Paternal Differences

[Cassidy Williams]

“Duh… Duh na na na nuuuuuh… Dun na na na NUUUUUH…. Dun dun dooooom…”

A piece of Namana fruit sailed into the recruitment center of “those damn meddlin’ Jedi”. It took a few moments but soon the tosser of produce appeared, clad in jeans and a simple t-shirt emblazoned with a store logo (it had been a free gift at the grand opening).

Cassidy Williams raced over and picked up the dirt-coated quarter of fruit between her thumb and index finger. She wrinkled her nose.

“Gross.”

The vertically challenged youth (she stood at 4’11”) took a moment to locate a trash bin outside and throw the surrendered snack away before re-entering the building and gazing around. Her father had always said the ‘meddlin’ Jedi” were “no good, good for nothing’s” and had had a dominant enthusiasm for painting less than plausible picture of them.

Cassidy’s natural iconoclasm and vague curiosity of the world around her had led her here. She had read about the Jedi to balance out her father’s propaganda and soon her cautious intake of literature had become a focused interest.

With the old man paying for his sins against society in prison, the pre-teen was free to do as she wished. After researching the group, Cassidy found that she was tapping into an interest and desire that was almost reflexive in it’s immediacy. She wanted to be a Jedi.

“Hallo? Hallo-oh?”

[Xazor Elessar]

A dark figure slowly paced the perimeter of the Recruitment Center. Clad in heavy black robes with hood drawn, she danced among the shadows and remained a secret to all in the room. Oceanic eyes the color cyan beamed out from the darkness beneath the hood and locked upon a newcomer: a young woman. She stopped walking for a moment and looked thoughtfully on her before stepping into the light and allowing it to bathe her.

"Greetings -- I am Warrior Jedi Knight, Xazor Dawnstrider. You seek the Jedi this day, yes?"

The voice rang out powerfully, bouncing off the walls and meeting Cassidy's ears before returning to the Garou woman. A few more paces forward and she stopped once again as a pale hand lifted to the hood and slowly pushed it back off of her head. It fell and gathered upon her back whence waist length blonde locks spilled out. Her hair was unique; done up in Garou Warrior Braids with silver coins woven into them. The currency clanged together softly and came to a stop after a moment of free falling.

The light now clearly revealed the Knight's face. Her complexion was fair but her beauty surpassed many. Though she looked to be in her early twenties, Xazor was actually in her fourties. Thank Gaia that her race aged at an unbelievably slow rate, though. Her rose colored lips drew up into a smile exposing her elongated canines peeking beneath her upper lip and showing above her lower. Indeed she was not human at all but of the Wolf kind and her appearance was not meant to frighten those she greeted. This was merely who she was. With a graceful bow to the young woman, the Knight came to full height of five foot six inches tall before clasping her hands at her weapons belt which seemed, to one's eyes, to hold plenty for a good sized war.

"This is the Jedi Recruitment Center -- I am assuming that you've come here to join -- Cassidy, is it?"

Of course being a Mentalist had its advantages -- she had simply probed the girl's mind for a name to go to her face and indeed, Xazor struck it right again. She continued smiling as she canted her head to the right slightly and eyed Cassidy curiously.

[Cassidy Williams]

"Oh, yes Ma'am, I mean, that's why I'm here all right!"

Cassidy grinned as she looked up at the jedi knight. Her hair was what had first caught the girls attention. Cassidy's own chestnut locks were parted strictly down the middle and braided on either side of her noggin. She pushed her Clark Kent's higher onto the bridge of her nose and continued.


"How'd you know my name? I mean, I didn't say anything but you already knew it... Hey!"

Her eyes brightened.

"I read this book by this doctor and it was about you Jedi folks and it said that you could read minds! It's true isn't it?!"

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor laughed slightly to herself and nodded slightly as a smile crossed her lips.

"Yes -- it is quite true for some Jedi. I am a Mentalist and I specialize in the area of the mind -- most others can simply see thoughts and things as well -- but my study goes deeper than that."

She said softly, eyeing the girl curiously. It was a strange thing, but Xazor could see her own enthusiasm in Cassidy's eyes.

"This life is quite difficult -- it is not a walk in the park by any means. You will be hated and hunted by many yet needed and sought after by all. Is this what you want? Do you wish to live your life like this for as long as you live? Taking the Jedi Code is quite serious -- it is not something to be broken."

[Cassidy Williams]

"Oh, I've been hunted before Ma'am, lotsa times."

Cassidy's eagerness was evident.

"See, my Dad--not my real Dad--was a thief and so we've been movin' around a lot, my whole life. One time, I was even taken into custody and interrogated, but then my Uncle Eddie came in and took care of it. But see, one thing about my Dad--not my real Dad-- is that he's real stubborn and he sticks with things. That's pretty much the only way I'm like him."

