42 BBY
Location: Coruscant - Temple training grounds
Inside the Jedi temple, sitting seiza style alone in front the order's ancient Force-sensitive uneti tree, sat a nine year old Zell, who was in deep meditation.
He often visited to this spot when ever he needed a peaceful place to be alone or wanted to mediate, finding the training grounds to be the perfect place for meditation when it wasn't in use for training exercises. Plus he always enjoyed being near the uneti tree, which always gave him comforting feeling.
As he sat in place, motionless, he concentrated to the force, both within himself, and around him. Taking in deep gentle breaths he shut out the world around. Putting into practice the many lessons he had been taught on connecting to the force, he focused.
From within the depts of his consciousness he began seeing visions. Though they were fuzzy and mostly unclear, but on a intuitive level Zell at least understood that they were images of future events yet to come. He cycle through several visions, and just when he was about to come out of his mediative trance one last vision appeared to him.
It was of alone barren desert world, admits twin suns.
It was the planet, Tatooine. While Zell did not understand why this desolate and harsh world was shown to him, he did inferred that some event of great significant was occurring or was soon to occur on this plant. But be that as it may such a thing had little to do with him seeing as Tatooine was beyond his reach a present. Maybe one day he would visit the broken world and try and discover what secrets lay within its sands.
Having seen seen his vision pass he came out of his mediation and tenderly glazed up at the ancient tree in front of him.
With a gentle breeze flowing through the court yard, the leaves of the ancient tree rustled. And as Zell watched this, he was truly astounded at how a simple tree can feel so tranquil. He remained and admired the plant for a while longer before having to continue going about his day.
"Such a pity, that these peaceful moments are so fleeting. If only they could last forever."
Following this mutter, his mind would once again return to his future actions.
As he progressed through his jedi training he became able to decipher more of visions that he saw when he was younger. The ones that so often brought excruciating pain, requiring to be forcefully put to sleep.
Now he could understand a few more details behind the war he foresaw. The army of white armed soldiers didn't just wear matching identical armer, but in fact all had identical matching face. For a long time questioned how such a thing was possible, while he was aware that cloning technology existed in the galaxy, he didn't know of any current force or planet capable of growing such a massive army. The resources and fund that it would required would be astronomical.
And the ones leading this clone army were the jedi themselves from what Zell could tell in his visions. He had studied texts that told the history of the Great galactic war in depth. The war between the republic and the ancient sith empire. As well as the two previous galactic wars before it. So his vision didn't shock him much as Zell was aware that there was past presentence for the jedi to lead and command armies.
But with the passing of the Ruusan Reformations nearly a thousand years ago, the jedi were striped of all military ranks and authority, along with any forces they commanded being disbanded. Along with dismantling the republic's official navy and army personal.
An act meant to show the galaxy that the republic had entered into an era peace, not war, and alleviate the peoples fears of farther conflict. And for the most part it had worked, signaling the start of the republic's golden age. But as a result of this the Jedi greatly lost the ability and know how on leading troops into battle. While many stratagems and maneuvers have been recorded from past era's, old holo tapes, books and manuscripts hardly make up for having actual live commanding experience.
Knowing all this Zell dreaded the thought of how effective the galaxy's current modern jedi could possible in military leadership positions.
This point proved almost as distressing as another one that Zell have figured out from his visions, that the other side in this future conflict, behind the droid army were many worlds and systems located in the mid and outer rim. This fact only served to make Zell ask even more questions about this troubling future.
'Why? why was the jedi fighting along side the clone army? Where did the clone army came from?What were the goals of the worlds that were funding the droid army. What started this conflict to begin with?'
Too many unknowns were still left unanswered and Zell could only hope the answers will make themselves known before its too late.
******
As Zell stood up from his spot, getting ready to leave he gave one more glance to the ancient tree. As he looked at it his sensed an incoming object from his side aimed at his head.
But he didn't move to duck or turn to avoid it. Instead reaching out with the force he stopped the object a mere inch from his temple. Now floating in place he moved it to be in front of himself, to identify it, and see it to be a simple pebble.
Zell let out a light sigh before slowly turning to face the source of the pebble, but he already had a good idea as to who was behind this. One who has repeating performed similar incidents such as this.
"You know, I had truly hope you would have grown tired of these pranks, Nelko"
In front of him cross the courtyard stood his long time annoyance and bully Nelko Bordolly, who glared hatefully at him. The now eleven year old initiate during recent years Nelko had continue his personal vendetta against Zell, attempting farther acts of harassment against him.
Accompanying him were two other younglings from the Convor who like Nelko disliked Zell due to his constant success and fame among the initiates. And due to their shared hatred for him they pretty much have become Nelko's loyal followers.
Often aiding him in his acts of malic.
The most recent attempt was seen when during a sparing session he openly challenged Zell to a one vs one match with training sabers.
