JEDI HoloNet

Born of red hair, Vivi birth was nothing short of a scandal. Born into a relatively prestigious family on Onderon, the political nightmare of her birth had thrown her house into panic and disarray. Rumours were difficult things to squash, to keep under lid, but her noble house took little time in ensuring loose lips were sealed. The aides and staff of the house were sworn to secrecy, the child kept from the scrutiny of the public. It was as if her mother had never expected child; something that was already a well kept secret given her status.

Vivi’s father, on the other hand, became a topic of fierce debate among the household staff. Both parents held dark complexion, even darker hair, how could a child of both come about to bear a fairer complexion than both, with dark red hair, and dark purple eyes? Some questioned genetics, something that may have skipped many generations? This was something even the house tried to convince themselves of.

Kept from the public eye, Vivi had only ever known her home. The staff treated with her fondness and kindness, for the most part. There were of course those that had issue with a child being potentially born out of wedlock, and one fathered by a man outside of the family. Too young to understand their jibes, she maintained a blissful ignorance about her. Vivi relatives, while suspicious of her lineage, doted on her all the same – barring her father of course. A cold distance was kept between them, one not of her own choosing.

Despite her relative isolation, Vivi had all a child could want: Endless amounts of toys, holoshows, the free reign of a massive estate. The only thing she could do not do, was be seen outside of their private garden or the house itself. It was little bother to her, she didn’t really know much different. But something did change close to her fifth birthday, the house began to feel different, she could feel it hanging in the air. Anxiety? Fear? Something felt off. She couldn’t quite comprehend these feelings, they were unusual to her, alien, something she had never once considered or needed to. As struggled to understand, she further struggled to voice what she felt. All she knew, was that as scared as she was of this, those around her were terrified.

Each day took turns for the worse; fear took captive of the house but despite all that fear, there was an abrupt choice made by two aides. They were going to take little Vivi outside, all she simply needed to do was follow them through the estates’ tunnels. Curious of the outside, and never one to really question the staff of the house, she followed. The walk felt long, especially for her little legs, the tunnels seemed to go on for miles – what felt like miles at least. As they approached the large door heavy duty doors, she realized something about this particular day: It was her birthday. Maybe this was some secret birthday present? As the aides unlocked the door, each wielding a key card, entered with precisely matched timing, it almost appeared this had been practiced. The doors would open to reveal a small, unused hanger.

White sheets covered much of the equipment, the only thing that had seen use in recent days was the ship that rested center of the hanger, and the wide doors that opened to vibrant blue skies. Hurried along into the ship, the aides promised Vivi of a great adventure, one in the stars even. Vivi proved eager to get on board, but once her feet touched the ramp, she stopped in her tracks. Something gripped, something cold, she could feel it coming from the tunnels behind her. Something wicked. The aides were quick to carry her aboard and into her seat, strapped in a rushed fashion. The ships engines roared to life, a shaky take off as the deflectors were quickly raised. The ship sped out of the hanger and up into the sky.

The aides played the local news through the comms; an accident? an attack? Vivi couldn’t quite make sense of it all. Casualties were high, Onderon would be mourning two of their brightest lost in a tragic shuttle accident. And an estate? Her estate? Up in smoke and flames? She tried to see from her port window, the blue sky muddied by a dark, black plume. It became less clear as the ship ascended until the blue skies were traded with the dark of space, stars twinkled in her vision and soon hues of blues as the ship launched into hyperspace. She had no idea where she was going, why she was on this ship, only that it felt as if there was no going back now. It made her think, think of her mother in the past cycle. Her mother seemed crestfallen for a while, then that feeling shifted into something else, an inconsolable sadness hidden behind a composed, defiant woman.

The ship’s journey was a quiet one, the aides seemed quiet, despondent even. There was little spoken between them, aside from quiet reassurances. Vivi didn’t feel much like talking herself, that was up until the ship jolted once more akin to a drag than a launch. The blue, swirling hues of hyperspace evaporated into the dark surrounds of space and on the horizon, a planet. It looked a bit like her own, if she chose to ignore the purple blotch of land they were fast approaching. One of the aides returned from the cockpit, quickly imparting all she needed to know: Her name was Vivi Ruma, she was going to become a Jedi, and that she will always be a daughter of Onderon. With that, they pressed a necklace into her hand, and made her promise to keep on her at all times.