Hix Jodine

The 501st Legion

Hix Jodine was a Jedi Padawan who grew up on the streets of Corellia. A traveling Jedi Knight discovered he was force sensitive, if a little weak in the force, and took him from Corellia to the Jedi temple. Saved from a life of poverty, Hix dutifully threw himself into the Jedi way. Now much older, Hix was more than eager to become a padawan and find a master.

While meditating on Coruscant, Hix received a strong vision of the Valkyrie and begged his way onto it. Hix was apprenticed to Master Noah, along with the zabrak Dradak. Unfortunately, Dradak and Hix's apprenticeship to Noah hit an unexpected obstacle when Noah was kidnapped by Elegia Warben. This sent Dradak and Hix into a training frenzy, to prove themselves worthy of being sent on the inevitable rescue mission. After months of preparation, the mission was launched. Though it cost the life of one of the padawans' interim teachers, Noah was successfully rescued, and Dradak and Hix resumed their apprenticeship to Noah. But a grudge against the clockwerk, Elegia Warben, and Sholdon would fester in Hix after that day.

Wanting to commune with the force, Noah would take Dradak and Hix to an ancient Jedi temple on the outer rim planet of Hamon. The two padawans would spend time in the wilderness of Hamon, gathering local plants to calm the native insectoid wildlife. Hix would tame a juvenile member of the natives, who he would name Jin. Noah and his padawans would remain on Hamon to defend the temple and natives from poachers, before ultimately returning to the Valkyrie and the Library.

Hix along with Clark and Dradak would later accompany Noah to Master Pon's home planet of Kytar. Hix relished the chance to learn about the local culture, and would visit the planet often in the days to come. During Hix's first departure from Kytar, a flake turtle would attach itself to him. Noah's ship would take off before Hix could return the turtle to the planet. This was how Hix got his second pet. Hix named the flake turtle Paq.

Hix was deemed fit for assignment to a Clone battalion. Like most Jedi, it was determined by chance. And chance brought Hix to the 501st, which he quickly did his best to enmesh himself into. Hix was able to do this fairly well, establishing relationships with clones such as Viper, Roach, and Captain Rex. All under the watchful eye of Commander Guts. Hix established an especially close bond with Appo, who was at that time a Warrant Officer. The two often worked as a team on missions, with Hix's lightsaber protecting Appo as the clone took out droids by the scores with pinpoint accuracy..

One day while training, Hix would venture deep into the caves beneath The Library and discover a secret. Soon after Hix began encountering Sholdon, supposedly reformed. Quite upset with Sholdon still, Hix and Dradak would act antagonistic to him whenever they saw him. This eventually culminated in a confrontation between Hix and Sholdon, where Hix and Sholdon would duel. Hix lost both duels as is to be expected and when Sholdon began to let him win, Hix abruptly left. Retreating to the library to try to relax, Sholdon attempted to impersonate Sage Noah and telepathically speak to Hix. It worked for a good amount of time, but Hix eventually saw through it. When he did, he was horrified and snuck away to the Temple's Hangar. He then hopped into someone's delta-7 and entered hyperspace, his course set for a planet known only to him.

This planet was Kytar, a polar world with a harsh environment and dangerous wildlife. Hix sold his Delta-7 to a Tusken scrap collector on Tatooine and used the money to freighter hop to Kytar. While there, he let the force guide him. Repeatedly, when placed in mortal danger, he was saved by the kindness of strangers. Whether it was exposure to the harsh cold or dangerous wild life who left grievous scars upon his chest, Hix was always delivered from danger by others. Indeed, Hix refused to even ignite his saber against Kytar's fearsome predators. Spending time meditating and communing with the force in an underground cave, Hix deepened his bond with the force and regained his balance. Before long Hix was tracked down by Master Shaak-Ti and Appo, and after a long discussion they returned to the Temple.

Afterwards, Hix took to his duties with newfound confidence. He became deeply entrenched within the 501st. No longer did he stand with his fellow Jedi on stage, instead he would sit with the 501st. Hix took to wearing clone armor over blue robes, and he painted his face in a manner mimicking the 501st stripe. Appo would soon be promoted to Commander, and would grant Hix the rank of Command Sergeant Major. Hix would become the Jedi of Carnivore Battalion, where he closely worked with Vill to train the clones. Hix would draw from his vast experience with lightsaber fighting to educate the clones in CQC. In Carnivore Hix earned the nickname Jaggalor, after a predator native to his home planet of Corellia.

## Biography

### Corellia

Hix was born into the honorable ranks of the dirt poor of Corellia. The Jodine family was far from affable, with both of Hix's parents working as welders in the Santhe shipyards. Even with both of them working full shifts, the family barely scraped by in the slums of Corellia. They couldn't even afford a standard midichlorian test for Hix. Why waste the money, after all, what are the chances?

