Disclaimer: Usually I don't bother with these things, you know the deal
but this story ties in with the Young Jedi Knights books so I just wanted
to stress the issue that some of this stuff isn't mine! I have to have
some things the same you see, like Luke's lectures.

Time: during Heirs to the Force



        [-1-]

        Kris was not happy. He had been uprooted and now they were trying
to replant him. Not literally, Kris was a full-blooded human from
Coruscant. He was a normal, average, fourteen-year-old boy. He had a
beast friend and a girl he was quite found of as well as a dozen other
friends who hung around him. He had the perfect life on Coruscant. There
were his parents, though, they were not part of the perfect life.
        "Welcome to the Jedi Academy. I'm Tionne, please follow me." The
silver hair woman interrupted his thoughts. He was glad however because
he'd been sitting there, waiting for almost an hour. She led him into the
great temple, down a corridor and into Luke Skywalker's 'office'.
        "Hello Kris, I'm Master Skywalker. Welcome to the academy." Luke
said with no emotion in his expression.
        "Hi." Kris responded. Tionne left.
        "Before you get settled in, we have to talk about why you're
here. You must not use the force like that again ever. It's best right
now if you only use when you're instructed to. Do you know what you did?"
        "Kinda. I knew it was wrong as soon as it started but I wasn't in
control anymore. I tried to stop, I really did, and I didn't want it to
happen. I was mad, yeah, sure but..."
        "It's all right Kris. It was accident. That's why your here, to
learn to use the force properly." Luke said, though, it certainly wasn't
all right.
        
        Luke took Kris to the main audience chamber, he was giving a
Lecture. As the students were seated he caught a glimpse of a girl with
red hair. She winked at him. He ended up between a strange alien he'd
never seen before and a small boy who had the widest eyes anyone had ever
seen. The girl was on the other side of the boy.
        Master Skywalker began, "May the force be with you." That seemed
to have an effect on most of the other students. A boy smiled, a girl
shivered and others all reacted in little ways.
        "As I have told you many times I don't believe the training of a
true Jedi comes from listening to lectures." Then why were they? Kris
wondered. Master Skywalker continued, "I want to teach you..." 
Kris wasn't paying any attention anymore. This was boring. Some weirdo in
the front row asked a question. He could tell the other students didn't
approve. He guessed the colorful boy did it often. Master Skywalker kept
talking, trying to answer the boy's question so that he would understand
it. Kris looked around. Stones, students, and a Master. This was his
future?  He looked over at the girl he'd seen earlier. She was intent on
the stone under Master Skywalker's feet. He tried to see what was so
interesting but he was just bored. He tried to listen to Master Skywalker
again. Just as he might have been able to, a droid sounded the alarm,
something was wrong. They were told to practice their skills. He didn't
have any skills, unless you counted... but he didn't and Skywalker didn't
have enough students anyway. The students filed out. Three ran after
Skywalker the rest went toward what he guessed were their quarters. He
decided to try and follow the boy he'd been next to.
        "Hey, wait up!" The boy hesitated, unsure if Kris was really
calling to him.
        "Hi. I'm Kris Xef, I just got here before the lecture and I
wonder if you could help me."
        "I don't know, what do you need help with?"
        "What should I do? I don't have any skills and I haven't been
given quarters." Kris didn't like asking for help but he had to.
        "Well, I could take you to Master Skywalker's room and you could
wait outside until he comes. Once he's done with whatever is wrong I'm
sure he'll look for you."
        "Thanks! That'd be great. So what's your name?" Kris asked as the
boy led him back toward Master Skywalker's chamber.
        "Gem Antilles."
        "You mean like the great fighter pilot?"
        "Yes. He's my father."
        "Cool. My parents are just normal people, not famous or anything.
We have a garage and hanger on Coruscant." They had made it to
Skywalker's room.
        "Well, see you around." Gem said and scurried back to where ever
he had to go. Kris learned back on the wall.
        "Hello." A voice called.