At the time Zell was going to refuse the challenge since he know that regardless of the outcome, whether it ended with his loss or victory, it wouldn't end favorably for himself either way. If he won, then Nelko's hostilely would only grow. And if by chance he lost then Nelko's ego would push him to rub it in his face for a long time. Truly a lose lose situation.
But before he could reject the instructor on duty at the time over hear the challenge and was all for it, thinking it was about time for the clan to start live action sparring.
The end result of the spar was a resounding victory for Zell, since he had proven himself the superior of the two in skill, speed and technique. All of which he earned thanks to the intensive training he does alone on a near daily bases.
"Hmph! I see that the no eyes, no friends loser is by his lonesome again! What wrong can't make really friends, loser! so you trying to be buddy buddy with that tree there"
Nelko said with a condescending smile.
".... Did you have some actual business with me or did you just come to hurl insults---again"
Zell replied with a tired tone as he had long since became quite fed-up with dealing with Nelko and his constant antics. But his sense of dewiness some turned to alertness when he caught sight of the objects in the the three's hands.
"Why do you and your two friends have training sabers. You know its forbidden to take those outside of the training rooms without permission and supervision"
"Don't worry, we're just borrowing them for a bit, we'll put them back before anyone notice their missing. As for why we have them, well, after you beat me so flawlessly during our spar, I'd hope you'd consider giving me some more personal lesson. You know, to help me improve"
As he spook with vicious smile on his face, Zell could feel a small seething darkness radiate off him. As well as notice that the three were slowly circling to surround him, with grins on their faces.
"And its not just me you see. These two were also hoping you could show them a thing or two. Be so skilled that you are. It won't be too much trouble right"
Seeing this farce for what it actually was, Zell raised his arms in a unarmed non aggressive stance.
"I see, but how exactly am I going to instruct this moment, I'm currently unarmed, without a training saber myself"
Zell spook knowingly in vein as he attempted a last ditch effort to diffuse the situation that he predicted would certainly get out of hand, causing a big mess.
"O I'm sure you'll manage some how. After all you're the prodigy that the masters speak so highly over, so a little extra challenge won't hurt, will it!"
And as Zell predicted attempt was of little success.
******
"Get Him!"
With a yell Nelko swiftly launched himself at Zell.
When in range he aimed a downward diagonal strike onto his chest. Zell spun on of his heels, avoiding the strike by a small margin. Now positioned on his opponents side, who was still reeling from his previous attack that missed. Zell immediately grabbed Nelko's dominant sword arm at the wrist, and using the momentum from the earlier missed strike along with his who pulling force he redirected he toward one of the two initiate who. Practically throwing Nelko into one of his accomplices.
During this time were Nelko's second accomplice beginning to close the distance on Zell, believing he was distracted.
As the two collided the second initiate unimpeded attempted a horizonal strike, which Zell just as easily ducked and delivered a sweeping kick, toppling him to the ground hard. Following up with a powerful heavy heel stomp to the initiate's exposed abdomen.
As the blow connected, knocking the air out of the initiate's lungs, the youngling quickly clutched his mid section and writhing while crawling in a fetal position, with tears in his eyes.
Zell took no pleasure in seeing one of his clanmates in pain, doubly so since it was pain he was personally inflicting. But he had sick of dealing Nelko's and his friend's macinations against him. So since all his past tries to peacefully bridge the animosity between them have all failed, Zell decided that finally using a heavier hand this time will prove more fruitful.
He prepared to deliver a secondary kick, this time to the cradling youngling's head in hopes of knocking him out, and decreasing his opponents from three to two. But before he could, Nelko and the first initiate had finished recovering earlier, and both again rushed at Zell's back wanting to catch him off guard while he was still focused on their downed companion.
But as a Miraluka, Zell's natural ability with force sight made such crude ambushes meaningless.
Performing a large back flip over them to avoid the two's sneak attack, their positions were now reversed, Zell swiftly got in close. And right when the two twisted around to face him, he firsted landed a devastating blow on the initiate with an elbow thrust into his diaphragm, then quickly transitioned into jab aimed at Nelko's throat. With the two now stunned from the blows finding it difficult to breath, Zell leaped and spun in the air throwing a wide roundhouse kick on them both simultaneously, sending them flying two feet.
Now on their backs, the two slipped into unconsciousness as that last kick had struck them on their chins, rattling their brain quite a bit, and the third was still on the ground and reeling from before. As he saw that all three were more or less incapacitated, Zell felt no need to continue any farther violence.
Moving to near by wall Zell activated an intercom terminal and notified any near by temple guards about what had just happened, feeling it'll be best to be honest and report the fight rather then trying to hide it and risk being punished worse later. Having made the report Zell then took a seiza sitting position nearby to wait for the adults to arrive.
As he waited he looked at the sprawled out younglings he had just fought with, and though one thing 'You choose this, fools'.
Not long after a two pairs of temple guards appeared, swiftly detained the four younglings, checking them for injuries and then confining them to separate rooms until proper judgment could be determined for them.