With both of his parents busy working for most of the day, Hix spent a lot of his childhood wandering the Corellian slums. His parents didn't even have time to teach him to read or write, let alone make sure he didn't leave the apartment. With his family on tough times, Hix started to "creatively supplement their economic situation".

He stole.

Hix was quite awful at first. His clumsy fingers got caught in many pockets. The only thing that saved him from prison was how small he was, he was able to wiggle out of grips and hide in unconventional places. But over time, he improved his technique and got caught less and less. Part of this was these hunches he got. Hix would get the feel of when a mark wasn't paying a lot of attention, or when they had spotted him. To Hix, he was lucky. But when he reached into a pocket to get a credit chip, without Hix noticing that credit chip often pulled a little closer.

### A Forced Encounter

All this would come to a close for Hix at the age of 7. Hanging around a star port, Hix noticed a strange traveler dressed in odd robes. He felt drawn to them almost. As if something was calling him to them. Well, Hix's weird hunches had never steered him wrong before, so he followed this robed man. Then he caught a glimpse of the man's lightsaber.

At first Hix wanted to run, messing with a Jedi was a bad idea. But he couldn't get the thought of how much a lightsaber could be sold for out of his head. So, he persisted, and when he saw his chance, he reached out for the lightsaber. And his hand froze an inch from the hilt. Hix was unable to pull his hand back, for it was held in place by the force. Hix sheepishly looked up to meet the Jedi's bemused expression. This Jedi was Noah, a Jedi Knight at the time, who had come to Coruscant for vacation.

Noah at first intended only to amicably lecture the child at first. But Hix, unable to pull back, made the boneheaded decision to attempt to reach forward. And to both Hix and Noah's surprise, the lightsaber wobbled. Just a little, but it was enough for Noah to recognize what Hix was. Despite Hix being a bit older then typical, the force had brought Hix to Noah. Noah had Hix take him back to the Jodine home, where they would wait for Hix's parents. Hix enthusiastically told Noah about his life in the meantime, happy that a heroic Jedi had taken notice of him.

When the Jodines returned to their cramped apartment, they were startled to find a Jedi in their house. Greeting them warmly, Noah took the Jodines out into the hallway, away from Hix's ears. He explained that Hix was force sensitive and that Noah could take him to the Jedi temple. While initially reluctant, Hix's parents knew that the Jedi could give Hix a better life then they could. So with tears in their eyes, they let Hix leave with Noah.

### The Jedi Order

Initially, Hix had trouble adjusting to Jedi life. It took him a while to reconcile is now ordered life with the complete freedom he had before. Upon having his midichlorian count tested, to Hix's surprise he found that he was weaker then the average Jedi. This frustrated and even angered Hix, but wise guidance from Jocasta Nu helped him move past it. A major hurdle was learning to read, a process that the kindly librarian Jocasta Nu helped him cross. But, once Hix finally got started reading, he practically never stopped. Not knowing to read for so long had made Hix's curiosity famished, and he gorged himself upon the contents of the Jedi Library. Hix often got in trouble for sneaking books into lectures and reading while he was supposed to be listening. Hix read so often that he got a new paper cut almost daily. This earned him the moniker *Thumbs* from his fellow younglings.

Many years later Hix's studies were interrupted by a rather large event. The outbreak of the Clone Wars. With hushed tones, he and the other younglings watched the Jedi assemble to intervene on Geonosis. By this point, Hix was itching to complete his padawan trials and assist the Jedi order. Soon after the Clone Wars begun, Hix received a strong vision while meditating on the Force. He soared amongst the stars and when he looked down, he beheld a Venator marked with the name *Valkyrie.* In orbit with it was an asteroid, and within the asteroid Hix saw countless Kyber crystals, each of them shining brightly within the force.

When he snapped out of the vision, he Hix knew what he must do. Hix politely approached a Jedi Master and requested to be transferred to the Valkyrie Venator. The Master said no. So Hix asked the next day. And the day after. And every subsequent day, each time spiritedly espousing the importance of his vision and the learning that could take place there. Eventually the Master was swayed and Hix caught a ride in a supply ship bound for the Valkyrie.

### Padawan

Arriving on the Valkyrie was quite the shift for Hix. Until he was deemed worthy of taking his padawan trials, Hix mainly passed his time in the library. After many days of nervous anticipation, Hix finally caught the eye of a Jedi. One of the Temple Guard, who Hix would only ever know as Temple Guard 1 chose to administer Hix's padawan trials. Hix passed without difficulty, impressing with the Temple Guard of his knowledge of obscure Jedi marriage laws. Though when tested on his force abilities, Hix was reminded that he was weak in the force. But thanks to Hix's diligent practice, he passed with flying colors.

