Author’s note: This story was based upon a drawing I drew of Wind and DeWriter (of @ask-de-writer) as Jedi. After @ask-the-chan-family wrote his story, featuring Wind and Marchhare, I felt inspired to write the story on how Youngling Wind and Master Marchhare met.
Watch for a cameo from @mordenheim
While this story features official/cannon characters, it also features my Original character Wind Whisp(er), and @ask-de-writer‘s characters Marchhare and Black Lotus. Reproduction in any form, physical, electronic or digital is prohibited without the express consent of the author.
This Story beings just after the Events of "A Phantom Menace". I originally wrote this story 4 years ago, and wanted to update it ,with different plot points, and cameos.
Wind Whisp, Jedi Knight, and former Padawan of Jedi Master Marchhare, woke with a start.
She had been sleeping in her private apartment, located in the Jedi temple. The 17-year-old Cathar had just returned from a peace-keeping mission on Dantooine, her Master's old planet. While the mission had been somewhat easy, well, a lot easier than, say, stopping a rampaging Kyrat Dragon. Or even participating in the ongoing Clone Wars, (Thank goodness, and the Force, that she and her master hadn’t been chosen to be included in the Ranks for that) the trip back had been long and exhausting. Especially traveling in her Jedi Starfighter.
She looked around, training her sensitive ears for any odd noises. She froze has she heard the synchronized cadence of marching boots and blaster fire.
“By the Force…” She swore as she used her left, cybernetic arm, to throw the blankets off her and summoned her lightsaber to her right hand.
She tip-toed to her door, making certain to not to open it, and pressed her right ear against it. Blaster shots and bodies slumping to the floor could be heard right outside her door.
The Clones were attacking the Jedi temple.
She swallowed hard. She had to escape. Somehow. Make it down to the shipyard and to her Starfigher.
She ran to her window and opened the blinds. Her eyes fell on the Jedi shipyard, which could easily be seen from her room.
Her heart fell into her stomach as she saw tiny white figures, obviously clones, stationed there.
She swore to herself. “No hope there…”
The door to her room suddenly opened with a hiss. She spun around and saw a clone trooper standing in the door frame. His blaster rifle was trained on her.
Wind acted on instinct. She activated her lightsaber and then threw it at him. The blade easily pierced his helmet and through his head, stopping at the hilt. She used the Force to call the blade back to her.
The Trooper fell to the floor, his armor clanking loudly. She heard more troopers from down the hall. 5 or 6 of them.
Wind quickly grabbed her travel bag, and thew it on her shoulders. She then grabbed the Dragon Pearl from her side table and placed it in a pouch on her belt.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “May the Force guide me.”
With a yell, she leaped out other room and into the hallway. A squad of Troopers stood in front of her.
The Jedi Knight used her blade to deflect the bolts, carefully angling them back at the Troopers. All six of them fell to the floor. Their armor clanking loudly.
She switched off her lightsaber so that she could listen for others. She didn't hear anything in her immediate area, although she did hear distant explosions. She quickly looked around, tears springing to her eyes as she saw bodies of her fellow Jedi Knights. She walked over to one Jedi, and sat next to them, her legs folded under her. She rolled the body over and placed their head on her lap.
She sobbed. It wasn't her friend, Katara, which she was relieved to know, but it was a Jedi she knew well. It was a human boy, named Lexar. He had only just become a Knight a week ago. While He had been shot a number of times, he was still alive, but his life-force was fading quickly.
“wind...” He whispered as he tried to smile, “...take... my...” with a shaky hand, he placed his lightsaber on his chest. His eyes sparkled for a split second before going blank and lifeless.
“Lexar~” Wind sobbed, her tears splashing on his now blank face. She used her right hand and closed his eyes. “Rest now…” she sniffled as she kissed him on his forehead, “You are now one with the Force.”
She laid Lexar's head gently on the floor and stood up. She clipped her own lightsaber to her belt. She then bent down and removed his lightsaber from his chest. She clipped it her belt as well. Wind shook her head. There would be time to mourn later. If she didn’t want to join the other Jedi in their deaths, she had to escape.
If the Clones where here in the Knight apartments, they would certainly be all over the temple. She ran back into her room, and looked out her window and to the walkway/shuttle platform 20 feet below her.
She had no choice. She would have to escape out the window. Some how.
“Wind?” She suddenly heard someone from behind her.
The Cathar spun around. Her friend Katara was leaning on her door frame, clearly injured, but alive.
She ran over to her and pulled her into a tight hug, being cautious of her injuries. “Katara...” She whimpered. “You're alive...”
Katara nodded into Wind's shoulder. “Thank... the Force... you are as well...”