{-2-} 
        "Hello." Kris replied, somehow he knew who it was. The red headed
girl stepped forward.
        "I'm Prix. You've already met Gem and you'll meet Yaden soon
enough. What do you think about the force. It
seems like trickery to me. I know it isn't but I'm still a non believer."
He looked at her, how could she have
doubts? She hadn't had the experience he'd had, nothing like it
apparently.
        "It's real."
        "That's it? You seem the sort of person who has more to say."
        "Usually, but not on this topic.
        "Ok. So what do you think is wrong?"
        "You mean why Skywalker dismissed like that and ran toward the
landing pad? Probably some loading accident or something."
        "Maybe. I think the Solo twins and Tenel Ka will beat the rest
them to the landing pad."
        "You mean the chief of states kids? They were the ones running
after Skywalker?" The students hadn't been going to their quarters after
all.
        "Yes but they didn't run far, you should have stayed longer, they
climbed up a rope on to the roof. You saw Tenel Ka climb down this
morning didn't you?"
        "Who? No I don't think so. Must have come in after that."
        "She's a warrior girl from Dathomir. You manage to miss
everything. I met her and the Solo kids earlier. So what's your story?"
        "I'm Kris Xef. My parents have a hanger and garage on Coruscant.
Not much to tell. How about you? You said your name was Prix, last or
first?"
        "First. I'm Prix Calquin my parents are in charge of the major
bank systemizing on Corellia. 'Put your trust in Calquin, the bank of a
new age.'"
        "Hello Kris, Prix."
        "Hello Master Skywalker." Prix said. Kris just nodded. They all
went inside Master Skywalker's room.
        "I suppose you'd like quarters and a tour as well as some
introductory lessons, Kris." He said. "I'll put you near Gem and Prix
since you've already met." He brought up a map and showed Kris how to get
there and which one it was so Prix could take him. She was also
designated his tour guide. Master Skywalker then told Kris about the
force. Although Prix had already had this lesson she stayed to hear
again.
         "The force connects all living things. It penetrates us, binds
and flows all around us. You have demonstrated much potential. Close your
eyes, take a deep breath and just feel. Let out all of your tension, any
nervousness or anxiety. Just feel." Kris did as he was told. He just
felt. At first all he felt was his own mind trying to relax. But then he
felt Prix also struggling with her excitement and Master Skywalker's calm
center of peace. He let go of all his feelings and just felt the peace.
        "That's it. Now feel the force flowing between us." Prix let go
of her mind and so did Kris there was a moment of serenity but then he
saw a bolt of lightning and his mind snapped together with Prix's. He
opened his eyes in shock.
Prix also saw the lightning. "What was that?" She asked in alarm.
"I'm not sure. The force works in many ways. Perhaps the answer will come
to you when you meditate or sleep. Don't worry, no one was hurt." Luke
reassured her. She shivered and went outside with Kris following her.
        "Ok. This way." She said. He followed her equally quiet. She
didn't tell him that the other day her mind had snapped with Gem's during
an exercise they were working on. But now she was sure about him. Once
they got to his quarters Prix showed him where she, Gem and Yaden had
been assigned. She knocked on Yaden's door.
        "Jreetings." She said.
        "Hi." Kris replied.
        "Yaden 'K this is Kris. Kris that's Yaden." Prix introduced them.
Yaden was the alien he'd sat next to during the lecture. She was tall and
long and skinny. Her skin was tinted yellow and her eyes were black. If
she had eyes, Kris couldn't be sure they weren't holes or something. She
had green hair, green hair that might better be called green Jell-O. It
didn't appear to have strands at all and is quivered slightly when she
moved. She wore a simple long turquoise dress with a leather tie at her
waist. Even though she was the strangest creature Kris had ever seen, he
thought of her as rather pretty. She invited Kris and Prix in. She had
standard academy quarters like everyone else. Her walls were decorated
with colorful tapestries. She had a computer and several parts on a table
in the center of her room but mostly, it was empty.
        "I'm Hryz." Yaden supplied. Although Kris was trying not to stare
he apparently wasn't doing very well.