Confident now that he wielded a rare, albeit colorless, lightsaber, Hix eagerly partook in the next mission. With the force flowing threw him and confidence in his strikes, Hix hurled himself against the CIS! He then hurled himself away from the CIS, nursing several blaster wounds. Hix learned a valuable lesson in arrogance that day. After reflecting on his training in patience, Hix calmed himself and curbed his enthusiasm. Hix conducted the rest of the mission much more cautiously, and managed to survive.

Upon returning to the Venator, he briefly talked to Master Raul, a Jedi seemingly infatuated with Force Nexuses. Curious as ever, Hix innocently questioned Master Raul on Force Nexuses, and even listened in on Raul and Osan's heated discussion. However, nothing interesting came of it, and Hix grew quite bored. He decided to instead do something much more interesting. Access the Holocron gifted to him by Sage Noah.

Sage Noah had always indulged Hix's curiosity and desire to learn. Noah had even gone so far as to loan to Hix Noah's own Holocron. It took hours of Hix meditating on the force and focusing upon the Holocron for Hix to just open the thing. But, once it was open, Hix naturally immediately asked for tutelage on the flashiest Jedi skill of all. Lightsaber combat. So, the Holocron projected a lightsaber wielding image of Sage Noah, and Hix ignited his own saber.

Having once seen an old holovid of Master Yoda fighting, Hix initially attempted to mimic the acrobatics of Ataru. Hix's flashy and unnecessary movements subsequently got him thrashed by Sage Noah, who chided him on his poor usage of Ataru. With a brief meditation to calm his frustration, Hix listened. The twirls, the twists, the unnecessary flash, all of Ataru was abandoned. Instead, Hix focused and let the force guide his blade precisely. Hix changed to form 2, Makashi, and was able to best the image of Noah! Once. Just once. He lost the other duels. He also hadn't completed bucked his flashiness, as he attempted several jumping attacks. All of which failed, and all of which the image of Noah reprimanded. Nevertheless, Hix was emboldened by his success. For now, Hix would dedicate himself to practicing Makashi.

### Bad Dreams

Late at night when most of the crewman of the Valkyrie Venator were asleep, a mysterious mist began to filter through the Venator. Hix and a 212th trooper named Viper were the only ones still awake, and thus the only ones to suffer the horror. Their vision was soon clouded and they began to hallucinate, seeing terrible creatures puppeting corpses like dolls. The worst of all the visions was a phantom wearing a pale mask and cloaked in shadow. Hix futility screamed that it was only an apparition, that it couldn't hurt him. But whatever it was, Hix was nothing against the power of the phantom alone, and was dealt a blow to his very soul. Viper grabbed Hix's body and dragged to a safe space. Come morning, the mist had dissipated and Hix was examined. He was in a coma that none could rouse him from. The Jedi discovered that Hix had suffered a force wound, his spirit sundered from his body.

After a week of nothing, the one to rouse Hix from his Coma was surprisingly a fellow padawan. Overseen by Master Raul, padawan Ivas attempted to heal Hix. Ivas' spirit left his body, and found the wayward Hix's spirit, aimlessly drifting amongst the stars in fear of the apparition. Ivas tried to convince Hix to return, but Hix was too scared. When the phantom appeared behind Ivas, the only thing Hix could do was curl up into himself and close his eyes.

Padawan Ivas bravely attempted to fend off the phantom, but was steadily being overwhelmed. Perhaps to maintain his own spirits, Ivas began to chant the Jedi Code. As Ivas fended off the phantom, his dutiful chants pierced the haze of fear and despair surrounding Hix. Slowly rising up, Hix joined Ivas in the chant and stood next to his fellow padawan. Together, they united through the force and banished the phantom. Hix's spirit returned to his body and he finally awoke from his slumber. Now in the land of the living, Hix enthusiastically expressed his gratitude to Ivas for saving him. Happy to be conscious again, Hix threw himself back into his studies. When Ivas became a Knight soon after, Hix could only smile in happiness for his friend.

### My master was hit with *what?*

> *"I know my place, Master. I'm not asking to be at the vanguard, but I have studied Master Noah's holocron and sparred with my fellow Padawans. I would not be a burden."*
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> *"I'm with my peer hix, we will hold our own. It would feel wrong if we couldn't participate in saving our own master."*
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-Hix and Dradak arguing for their inclusion in the ***Assault for Sage Noah***.