The Cat-girl was so relieved and happy to know that her friend was alive, that without thinking, kissed her full on the lips. Katara was shocked, but melted into it. After a brief second, the two pulled apart.
“Sorry...” Wind said. “I was just so relieved...”
Katara shook her head. “Don't be sorry. I... I always wondered when you were going to do that...” She she suddenly doubled over in pain.
Wind gasped, “Where are you hurt?”
With a grunt, the human girl opened her Jedi robe up, and exposed her abs. Wind spotted the cauterized laser bolt blast on her right side. She ran to her bed and opened her travel bag. She pulled out her first-aid kit, and grabbed a bacta-patch. She opened it, and walked back to Katara. She peeled the back, and dressed the wound with it. “There.”
Katara sighed as the bacta took affect. “Thanks, Wind...”
The two heard more blaster fire in the distance.
“Wait here.” Wind said, becoming serious. She walked over to the window, and using her Force ability, using bother her hands, pulled the plasti-steel pane out. It groaned and strained against the bolts holding it in place. With a grunt and a pained expression she managed to pull it free. She then used the Force to lay it on her bed.
Wind grabbed her bag and put it on her back.
“We gotta go.” she said as she helped Katara to the window. She scooped her friend up bridal-style and with a huff, jumped onto the ledge inside her room, and slowly made her way onto the outer ledge.
The wind outside bustled them.
“Are we going to jump?” Katara asked as she held tightly on Wind's neck.
“No choice.” Wind answered as She took a few breathes to calm her nerves and then jumped down onto the platform below her. She quickly looked around and breathed a sigh of relief. No one had seen or heard them.
Now that she was on the platform, she ran to the edge to see how she would get to the ground below her. She peered over the edge and estimated that it was at least 10 stories down. Far too high to jump. Even with the Force to slow her.
“Wind!” She heard someone shout from above her.
She looked up. So did Katara.
Flying a private speeder with its lights off, was a male Twi'Lek by the name of Vic'tor Morden. He was a friend of Bail Organa, and a Senator. He had white skin with black tattoos on his head tails.
“Senator Morden?” Wind gasped in surprise.
The Senator lowered his speeder so that it was level with the platform.
“Thank Goddness you’re alive.” He said as he gestured for her and Katara to get into the speeder next to him. The young Jedi did so quickly, holding Katara on her lap.
He revved the controls and quickly shot away from the platform.
“What is going on?” Wind demanded. “Why are the Clones going crazy?”
“Supreme Chancellor Palpatine…“ He stopped himself “Sorry... it's now Emperor Palpatine… has declared the Jedi enemies of the First Galactic Empire. All Jedi are to be killed on sight.” He looked at the Wind with a sad expression for a brief second. “I’m sorry to tell you this, Wind, but across the Galaxy, or so I've been told, all the Jedi are being slaughtered, arrested or hunted down.”
“Emperor?” Katara gasped in surprise. “The Republic is now an Empire?”
Wind shook her head in disbelief. “N-no…”
“I’m afraid so.” He veered down a corridor and placed the speeder on Auto pilot. “Yoda and Obi Wan are safe. As is Marchhare. I managed to intercept him as he made his way back to Coruscant. Yoda told me to go to the Temple and look for any survivors. You two were the only Jedi I found.”
Wind and Katara were both saddened and relieved at the news. Wind looked at the Senator. “What are we going to do now?” She asked sadly.
“Marchhare is on my ship, at my private dock yard.” Victor explained. “Yoda and Obi Wan are… off doing something else. Yoda told me to get all the survivors to safety, and then go meet him along with Senator Organa.” He shook his head as he took the speeder off auto pilot and aimed it down. “After that? I really don’t know, Sweetheart.”
Some moments later, Victor landed the speeder near his large capital ship and shut the engines off. He climbed out and was greeted by some soldiers. Wind hesitated, holding Katara close.
“These are my personal security force. They hold no loyalty to the Emperor.” He explained. “Not clones."
Wind looked at the large Capital ship in front of her. At the bottom of the ramp stood Marchhare.
Her mood soared at the sight of her Master being safe and unharmed. She climbed out of the speeder, and placed Katara down. She ran to him and threw her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, burying her face against his chest.
“M-master…” She sobbed “You’re okay…”
The old Master stroked Wind’s long red hair. “Yes, My Dear Wind. Thanks to Vic'tor… I’m still alive.”
She pulled away from him and looked up. “I… I killed… the Clones...”
Machhare shook his head. “Your life was in danger, Wind. You had no choice.”
She nodded and took Lexar's lightsaber off her belt, and held it up to him, “Lexar... gave me... his Ligthsaber...” She stopped talking as her body was racked with sobs from crying. “T-they… all the knights, younglings...”
