Sturdy Roots and Moving Currents

Meditating on a cushion beneath the Kyber Arch, listening to the crystals sing around him, Burryaga Agaburry felt curious eyes peering at him.

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He was used to it, of course; as the only Wookiee currently in the Jedi Order, he received a fair amount of interest. He sensed that the ones looking at him were younglings, venturing out from the crèche to explore the Temple. And when he opened his eyes and turned his head toward the doorway, he saw he was correct.

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Five small children huddled together, eyes wide as their gaze darted from him to the Kyber Arch and back again. One of them, a Kessurian boy, inched forward, and the others fell in behind him. The boy waved. “Hi,” he said, his voice uncertain and echoing in the vast chamber.

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No one else was around who would be disturbed by noise, so Burry raised his paw in greeting. “Hello.”

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The younglings jumped, surprised by the growling whine of his voice, but the Kessurian tried to hide his reaction. “I’m Telle. What’s your name?”

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“I’m Burryaga. You can call me Burry,” he replied in Shyriiwook. But as he spoke, he also reached out through the Force, directing his thoughts towards the children. It was a skill he’d mastered long ago. While all Jedi could sense one another’s thoughts when focusing, Burry was able to share his so clearly that they could almost be interpreted as words. The Masters thought it stemmed from his empathic abilities.

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The younglings took a minute to process his name. A Rodian boy’s initial fear of Burryaga’s presence was ebbing away. “Can you not speak Basic?”

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Burry shook his head. “My vocal cords aren’t built like yours,” he explained, both in Shyriiwook and through the Force. “But I can understand it.” He waved a paw towards the Kyber Arch. “You’ve come to mediate?”

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“Not really,” Telle said as he led the group into the meditation chamber. They came to stop beside Burryaga, craning their necks to look up at the structure. “Master Yoda brought us here last week, and we wanted to see it again. So we followed the singing.”

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Burryaga smiled as he uncrossed his legs stood. He hadn’t hit his true growth spurt, not yet, but he still towered over Telle and his friends. “You hear singing?”

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“Yes.” The boy wrinkled his nose. “Don’t you hear it?”

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“Not as singing.” Burry’s gaze drifted up to the Kyber Arch. It was a magnificent structure, a tribute to all the Jedi who had become one with the Force, reverently crafted from the kyber crystals of the fallen. Sunlight streamed in from the skylights, catching in the contours of the crystals and throwing colored shadows across the smooth stone floor. “I don’t hear singing – I hear the rustle of leaves, the creaking of boughs, the burrowing of roots.”

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“The Force is a tree?” a Mikkian girl piped up.

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 “It’s how I perceive the Force. I have a friend who sees individuals as stones in a stream, and another as mixes of light and shadow. Every Jedi hears it – feels it – differently.”

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He growled thoughtfully. Did other Force-sensitive Wookiees feel the Force as he did? Was he unique in that sense, or did all Wookiees envision a great tree?

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The younglings stared up at him with wide eyes. “Are you a Knight?” Telle asked in awe.

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Burry laughed, his howl reverberating around the chamber, and the younglings jumped at the sound. He gestured to a particular braid in his fur. “I’m not even a Padawan yet. I’m an Initiate. My teachers are just very devoted.”

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“I’ll be sure to let Master Sinube know your praises,” came a warm voice from the doorway.

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The younglings and Burryaga quickly bowed as Jedi Knight Nib Assek entered the room. A Human woman, small in stature and aged in years, Master Assek walked with the air of a Jedi who had travelled the galaxy and learned all its knowledge. Burryaga had interacted with her a few times recently, as she had come to observe some of the training duels, meditation sessions, and other lessons of his relative-age group. The rumor among the Initiates was that she was looking to take on a new apprentice.

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“Master Assek,” Burryaga greeted, simultaneously directing his thoughts to the younglings so they knew who they were addressing.

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“Good afternoon, young ones.” The skin around her eyes crinkled as she smiled. “Are we meditating?”

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Telle shook his head. “We were just following the singing, only Burry said he doesn’t hear singing, he hears trees. What do you hear, Master? What’s the Force to you?”

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Master Assek didn’t answer immediately. She paced forward, laying her hand against the crystals along the base of the Arch. She gave no outward sign of her thoughts, but Burry felt deep emotions float off her. There was sadness as she contemplated the sheer number of crystals, and peace as the kyber hummed around them, and – something not immediately identifiable. Burry frowned, trying to focus the feeling. It had nothing to do with the Arch. The feeling reminded him of anticipation, but subdued. Not nervous enough to be trepidation, but definitely reserved.