Soon after Hix would meet another padawan of Noah, a zabrak named Dradak (who repeatedly insisted that his name was pronounced Dray-dak). The two got on well together and struck up a quick friendship. Both were eager to learn more from Noah together. But that was soon rendered impossible. Only a few days after Hix was freed from his coma, tragedy struck once more. His Master Noah was reportedly struck over the head by Elegia Warben, and spirited away to a Clockwork Remnant prison. Hix and Dradak were both taken aback by the news, only being informed about it hours after it had taken place. A Jedi is in principle motionless, but the two padawans were shaken up into cocktails of worry, anxiety, and even anger. But when their emotions settled, what was left was a grim determination. Dradak and Hix resolved that when the time came to rescue Noah, the two would be prepared to play their part in it.

Before Noah's kidnapping Hix never been interested in the martial Jedi arts. He'd practiced dueling a little, enough to discover a style he preferred, but that was as far as he'd gone. Indeed, Hix had aspired to be librarian within the order, never a warrior. But after Noah's kidnapping, Hix spent less time reading. It was not that what Hix desired changed, he still wanted to be librarian. But if the padawans were to save their master, they *had* to be able to demonstrate competence with the lightsaber. In the weeks waiting for information on Noah's location, Hix was rarely seen in the library. Instead, he would spend long hours dueling. Hix's most common dueling partner was Dradak, to the point that the two knew the other's style as much as their own. But Hix would duel against anyone who was willing, whether they were padawans, knights, or great masters. By throwing himself against superior opponents, Hix forced himself to improve. Of all the masters, High Master Amy took the greatest role in teaching Dradak and Hix the way of the lightsaber. Dradak and Hix would often duel against her together, initially losing a great deal. But through practice, they improved in their dueling.

Of course they had more to practice then just lightsaber dueling. They had yet to learn a great many force abilities. Luckily for them, they had two resources to depend upon. The first was Sage Noah's holocron, which he had already given to Hix to learn from. It was from this ghost of his master that Hix learned force push. The other resource was a master known as Master Raul, who stepped up to look over Dradak and Hix after Noah's kidnapping. Though Raul did teach them some lightsaber combat, he played a much greater role in instructing them in the force. Raul was much grimmer and much less kind then the teachers they encountered before, but he nonetheless was a skilled teacher.

After months of waiting and preparation, the Jedi finally were able to locate Noah. A mercenary known as Sergio Arakmaan had tipped them off to the location of a Clockwork prison. The Council began to organize a strike force to assault the prison and rescue Noah. The names were what you'd expect, masters and clones of The Bad Batch. But amongst the names were Dradak and Hix's own. The two's preparation had been recognized, and in a final test against Grandmaster Yoda the two had prevailed, though not without great difficulty. Despite objections raised by Master Pon and Knight Varxi, Yoda had made his decision. Dradak and Hix would accompany Master Pon, High Sage Sure, Master Raul, Master Simon, Hight Master Frost, LCPL CF-99 Crosshair, and SPC CF-99 Tech in an assault on the prison. The days waiting for it to begin, the two could only anxiously duel as the days slowly ticked by.

### Ancient Tunnels Far Below

[THE FOLLOWING ENTRY IS SECRET]

> *"There is no ignorance, there is knowledge."*
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-Hix calming himself by reciting the Jedi code.

It started out as a quiet evening in The Library, same as any other. Hix quietly practiced force jump in the hangar bay, but as he landed he was rendered off balance by tremors he felt in the ground. He could feel the force being used, deep in the caves beneath The Library. Hix walked into the caves to investigate, his interest peaked but not yet alarmed. At the force nexus Hix encountered the insectoid creatures of the caves and found them quite calm. While he could find no sign of an intruder, there was a great many tunnels that Hix had never seen before. Each perfectly square, not dug by insects nor with digging or mining equipment. Stopping to feed the creatures and present himself to them, Hix read their minds. He found them quite calm, but was suddenly taken aback by a vision. A vision of a padawan with a green tunic cutting down two of the creatures, who was then knocked unconscious and relieved of his lightsaber by a figure in white robes with a flaming lightsaber.

Intrigued by the vision, Hix ventured further into the depths of the cave. Following one of the newfound tunnels, Hix ventured deep into the caves, deeper then he had ever gone in his life. Down through the tunnels, till the rock turned grey and the air thin. Suddenly, Hix turned the corner to find ancient Jedi architecture long buried. Rushing over to it giddy as can be, Hix hurriedly did his best to date the architecture. By his mark they dated back to over a millennia ago, around the time of the New Sith Wars. Excited at his discovery, Hix continued down the tunnel, only to find more ruins. Upon dating them, he found them to be even older then what he had found before. Quite excited, Hix continued down the tunnel, passing by stoic statues that he didn't recognize.