Marchhare placed his hand on top of hers, and closed them around her friend's ligthsaber. “I know.” He smiled weakly. “I am so sorry, Wind.”
Katara walked over to Marchhare. “Master Marchhare. I'm relieved to see you.” She took Wind's hand in hers to help calm her down.
“I'm relived to see yo alive-” He stopped talking as Katara took Wind's hand. “Wait... are you... two...?”
Wind blushed heavily. “I was so relived...”
“We were both so emotional...” Katara added.
Victor walked up to them and cleared his throat. “Yoda just contacted me. He’s glad you two are safe. He also told me to tell you to go into hiding. Never come back to Coruscant.”
Marchhare, Wind and Katara looked at him as he explained the situation.
“I understand.” Marchhare said somberly.
“Do you have any credits?” Victor asked, “Any means to get off planet?”
Wind frowned, “What about the Caravan?”
Victor shook his head. “No good. The Empire knows it’s a Jedi ship.”
Wind hesitated, and then pulled her pearl out of her belt. She held it up to the Senator.
Marchhare gasped. “Wind-“
Katara gasped as well. “Wait. What? Who gave you that?”
Victor’s eyebrows shot up in shock and surprise, “Is that a Kyrat Dragon pearl?”
Wind nodded, ignoring Katara's question. “I’ve been saving it… how much would it be worth?”
The Senator shook his head in surprise. “Enough to buy my Capitol ship. Ten times over. That pearl is easily worth a million credits.” He looked around his shipyard. “Tell you what… look at my ships, choose which ever one you want, and I’ll give you it for the Pearl. On top of that, I’ll give you brand new clothing, supplies and say… five hundred thousand credits. Deal?”
Wind looked at Marchhare. “Master?”
He shook his head. “You may call me D’Writer, Dear. Or Machhare. We are no longer Jedi. As for Victor’s offer? It’s up to you. It’s your pearl.”
Wind placed the pearl in the Senator’s hand. “Deal, Senator.”
Half an hour later, Wind, Katara, and Marchhare, dressed in common Aldderan clothing, stood next to a mid-sized cruiser ship that Vic'tor had identified to them a as a Lancer-class pursuit craft.
Wind fell in love with it right away, and agreed to take it.
“It’s a fast ship.” He explained. “It has high performance ion-drives, and a class 2 hyperdrive unit. It can be piloted by two people, or even one if needed. It can also hold a crew of six, including the pilots.”
“Two sets of twin forward-mounted light laser cannons. Next to the cock-pit,” Victor pointed. “Dorsal mounted triple light laser cannon turret.” He pointed to the top of the ship, “And a compliment of 8 photon torpedoes.” He mentioned, pointing to the under-belly.
Wind whistled impressively as she examined the ship. “I take it that black and purple isn’t the standard color?”
“No.” Victor said. “I had it painted.” He suddenly waved his hand. A White and purple astromech droid came whistling over.
Wind giggled. She loved astromechs.
“This is B3-P5.” Victor said, placing a hand on the droid’s head. “He’ll help with piloting, repairs during flight, and navigation.”
“Hello, B3.” Wind said as she squatted in front of him. “I’m Wind. This is Katara,” She pointed to Marchhare, who came down the ramp after loading their belongs on to the ship. “That’s Marchhare.”
“A pleasure to meet you, too.” Wind smiled.
“He's cute.” Katara giggled.
Vic'tor chuckled. “You can understand him?”
She looked at Victor. “I can.” She stood up and patted the droid on his dome. “I’m going to call you Beeps.”
“Okay, Beeps. Go and get on the ship.” She said kindly as she pointed to it.
Beeps whistled and trundled over to the ramp. He whistled more as he rolled up it and entered the ship.
“Yeah. B3-P5. It spells Beeps.” Wind said. “Makes it more personal.”
Vic'tor chuckled “Fair enough.”
“All done here.” Marchhare said as he walked over to Wind, Katara, and Vic'tor. “Also, Beeps is in his hold in the cockpit. We should be going.”
Vic'tor handed Wind a large metal briefcase. “Here, Wind. Your credits.”
Wind grunted as she took it. “That’s heavy.”
Marchhare smiled and took the case from her. “We’ll need them.”
Vic'tor placed a hand on her shoulder. “Be safe. It was a pleasure knowing you.” He looked at Marchhare and Katara. “All three of you.”
Marchhare shook his hand. “Thank you for all your help.” He placed a hand on Wind’s other shoulder. “Come, Wind.”
Vic'tor smiled and walked away.