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At length, she answered, “I navigate the Force like I navigate a Vector. I feel myself and others gliding amid the Force, as though on air currents, or in the still of space. The slightest shift affects how one flies. And the Force is always in motion.” Master Nib Assek turned back to face them. A few strands of wispy white hair came free of her bun. “If you wouldn’t mind, young ones, I wish to speak to Initiate Burryaga alone.”

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Telle and his friends shot Burryaga furtive looks. He felt surprise and curiosity flashing through them. They didn’t protest; they bowed hastily and skittered from the room.

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Most Initiates, Burry knew, would be frightened of being singled out by a full-fledged Jedi. But such things didn’t worry him. He’d never been intimidated by the Knights and Masters. On the contrary – he found their presence comforting. Maybe it was because they were able to control their emotions, which Burryaga found soothing, compared to the yet-uncontrolled emotions of his peers.

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“How can I help, Master?” he growled as he thought through the Force, spreading his arms in an amiable gesture.

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Master Assek chuckled, stepping away from the Arch. “It’s not so much that I need help with something, Burry,” she responded. “But I have been considering this for some time, and I believe we are both now ready.” She clasped her hands and tilted her head to look up at him.

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“Burryaga Agaburry, I would be honored to train you as my Padawan Learner.”

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His mouth fell open, his eyes widening as he processed what she said. But it wasn’t just that she’d asked to train him. It was how she asked. Because Burry realized, belatedly, that she had spoken to him in near-perfect Shyriiwook.

 

*             *             *

 

The language of the Wookiees did not come easily to Human throats. But Nib was up for the challenge.

 

Ever since she had decided to take Burryaga Agaburry as a Padawan learner, she had been learning Shyriiwook, which meant she’d been studying for a few years. She’d observed Burry from a distance through his various lessons, and found herself endeared to him. Nib recognized that he was gentle, thoughtful, sensitive. His empathic abilities were impressive, but he had much room to improve in his other skills, and she felt confident she could guide him on his path.

 

An old friend of hers had put her in contact with the Republic delegation from Kashyyyk. Once she explained that she wanted to learn their language, the Wookiee delegates were more than happy to assist her. They even lent her one of their protocol droids so she could practice. Once Nib had mastered the basics, one of the Senatorial aides found time in her hectic schedule to go over more complex sentence structure.

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Pride was not a trait Nib Assek often associated with. But she had to admit, she was pleased with her progress.

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It was the Wookiee Senator himself who enthusiastically posited the idea to Nib, and she immediately agreed. She hadn’t told her new Padawan where they were going; she wanted their first journey together, after a week of mediation and conversation, to be a surprise.

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And what a surprise it was.

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Nib smiled broadly as Burryaga stood, dumbfounded, on the ramp of the transport vessel they’d hired. He seemed overwhelmed, unsure of where to look, of what to focus on. The landing pad bustled with activity, pilots and dock hands loading and offloading cargo, calling to one another in grunts and growls and howls; Wookiees, every one.

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The landing platform nested high in the gargantuan trees, just as all Wookiee structures did. Sturdy bridges spanned the abyss between the great trees, leading to the winding cities and villages, some hewn into the vast trunks themselves. Leaves rustled around them, and avian creatures passed in a flurry of wings in the canopy.

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Oh, the Force was strong here.

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Nib felt the ebb and flow of the movements of the trees as though they were air currents, the calls of creatures were flashes of lights on her systems display, the forest floor so, so far below crawling with beasts that padded about like asteroids, everything so alive. She allowed herself to close her eyes and revel in the living Force surrounding her. She drew a deep breath, imagining herself drifting through the Force as she drifted through space; tranquil, steady, open.

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She opened her eyes as Burryaga descended the ramp, his eyes wide and misty, treading softly, as though worried he would disrupt the life surging around him. He stopped only when he reached the edge of the landing pad, staring out over the sea of leaves rippling in the light breeze. Large white flowers blossomed around the pad, stretching up through the canopy; their scent reminded Nib of frost on a fruit tree.

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After allowing him a few moments alone, Nib joined the young Wookiee. She’d decided to let her hair down, and she was glad of it; the wind danced through her hair, and for a moment, she felt young again.

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“Master.”

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There was so much raw emotion in the quiet rumble. Nib laid her hand against Burryaga’s arm and gazed up at him. She barely came up to his shoulders, and she smiled.

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“Welcome to Kashyyyk, Padawan.”