“They say a Jedi can never rest.  His job is never done.  What, with having to protect the galaxy from evils great and small, it’s a wonder how we even have time to eat or sleep.”
She slowly blinked, momentarily hiding her bright blue eyes.  With a seductive smirk, she said, “Then I must be extremely lucky to have you here talking to me, master Jedi.”  Her name was Ora.  She was right in a sense.  Of all the people in the crowded bar, she was the one I decided to sit with.  It was a regular habit of mine, when I had some free time, to go and chat with local girls.  Impressing the locals, you could even say.  Even this early in the day, there were always places on Coruscant to find people to impress and have good conversations with.
With a smile I went back to my drink.  “Well, you know, I am always willing to find time for a pretty face.”
She laughed and gave me a playful shove.  “Oh, Jace, you tease!  How can you lead a girl on in such a way when we both know Jedi are forbidden to have relationships?”  The last word was spoken with a slight inflection and the raising of her eyebrows.  It was enough to send shivers down a monk’s spine.  I hesitated slightly with my response, not because of the obvious innuendo, but for a different reason.
On Coruscant, there were billions of people.  The Jedi were but a small handful of that population, despite the presence of the Temple headquarters.  The ways and traditions of the Jedi were rarely known outside small circles of the knowledgeable and privileged.  Most of them lived high up and were usually wealthy and powerful.  Down here on the surface, however, one would not expect to find such people.  In a small bar, in a remote corner of one of the less popular districts I sat, listening to a girl I had met only a few hours quote Jedi law.  I immediately sensed that something was not right about the situation.  I made a note to ask Master Dinaar about this later.
She noticed my hesitation, but apparently misinterpreted it.  “Surely you wouldn’t betray your entire order just for me!” she said with another playful shove.  I took the moment to tap into my feelings and reach out with the Force.  Not expecting to find anything, I scanned her consciousness.  Normally I would be able to feel a crystal clear impression of who she was, how she thought, and sometimes past experiences.  Yet, as I reached into her mind, I felt a faint resistance.  What I was able to pick up was as hazy as a Gungan swamp on a Naboo morning.  Shadowy figures moved about her thoughts, weaving in and out of the mist, but never making themselves fully known.  She was obviously under some influence of the Force that I could not sense.
“Unbelievable,” I began to say with a frown.  I wasn’t sure if she sensed my probing, but she suddenly decided to change the subject.
“Tell me about one of your recent adventures.” She said, shifting in her seat.  It had the effect of making her seem less seductive, and instead letting her appear simply comforted by my presence.  Wanting to keep appearances as if there were nothing amiss, I decided to play along.
“Alright.  Master Mantell and I had been assigned to negotiate a peace treaty between warring factions in the mountains of Gonar.”
“Negotiating?” she interrupted, “That doesn’t sound very adventurous.  Tell me something exciting.”
“Well, there was an avalanche that Master Mantell caused.”  I was interrupted again.  Not by her, but by my comm. Unit.  “Excuse me,” I said.
I pulled the comm out and heard the familiar voice of Alera, my master’s AI.
“Jace Malar, Master Mantell requires your assistance.”  The voice of the AI felt like a grinding in my ears.  Although they were an ever-present and even crucial part of our society, I always thought droid voices sounded wrong.  They were just too fake.
“What is it this time?”  I asked.
“It seems he has been drawn to the scene of some sort of factory accident.”
That’s a new one, I thought.  I looked up at Ora and she gave me a little pout.
“The life of a Jedi…” I said with dignity as I stood to leave.  “I’m on my way.”  I told Alera.
Ora stood as well.  “Well, if you’re ever in this area again, be sure to look me up.”
With a smile and a slight bow, I turned toward the door and left the bar.  Frowning again, I considered what had just happened.  If she had simply quoted a Jedi law, that probably would not have been a problem.  But what was influencing her mind in such a way?  Who were the shadowy forms that were hiding themselves from me?  And why did I have the strangest feeling that this was far greater than it appeared?  I sensed that this could go far beyond myself, Master Dinaar, and possibly even Master Skywalker on the Jedi Council.
Despite my thoughts, I could hear Master Dinaar telling me “Keep your wits about you, my young Padawan.  Keep your thoughts focused on the moment instead of losing yourself on every whim.”
Coming back to myself, I found my speeder.  “Alera,”  I told the computer, “Take me to Master Dinaar’s factory party.”
This was going to be an interesting day.

When I got to the site of the factory I was astonished at what I saw.  Apparently the whole place had exploded!  There was rubble everywhere, and I could sense the pain and suffering of everyone involved.  I searched for the presence of my master, and immediately found him.  It didn’t surprise me that he was using the Force to help, but what did surprise me was that he was losing control.  He was usually very careful, and rarely felt the need to open up to the Force completely.  I had a sinking feeling that a good fraction of the wreckage was due to one of his random Force anomalies that he had been known to cause.
I located him by sight just as he was throwing someone away from a section of collapsing roof.  I was too far to call out to warn him as the roof crashed down on top of him.  I could sense he was alive, but that didn’t stop me from worrying.  As I landed the speeder and began sprinting towards him, I could hear Master Yoda telling me not to give in to my fears and worries.  “Trust in the Force, you must.” He would tell me.  “Worries, panic, doubt… only to darkness do they lead.”
Slowing down, I focused my thoughts.  Master Dinaar was trapped, possibly injured, but not fatally wounded.  My thoughts were drawn to the man he had thrown aside.  Somehow, there was a faint trace of the Force centered on him, but it seemed tainted…  Dark…
As I approached the unconscious man, I scanned his thoughts.  I gasped as I felt that same resistance for the second time.  Shocked, I quickly scanned some of the other survivors.  Their fears were clear as day.  Slightly relieved, I assured myself that it wasn’t just me.  There were definitely some traces of the Dark side here.  Perhaps seeking out Master Dinaar and I.  What could be the chances that we would both be in close proximity to those who’s minds have been shrouded by the dark side at the same time.  Could this be the work of a Dark Jedi?  Or even a Sith Lord?
My attention was abruptly drawn to Master Dinaar.  He must have sensed my presence and was calling me to help him.  Turning my back to the unconscious man, I focused the Force onto the rubble under which my master was trapped.  He must have been helping, because it moved aside easily.  As soon as I felt he was free, I approached him.
“And I thought I had an exciting story to tell you,” I said, extending my hand to help him up.  “How does your leg feel?”
Accepting my offer, he gingerly put his weight on his leg.  “It’s not broken, at least.  Now help me with the rest of this-“ He stopped, concern appearing on his face.
I had felt it, too.  A sudden and dark wave of the Force had washed over us.  We both turned around towards the source, and saw the unconscious man floating upright about three feet off the ground.  His arms were outstretched, and what seemed to look like small crackles of force lightning was emanating from his body.  With his eyes still closed and his mouth unmoving, we heard his voice in our minds.  “The time is almost at hand!  The Jedi will be powerless to stop us!”  With another bright flash of darkness, the man vanished.  None of the other workers or survivors seemed to have noticed.  Master Dinaar and I stood there for a moment, just staring at the spot where the man had been.  I almost lost myself in the ripples left behind in the force.  If it hadn’t been for those ripples, I may not have even believed that had just happened.
I looked at Master Dinaar, and he looked at me.  “That was rather flashy,” I said.
He blinked.  “A little too flashy…”
Yup.  Definitely an interesting day.