Katara spoke up. “Marchhare? Could you give me and Wind a minute?”
Marchhare smiled and nodded. “I'll get on the ship. Don't take too long.” He walked back to the ship and walked up the ramp.
Katara looked at Wind. “Who gave you that pearl, Wind? I know that when someone gives another person a pearl like that, they intend to marry them. Like a proposal.”
Wind bit her lower lip. “Three years ago, during my mission to Tatoonine... I met a young Twi'Lek girl... we, well, she was Force sensitive, and I taught her how to use it... she and I had a moment, we didn't kiss,” She explained at Katara's shocked face, “but she did save me from the kyrat dragon.”
Katara huffed. “Do you love her?” She asked, crossing her arms. “Because I've loved you since I met you. Will I have to share you or something?”
Wind's eyes grew wide in shock. “I... I... I mean, she's pretty. But, um...” She stuttered, trying to find the right words. “I mean, I love you too... but, wow... I, um...” She took a deep breath, and calmed down. “Look, Katara. I love you. There's no doubt there. That said, nothing happens by accident. Everything is the will of the Force, right?”
Katara nodded in agreement. “Right.”
“So, isn't me meeting you and Peni... both meant to be?” Wind asked, “I have enough love for both of you.”
Katara visibly calmed down. “Okay. I get it. Sorry for being jealous.” She sighed deeply. “Let's get going.”
Wind nodded. They walked over to the ship and walked up the ramp. They walked pass the common area, and into the bridge as Beeps primed the engines. She looked at Marchhare as the former Master was in the co-pilot chair.
“Mas-, er Marchhare…” She smiled weakly. “Are you not going to pilot the ship?”
He shook his head. “No. It’s your ship. You may fly it.” He smiled. “Speaking of which... she needs a name. It’s bad luck otherwise.”
Wind thought for a second. “A name? Uh... What about, hmm...”
Beeps chirped a suggestion.
She giggled “Midnight Phoenix?”
Marchhare smiled too. “That sounds interesting. The Midnight Phoenix is perfect.”
“I like it.” Katara said as she sat down in the spare chair, just behind Wind and next to Beeps.
“Right.” Wind agreed. “Midnight Phoenix it is.”
She climbed into the left, comfortable, leather pilot’s chair and started to flip the starter switches. Marchhare flipped some switches as well.
She grabbed the pilot wheel and slowly lifted the ship out of the hanger, and into the night sky. She then angled the ship up towards the atmosphere.
As they escaped the planet, Wind steered the ship out towards the stars.
“Master… er, Marchhare?” She asked. “Where should we go?”
“Well, any worlds within the Empire wouldn’t be safe.” He said. “Cathar and Dantooine won't be safe. As our records show those are our homeworlds.”
“I don't even think my home planet of Corellia would be safe for us.” Katara added.
Wind nodded. “Right.” She sighed. “Beeps? Any ideas?”
Beeps let out a string of whistles, beeps and tones.
Marchhare looked at his screen. “The Outer Rim territory would be the best bet. Good thinking Beeps. Which planet, though?”
Wind’s memory was swept back to three years ago.
“Tatooine.” She said suddenly. “Just a quick stop.”
“Tatooine?” Marchhare repeated.
Wind nodded. “No one would look for us there.”
“Well, I suppose.” Marchhare said. He reached over to her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You wish to see her again, don’t you?”
“You want to see Peni again?” Katara asked.
Wind tilted her head and looked at Marchhare. She then looked back at Katara. “I need to see her. I miss her.”
Katara quirked her mouth. “Okay. Sure. I'd like to meet her, anyway.”
Marchhare nodded in return. “Very well. We’ll see if Seth will help us.” He smiled. “He did mention that should we ever need a favor, he would try to do his best.”
Wind smiled and faced forward. “Master… ugh. What do I call you? Marchhare doesn’t seem right to me.”
“Search your feelings, Wind.” Marchhare said.
Wind closed her eyes and took a breath. “Father.”
“Father?” Marchhare repeated.
Wind nodded. “You’ve raised me from a kitten. You’re my father.”
“May I call you Father as well?” Katara asked. “Or, how about Uncle? You did train Master Thomas.”
Marchhare smiled broadly. “As you Wish, Wind.” He chuckled. “Or rather, Daughter.” He looked back at Katara. “Likewise, my Niece.”
“I do wish.” Wind smiled, and repeated, “Father.” She cleared her throat. “Beeps. Set a course to Tatooine.”
Beeps whistled that the course was laid in. Katara doubled checked it on the Nav-computer. Wind pulled the hyperspace yoke down, the hyper-drive engines revved up, and in a flash, the Midnight Phoenix shot off into hyperspace.
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