It was evident that the girl wanted to avoid the age old addage that 'the apple doesn't fall far from the tree' by establishing that she wasn't related to the criminal she called 'Dad'.

"I really do want to be a Jedi Ma'am. Honest. And I'll work real hard!"

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor closed her eyes for a moment and allowed the Force to link her to the girl's mind for a moment. Indeed, she was not like those who had raised her -- but it seemed there was a piece missing from this puzzle.

"I know you wish to be a Jedi and I know you will work hard -- the Force tells me these things."

She said confidently, noting that she was quite Force sensitive without a formal testing.

"But I must ask you -- what happened to your Mother? Surely you had a Mother at some time or you would probably not be standing before me."

Perhaps the Knight should not have asked, but she was quite curious now. The girl looked familiar and the Force seemed to be nagging at Xazor about it. Shaking it off, Xazor smiled to herself before the child answered.

"You shall be a Jedi Knight somday, and a Master after that. Welcome to the Greater Jedi Order. A Master shall be chosen for you soon -- I will see to it that you get someone who will pay attention to your yearning for knowledge."

Xazor had someone in mind too and decided to speak with this person later, for now, though -- she wished to get to know Cassidy more. There was just something about her.

[Cassidy Williams]

Cassidy was relieved as the question of her mother was momentarily dismissed. As Xazor continued, a megawatt smile grew on the girls face and it was all she could do to keep from jumping up and down.

"Oh thank you! I promise, I won't let you down, I'll do my best... Better than my best!"

She excitedly reached to her neck and tugged at a long chain that was too big for her, and had been hidden underneath her shirt. As she stroked the pendant happily, her face grew wistful.

"My Dad gave me this before he went away. He said it was my mothers. I don't know if I believe him or not though."

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor smiled gently and bowed to the new Padawan before her attention was drawn to the long chain she drew forth from beneath her shirt. Slowly she stroked the pendant but pulled away long enough for Xazor to catch a glimpse of it. A gasp escaped the Jedi Knight's lips as her blue eyes locked onto the object in Cassidy's hand.

"It was your mother's?"

Xazor questioned in almost a whisper. Suddenly a quick image entered her mind and left just as it came. She was but the tender age of four -- it was but a month before she was taken from her parents. A woman with long brown hair leaned over a small little girl and as she did, a necklace swung out from her chest and the child grasped onto it. She giggled with happiness as her mother lifted her into the air and then hugged her tightly. Just then, the memory left Xazor, but the image of that pendant remained in her mind. 'Maybe it's just a coincidence -- perhaps two people had the same one?' she attempted to reason with herself but it was not working.

"Cassidy -- what was your mother's name?"

Perhaps it was an odd question, but it was assure Xazor either way. Then another thought crossed her mind. 'What if her memory was erased like mine and my father? What if she didn't remember her name and she -- changed it?' A sigh escaped the Garou woman's lips as she canted her head to the side and eyed the young girl curiously.

[Cassidy Williams]

Cassidy looked just as surprised as Xazor, her own shock caused by the Knight's gasp and whispered inquiry. She herself looked down at the pendant, squinting at it as if she had maybe missed something; but no, it was the same it had always been.

Cassidy--what was your mother's name?

She looked at Xazor, puzzled, before answering.

"I'm... Well I'm not sure Ma'am."

Cassidy's voice lowered sadly.

"See...My mother died before I could meet her, before I could remember. I asked my dad about it but he sort of shrugged it off. But--"

She looked at Xazor, trying to find something that would answer the question in even the smallest degree.

"--I once heard my Uncle Eddie talking to himself after I got in trouble. He was asking someone called... Zan...Zandaria, I think, why she'd left me with my dad and him. It probably doesn't mean anything but sometimes I like to pretend it does."

The bubbly young girl had diminished to a solemn youth, large eyes woeful as she awaited Xazor's reaction.

[Xazor Elessar]

"Zandaria --"

She breathed the name as if she had never spoken it before -- yet it rang so familiar in her mind. A sigh escaped her lips as she looked down at the young girl before her and noted how much she looked like her mother -- how much she looked like her.

"I will meditate on this, young one -- for now, why don't you find yourself a room in the Living Quarters or try to meet some other Jedi? I'll find a Master for you soon."

The Knight said softly, handing Cassidy a holo-map with directions to everything within the Jedi Order and the surrounding area. There were also facts about the Order and other things she needed to know.

"Sorry this is so abrupt but, I must go."

With that, Xazor hurried away from the situation -- away from the one she would inevitably call sister.

[Cassidy Williams]

Cassidy took the holo-map and nodded uncertainly. She was confused by the Knights reaction, and wondered if perhaps she had said something wrong. Before she got the chance to ask however, Xazor was walking away. Cassidy furrowed her brow and then sighed. It would do no good to worry.

Turning her attention to the map, the young girl began to make her way to the living quarters, and her new life.