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A young woman, barely out of her teens, sighs with relief. It's been
days since she began this journey. Master Skywalker was kind enough
to allow her some time off from her training to pursue the mystery of
her dreams, where her Force-strength lies.
From the crest of the sand dune she surveys the abandoned village
that was forgotten after the Great Jedi Purge. Reaching out with her
mind she knows this is the place of her dreams. Lost in her thoughts
she continues onward.
Parked near a crumbling fountain, in the central square, she climbs
out of the borrowed speeder and begins following that elusive thread
of the Force that has guided her here.
^ A clouded dream on an earthly night ^
^ Hangs upon the crescent moon. ^
^ A voiceless song in an ageless light ^
^ Sings at the coming dawn. ^
A whisper heard only in her soul draws her toward an unbroken section
of wall.
^ Birds in flight are calling there, ^
^ Where the heart moves the stones. ^
^ There that my heart is longing for, ^
^ All for the love of you. ^
Slowly, almost reverently, she pulls back the vegetation that
survived the violence that once visited this village.
^ A painting hangs on an ivy wall, ^
^ Nestled in the emerald moss. ^
A mosaic is revealed, preserved in almost perfect condition. It is
the portrait of a Jedi Knight from before -- from the time when Jedi
were the Guardians of Peace throughout the galaxy. Before the dark
times when they were hunted down like mad dogs and killed in the
streets.
^ The eyes declare a truce of trust ^
^ Then it draws me far away. ^
She looks into sapphire eyes above a quirky grin. Both, she realizes
with a start, are a reflection of her own.
She notices how the artist caught the twinkle in his eyes as they
hold her gaze. She feels as though, somehow, he is peering deep into
her very soul; reaching out to her.
She shakes her head to clear her thoughts. "Who are you, Master
Jedi?" she asks in a soft voice.
She takes a moment to study his broken nose. The longish brown hair
and neatly trimmed beard give him a leonine appearance. She admires
the manner in which he carries himself -- with a relaxed confidence.
^ Where deep in the desert twilight ^
^ Sand melts in pools of the sky. ^
^ Darkness lays her crimson cloak ^
^ Your lamps will call, call me home. ^
The cry of a night bird tears her attention away to the setting sun
as it paints the darkening sky. She knows she's meant to camp here
for the night, with this brave Knight to watch over her. And her
dreams.
^ And so it's there my homage's due ^
^ Clutched by the still of the night. ^
^ Now I feel, feel you move ^
^ And every breath, breath is full. ^
Lightly, she traces her fingers over his handsome face. Knowing a
little about the culture that once thrived here, in what was once a
vibrant river valley, she can't help but wonder. "Who are you,
Master Jedi? Only great warriors were immortalized such as this;
with a mosaic of their great deeds."
^ And so it's there my homage's due ^
^ Clutched by the still of the night. ^
^ Even the distance feels so near ^
^ All for the love of you. ^
In her heart, she feels a loving kinship to this man. She bows
deeply, with great respect, to this Knight of days gone by.
The moon begins its journey across the heavens as she settles upon
her bedroll. In the dim light cast by her campfire, shadows dance
across the Knight. His image seems to come to life. As her eyes
flutter closed, her last vision is of her Knight standing
guard. "Who are you, Master Jedi?" she mumbles as sleep claims
her.
^ A clouded dream on an earthly night ^
^ Hangs upon the crescent moon. ^
^ A voiceless song in an ageless light ^
^ Sings at the coming dawn. ^
As she sleeps, a voice gently whispers to her dreams.
^ Birds in flight are calling there ^
^ Where the heart moves the stones. ^
^ There that my heart is longing for, ^
^ All for the love of you. ^
Nearby, a faint, bluish glow begins to outline the Guardian.
+~*~+ FIN +~*~+