His journey culminated when he crawled under some rubble into a large chamber, perfectly round with a strange device in the center and a camp built around it. Hix grew cautious at this obvious sign of habitation, but pressed on nonetheless. To his nervous ears his footsteps upon the smooth stone sounded as loud as turbolaser fire as he approached the device in the center. Now, Hix was familiar with a great deal of technology. Not in the sense he knew how to operate it or take it apart, but Hix was adapt at recognizing various marks. And never, not once in his life, had he ever seen anything like the device within that chamber. Reaching out in the force, he was startled at what he found. He could feel it drawing force energy and redirecting the energy into the temple around him, though for what purpose Hix could not discern.

Overflowing with curiosity, Hix moved on to a nearby tent sheltering a damaged terminal and a holotable beneath it. Hix attempted to access both, fixing the damaged terminal. Upon booting up the table and terminal, the Temple AI itself queried him for identification. With a shrug, Hix presented his own ID, but the AI denied it. Turning to the other tents, Hix dug around for anything that might have information on an ID and found an old, barely functioning datapad. Dusting it off and booting it up, Hix found two entries. One titled "Entry 343104" and the other mentioning that ████ ████ ██████ was the pass phrase. Hix opened the entry, listening to an audio recording. The recording mentions the possibility of the Jedi discovering this camp, and having to move deeper into the caves to avoid further discovery.

Hix was now thoroughly trapped by his own curiosity, but not so much that he was completely robbed of his caution. Flicking open his commlink, Hix attempted to reach Jedi comms. But the thick rock that surrounded him prevented his commlink from reaching the other Jedi. Putting it away, Hix's eyes turned back to the terminal and holotable. Approaching the holotable first, Hix spoke the secret phrase, "████ ████ ██████". The holotable immediately sprang to life and the Temple AI asked him, "Who are you? Sage Liam? Arcann Divoli? High Master Sure?" A more shrewd Jedi may have attempted to bluff their way through a performance as one of these three. But Hix, poor naive Hix, happily answered, "No, no! I'm Hix! Padawan Hix Jodine!"

There was brief pause from the AI and then an announcement. "Access denied. Intruder in Sector 5." An alarm went out and Hix could feel someone approaching rapidly through the tunnels. Now realizing that he might be a tad over his head, Hix dashed away from the holotable and hid himself behind a tent. Peering around it, Hix briefly got a glimpse of the man leaving the tunnels before pulling his head back behind the tent. It was the white robed figure from his vision. Having seen him in person, Hix was finally able to put a name to the face. This was Sage Will, an enigmatic presence within the temple that Hix had had scarce contact with before. Hix had hid himself on instinct and almost considered revealing his presence, until he heard a chilling sentence from Sage Will.

"The padawan can't be allowed to leave with his memory of the phrase intact."

Hix pressed himself against the back of the tent, more quiet and still then he had ever been in his life. He felt himself begin to sweat. The Sage began to reach out in the force searching for him, calling out in a kind voice for him to come out. But having overheard what would follow, fear began to take hold in Hix's heart. Drawing on all his training, Hix barely escaped the force senses of Will. But Will was a practical Jedi indeed, for when his force powers failed to find Hix he addressed the Temple AI and ordered that it scan for lifeforms. Now a hint of panic was in Hix, as he desperately looked around for any metal deposits that might be able to interfere with the scan. Hix failed to find any, but at the last moment he recalled the force phantom that had terrorized him so long ago. The coma Hix had entered after it had wounded his very spirit. Now seeking this coma of his own will, Hix entered a Jedi healing coma. His life signs dimmed and slowed, and the AI's scan passed harmlessly over him. Hix had dodged the Sage's notice for now, but any movement of his would alert Will. In quite the predicament, Hix remained in his coma. Waiting for some opportunity. And by the grace of the force, an opportunity came to him.

Hix was roused from his coma by Will's voice. Hix's ears perked up, recognizing the voices of Knight Ak'azz and Knight Shadoo. Hix remained behind the tent, unsure what action to take. Until he heard footsteps and his gaze turned to the corner. Around the corner wandered a familiar Nautolan, it was Knight Shadoo! The Jedi Knight wandered over, obviously curious and about to ask a question. Hix hurriedly hushed him and asked Shadoo if Will knew he was here. When Shadoo answered no, Hix visibly sagged to the ground in relief. But soon after he straightened up, as the force had presented Hix the opportunity for a fail-safe. Hix quickly wrote down all he had learned on a datapad and handed it to Shadoo. And as he handed it to Shadoo, he looked over the Nautolan's shoulder to meet the stare of Sage Will.

