows you're a force to be reckoned with. They'll be more cunning than ever before. Watch for traps and ambushes."

"I will, Master Drallig."

"Until next time, Wei Wu Wei. May the Force be with you."

Wei inclined his head towards the Jedi Battlemaster as the canopy closed and sealed. The former Jedi would soon return to Dantooine's orbit, and the search would continue.

"I still love you, Chariss. I won't allow you to have died a pointless death."