Chapter Text
A second pair of footsteps echo behind you in the lofty marble corridor.
There is no question what you would see if you were to give in to that inquisitive impulse, to turn your chin over your shoulder and witness the splendid ivory inlaid with gold that so embellished the armor of the humble Temple Guard.
In an effort to disappear into their grandiose surroundings, those who are meant to be ignored end up brandishing the most ostentatious garb in all the Jedi. It is their statuesque nature that sells their anonymity- hidden in plain sight behind polished masks, holding out pikes for hours on end without so much as a hint of movement, locked in a meditative state that gives them complete awareness of their surroundings and control over their own bodily functions.
Not to mention , you think, counting the seconds between the sentinel's steps, their uniformity . No matter how hard you concentrate on finding the sentient center, the chinks in their pristine armor fail to reveal themselves.
You know one of them is different. There should be an obvious, detectable change. Yet as you pause to idly admire a weathered bronze bust and let the figure pass, nothing sparks your awareness. Onward they march, at one with the halls they patrol.
Perhaps this is not that guard after all, but another in their nameless, faceless ranks. You release your breath, carrying on with your evening.
This isn't the Jedi way. Your Master would have scolded you for your preoccupation. It is one thing to be observant of one's surroundings, to recognize strengths and flaws within a system, and work to correct those faults. It is another entirely to fixate on deviation after deviation, letting the Order's failures consume you.
One Temple Guard stepped from their post. A minor change in behavior. Peering over the shoulder of an Archivist while they fell into rest over an ancient tome was only a symptom of curiosity- a trait encouraged by the Jedi Order. If this had been a Padawan learner breaching protocol, you would hardly have taken note.
Only the details had made this event stand out. The material in question was from a restricted section of the Archive. Temple Guards were the protectors of such knowledge. Surely they would have known it was not for their eyes.
Perhaps they only meant to verify the status of the record, so that it might be secured properly later. Or they were checking to see if the Archivist had indeed fallen asleep with important historical documents left unsecured. There was no reason to vilify the act.
Even if they had looked, what did that mean? Going to Master Drallig was pointless. These concerns were unverifiable, and trivial compared to the matters of cleaning up after the incident with the nanobot bomb.
Any distraction from the true threat is a danger , you reason. Passing by another set of sentinels posted outside the Council chambers only proves your Master right again. From the corner of your eyes, you inspect those endless black slits hiding their countenance.
Did one of them turn their head? Or is your imagination getting the better of you? Best not to draw their attention further by a prolonged glance. Instead, you focus on counting the rich tan and gold banners fluttering down the walls, only eight before you reach your destination.
Meditation might do you well. This is becoming unhealthy, an obsession with catching a stray anomaly that is unlikely to cause trouble in the first place. There is a war about. The Republic is at risk. Knights are falling every day to the advance of the Separatists. Your own Master only partially returned from Sullust.
You stood dutifully by her coffin. Rumors swirled about the contents, but Doctor Nema had refused to confirm any of them to you personally. You watched a casket descending into the vaults, not knowing how much of the Rhodian’s body actually became interred.
It shouldn’t matter. She is a part of the Force now. Though, if she is, why can’t you feel her presence when you truly need her? As you pass the tenth banner in the long corridor to the dormitories, the ripple of it from your hastened movements halting you in your tracks, a revelation hits you.
Perhaps it is not the Temple Guard who falters in their faith .
With an embarrassed flinch, you pull yourself away from the glossy sheen of the marble wall. In your heightened emotions, it seems you’ve wandered past your own hall, towards the room you so often sought comfort in as a learner. When your mind strays from the Path, your feet remember the way back to her. If only she still resided there to guide you.
Your darkened outline remains steady, reflected on the surface before you while you gather yourself. You haven’t visited Master Miino’s quarters since she became one with the Force. Is this pull of your weary feet her way of steering you back from your troubling thoughts?
The shadow before you stirs, separate from your own movements. Some electric sensation passes over the tops of your shoulders- a ridiculous fear response within the safety of the Temple.
The Temple isn't safe. Barriss Offee proved that.
You suppress your dark thoughts, dusting them away with a flick of your hands over your robes as you turn away from the source of your distress. One of the ivory statues has taken notice of your erratic behavior. Understandable . They have a duty to protect the inhabitants of this place. They would notice a deviation from normalcy, just as you would.
You give an apologetic nod, tucking your chin with an awkward smile that you hope will satisfy whatever being lies underneath that ghostly mask.
"Apologies, Sentinel. It seems I made a wrong turn."
They continue to wait, unmoveable, unflinching, silent, as if the lack of a threat turns them back to innate marble themselves. You cannot shake the feeling of their eyes upon you, however; staring, making calculated observations from behind narrow slits.
Your boots shuffle against the pristine rug underfoot, caught between their habitual tread back to your own room, and a curious tie back to that of your old Master's.
"Is everything alright, Jedi Knight?"
The Temple Guard speaks in a voice authoritative, yet cool and crisp enough to invite more conversation- not what you would have expected from one of their nearly silent ranks.
Now is not the time to question the Order , you scold yourself. Not under the watchful gaze of a towering guardian. Mandates against attachment, rules about letting go and accepting things as they are- those exist to protect you from slipping into darkness.
"Yes, thank you. I'll be seeing myself back now."
Folding your hands into your sleeves, you take a few reserved steps in the direction of your own bed.
“These halls are vast indeed, easy to lose oneself in,” the guard agrees, “Yet… It isn’t often I see a knighted adept make such an error.”
“Forgive me, I meant nothing by it. Just a poorly rested mind, I’m afraid.”
You bow your head in a sheepish gesture of submission, wishing you traveled around as other Jedi sometimes did with hoods raised. Even if you can’t read their expression, allowing yourself to harbor conflicted thoughts in front of someone of esteemed station in the Jedi’s ranks is shameful enough.
The Temple Guard barely stirs, their sternum held high at attention as they speak.
“I see. You may carry on, then.”
They wait for you to pass, so still in their mannerism, you cannot hear their breathing. It isn’t until you are some distance away that they continue on their echoed path down the hall.
“May the Force be your Guide, Jedi Knight.”
Their advice lingers in the air behind them, permeating your thoughts, adding weight to your footfalls. The poignancy of the words only adds to the high strangeness of the encounter.
The Force, not the Order. Perhaps it is not the meaning which the enforcer of the Jedi Code and keeper of peace within the Temple might have intended, but it adds to the growing turmoil within you. Is it acceptable to follow the callings of the Force, even if it goes against what you have been taught? You will have to meditate further on this principle.
A grin curls at your lips, a fresh idea blooming behind your ringed eyes.
You did always find it easier to focus in Master Miino’s chambers.