The datapad was barely in Shadoo's hands before Hix had force leaped over the tent. Sprinting as fast as he possibly could (and Hix was no slouch in foot races), Hix dove into the tunnel and scrambled over architecture he had once gawked at. Hix nearly made it to the safety of the upper tunnels, until his body seized up as his mind was drowned in fear. Trapped within a force stasis of Sage Will's making, Shadoo and Ak'azz easily caught up to him. And Sage Will as well, of course. Unable to move, Hix cried out in fear, "My mind! He wants to erase my mind!" Trusting Hix's words, Shadoo and Ak'azz immediately moved between Hix and Will, their sabers alight. Seizing upon the force, Will wrenched the ceiling of the tunnel apart and a cave in sealed any chance of a quick escape. Ak'azz, Shadoo, and Hix were stuck in there with Will, his lightsaber aflame.

In an uneasy standoff, Ak'azz and Shadoo questioned Will as to what his intentions were, while also attempting to free Hix from the stasis. Will insisted that he only would erase The Jedi's memory of the phrase (as well as their current 'disagreement) and nothing else, but the Jedi were loathe to trust his words. As Ak'azz and Shadoo continued to bandy words with Will, two things occurred. First was Ak'azz quietly making his own copy of the datapad Hix had handed to Shadoo. And the second was done by Will. Even as Will continued to trade words with the Jedi, he quietly wormed his way into Hix's mind and snuffed out Hix's memory of the phrase. Hix's mental defenses were weak and unable to fend off the probe of a Master, but Hix's force senses were another matter entirely. Feeling the intrusion into his mind, Hix screamed, "He's in my head!" as he blindly lashed out with his lightsaber at the area around him, thankfully scorching only rocks. Responding to the padawan's distress, Ak'azz and Shadoo ended their talks and prepared to duel Will.

Unbalanced as he was, Hix did not last long against Will. The Sage knocked Hix unconscious in short order, and dealt a swift blow to Ak'azz as well. Shadoo alone stood against Sage Will, with the Jedi's very memories on the line. In a display of heroism and bravery, blue saber clashed against saber of fire. The duel was long and difficult, and was not ended without wounds on both sides. Indeed, Shadoo's datapad was eviscerated. But in the end, Knight Shadoo stood triumphant over an unconscious Sage (as well as a lightsaber droid activated by the Temple AI). Shadoo roused Hix and Ak'azz from unconsciousness, the both of them nursing a booming headache. As soon as they could walk, the Jedi together cleared the rubble blocking their way. The way clear, the Jedi picked up the unconscious Sage and sprinted out of the Tunnels at speeds that put the Kessel Run to shame. They were quite eager to return to the upper floors of The Library.

Finally making his way out of the dank tunnels, Hix was never in his life so happy to see The Library's hangar bay. But he had little time to linger, as the trio hurried on to the prison. Once there, Shadoo interrogated the waking Sage while Ak'azz got Hix's story. Hix told it in full, from start to finish, leaving nothing out. And while he was at it, he took a peek at Ak'azz's copy of the data, and restored his memory of the secret phrase. After finishing his recounting of his story, Hix, Ak'azz, and Shadoo reconvened. Having had a lengthy conversation with Will, Shadoo imparted Will's intentions on Ak'azz and Hix.

The truth was that Will was apologetic for having acted so hastily, as he was ill prepared for a padawan to uncover one of the most well kept secrets of the temple. For indeed the secret phrase was, for it was a grave security risk. One that if Dooku or the CIS were to know it, The Library would be consumed in fire and fall. Will had only acted so aggressively because of how grave the matter was. He appealed to the Jedi to let him remove the phrase from their minds. He pledged that he would leave all other memories untouched and would even do 3 favors for each Jedi in return. Shadoo and Ak'azz were hesitant to agree, but ultimately did. But Hix, Hix did not agree. To Hix his knowledge, his memories, all that he learned was sacrosanct. He knew what it was to be starved of any chance to learn and as such clutched tightly to what he did learn. He would not allow himself to forget the memory he had regained. But neither was Hix so bullheaded as to not recognize the danger knowing such a thing was, indeed not to him but to the order as a whole. So Hix demonstrated his resolve to Will. "I will not forget what I have learned," Hix said as he unhooked his lightsaber from his belt. Placing it's emitter to his throat as his thumb hovered over the activation button, Hix continued, "But I swear that I will die before I let this secret leave my mind to unsafe ears". Will stared at him for a spell, before quietly asking, "Who is your master?" "Sage Noah," Hix replied. Sage Will considered for a moment before slowly nodding. Hix would keep his knowledge of the phrase, on the condition that Will be allowed to strengthen the barrier's of Hix's mind. To construct a fortress that no mere probe would penetrate. Hix gladly agreed, having had quite enough of unwelcome entry to his mind. Sage Will was then released, and the Jedi split.

Returning to his bunks, Hix sluggishly fed Jin and Paq. He then collapsed into his bunks, asleep before he even fell onto the covers.

### Arguing with Children

> *"You... you're a liar... A snake... A treacherous snake! I was... I was right about you..."*
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-Hix to Sholdon after he discovered Sholdon had been telepathically impersonating Sage Noah

It was one day that Hix encountered someone that completely surprised him. Sholdon, who Hix had least heard swearing vengeance upon all Jedi in the **Assault for Sage Noah.** Hix had been completely unaware of Sholdon's reformation and Hix's hand moved to his lightsaber. But Sholdon just kept on walking, Hix not even registering in his eye. The kid had completely forgotten about him. A few days later Hix was walking with Dradak, when they overheard Sholdon arguing with Shaak Ti in the brig. Resentful due to Shodon's part in the kidnapping of Noah, the two jeered and insulted him. Questioned his trustworthiness. Sholdon predictably got angry and offered to duel them, but the two just walked off on order of Shaak Ti. Smug sneers on their faces as they left Sholdon to stew in his cell.

From then on, it went much the same. Hix or Dradak would come across Sholdon by chance, ask if he's kidnapped any masters lately, ask him how the clockwerk are doing, and then walk off. But one day, things went farther. . .

It started off normally. Hix passed Sholdon by in the doorway and told him he would never be a Jedi. Sholdon, upset, requested that a Temple Guard arrest Hix for harassment. Hix patiently waited to be arrested and when he wasn't arrested, promptly left to practice force jump. Setting up a course for himself in the hangar, Hix began making the rounds. It wasn't long before he noticed a small child following him, trying to keep pace with his jumps. It wasn't easy, Hix was well practiced and Sholdon meanwhile was so strong with the force he'd sometimes launch himself far past the targets. But Sholdon was able to keep pace with him and they started talking.

First Sholdon offered Hix some candy, on the condition that Hix apologize. Hix kept jumping. Then Sholdon asked why Hix didn't use blink. Hix told him he couldn't and kept jumping. Sholdon asked if he had tried. Hix told him no and that he probably couldn't. Then he kept jumping. Sholdon asked why. Hix was quiet for a bit and stopped jumping. He told Sholdon that he was weaker in the force then average. Then Hix kept jumping. Sholdon told Hix he knew many magics. While jumping Hix asked if hitting masters over their heads with rocks was magic. Sholdon asked who Hix's master was. Hix replied, "Sage Noah" as he jumped. Sholdon thought that that was cool. Sholdon realized that Hix was *Sage Noah's Padawan*. Sholdon said he'd met Sage Noah. Hix asked if it was in prison and kept jumping. Sholdon asked why Hix didn't like him. Hix stopped jumping and turned to face him.

"You helped to kidnap my master. You helped to kidnap him. There were times that I considered hopping in a delta-7 and just going out there to look for him. When the mission finally happened, I found you there. A child, treating it all like a game, who in the end swore vengeance on the entire Jedi Order. The rescue team in particular. That is why I don't trust you Sholdon. That's why I don't like you."

Sholdon was rather nonplussed about Hix's spiel, as he nonchalantly said, "Oh, don't worry about it. Elegia is long done with him. She said, and I quote, 'I'm finished with that pawn'."

This made Hix angry. Angrier then he'd ever been in his life, angrier then since he'd joined the Jedi Order. Hix ignited his saber and said through gritted teeth, "Duel me now". Knight A'kazz and a nearby Temple Guard did *not* approve of this idea, but Sholdon happily accepted. Just another game. The two marched over to the duel room, an entourage of worried Jedi in toe, Hix's friend Knight Shadoo amongst them. The two squared off in the center of the dueling room and Sholdon nonchalantly asked Hix if he wanted easy, medium, or hard. Hix simply replied as hard as Sholdon liked.

Now, Hix is not a jedi who shirks lightsaber combat. He studied it as diligently as he studied books. Which was why Hix was able to land any blows on Sholdon at all I imagine. But Hix was angry, Hix was unbalanced. And even if he hadn't been, Hix was no match for Sholdon. Hix prepared for his third duel with Sholdon, fully intending to continue until he won (Hix had dueled Masters and it was through such bulldogged stubbornness that he had found scarce victories against them). But something was different, Sholdon was... relaxed. Humming to himself. The duel began and Hix struck Sholdon. That was how the other duels went, Hix struck Sholdon and then Sholdon struck Hix down. But this time... this time Sholdon complimented him and held still. As wide open as can be.

Hix sheathed his lightsaber and left the dueling room, angrily whispering as he left, "All pointless..." Hix returned to the hangar to continue practicing force jump, but now he struggled. Unbalanced with his connection to the force muddied by his anger, Hix missed jumps he once breezed through. And then Sholdon caught up with him. And this time, Hix talked to Sholdon.

"Do you know what I wanted to be Sholdon? I wanted to be a librarian. I had barely practiced with my lightsaber before Noah was kidnapped. I then spent months preparing to save him. Days upon days training in preparation for the rescue mission. Dueling with Dradak. Dueling with other padawans. Dueling with knights, masters, and generals. Even Yoda, once. I learned to throw my saber and I learned makashi, both of which I could no longer use after the mission was concluded. I was trained by Kit Fisto. By High Master Amy. By anyone who was willing to train me. I trained with Master Raul, who died in that stinking prison. And every day I trained I wondered if my master was even still alive.

And do you know what would have happened if we had met during that mission Sholdon?"

"What?"

"I would have lost. You would have won and I would have been **dead**."

Hix didn't have much more to say to Sholdon after that. Which isn't to say no one had much to say to him. Hix only wanted to continue his active meditation by practicing force jump. But now Knights followed him. Knight Shadoo asked if he was fine, which Hix gave a curt no to before continuing to jump. Knight A'kazz was now an ever chattering thorn in Hix's ear. Hix emphasized how little he was interested in what A'kazz had to say with a force push. The final straw was as Hix attempted to do his force jumps he spotted a Jedi Knight he didn't recognize waiting on a platform for him.

Hopping off of his platform, Hix promptly changed course and marched into the temple. In an admirably fast fast walk, Hix made his way to a terminal and pulled up a digital copy of a book on the force. But with his mind unbalanced, Hix could barely focus on it. But then, right when he needed it, he heard his master's voice. It was calm and reassuring, and Hix gladly poured out his woes to him. His master wisely counseled forgiveness for Sholdon, though Hix was honestly not as reticent as he knew he should be. And then, Hix felt a twinge in the force. The tiniest movement, but Hix curiously tugged on it.

And his master's voice turned from calm and reassuring to familiar shrill tones.

Slowly getting up from his chair, Hix slowly followed the twinge, muttering to himself as he did, "No, no. It can't be..." But sure enough, Hix followed the force and the force guided him to a small child hiding behind a bookcase. And now Hix felt not anger, but horror and perhaps even fear. For it was not long ago that Hix fought and fled for his life to protect the sanctity of his mind. And here had come Sholdon, waltzing in as if the door were open.

Oh yes, Hix called Sholdon a liar and a snake as well and did indeed proclaim he had been right. And then a Temple Guard kindly proclaimed that they would handle this, a generous and kind offer indeed. But this offer was a mistake, for as the Temple Guards focused upon Sholdon no one noticed Hix quietly leave the library. Neither did anyone notice a stray Delta-7 that began to boot up, or when the Temple's doors began to open. Indeed, the first notice anyone took of Hix's departure was the Valkyrie AI wishing him a good journey. By the time Jedi rushed to the hangar bay, the found only the unmistakable scuffs and marks around the hangar bay of an inexperienced pilot. But a pilot nonetheless, one long gone to hyperspace.

Sholdon attempted to read Hix's mind and find out where he planned to go to. But Hix's guard was up, with the best mental barrier he could muster. Sholdon, powerful in the force, was able to overcome it, but only barely. Just enough to get a glimpse, a glimpse of ice and snow. Sholdon took a guess, he guessed a planet he'd been to before. A planet with a connection to Noah. Sholdon...

Guess wrong. Sholdon was stuck on the wrong planet, but what happened next is his story, not Hix's.

Hix meanwhile was plotting his course. Not a straight one, no, that would be too easy. Hix knew that his fellow Jedi were clever indeed and Hix must be quite clever if he wishes to get the space he wanted. So Hix plotted a long, winding course. One that would make little sense unless one knew the final destination. But Hix did not make the final destination his final stop. No, that was Tatooine. An infamous planet known as the farthest place from any bright center of the universe. The perfect place for a starfighter to be sold and disappear. The landing was a bit bumpy, which sadly drove the starfighter's value down. But Hix nonetheless was 20000 credits richer. More then enough to hire a freighter to take him to a planet very different from Tatooine. A cold planet. A planet still filled with nature, with wildlife and trees. A planet of peaceful snow. A planet far from the war, though perhaps not as far as Hix would like. A planet...

With owls.

Kytar

AND THEN OTHER SHIT HAPPENED BUT I DONT FEEL LIKE WRITING ALL THAT RIGHT NOW

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