46 BBY
Location: Coruscant - Jedi Temple
Inside the archives hall of the jedi temple, at one of the many tables that filled the hall, sat a young five year old miraluka boy wearing a traditional miraluka cloth headdress that covered the upper half of his face.
If front of him was an open holo book on the expansion age of the republic during the era of the high republic, that he was reading. On his sides were small stacks of similar holo books, covering a variety of fields of study.
This ambitious little book worm was Zell Mooncrest a youngling and jedi initiate that was taken by the order four years ago at the age of one.
(Image of Zell Mooncrest)
"Well that's another one finished"
He said to himself, closing shut the holo book he'd finished reading. Placing the book on the pile to his left representing books he had completed reading, before grabbing the next book in the stack to his right representing the books he was planning on reading.
'Haa --- I don't think I will ever get used to the fact that I have such an abnormally high reading speaking speed. Or the fact that I seem to have developed a near perfect photographic memory to match it'
He thought to himself with a small mental sigh as he opened his next book.
Zell was the farthest thing from your typical youngling.
At the beginning Zell was no different from the countless other initiates that came before him, who walked the hallow halls of the Jedi temple. But on day after turning three years old Zell suffered an excruciating headache, the likes of which he'd never felt before.
The pain was so intense his screams were hear by many near by jedi who come run to his distress. On the scene many jedi gathered to the young three year old child on the ground writhing in agony. They desperately tried to help him, but from what they could see there were no external physical wounds to treat, and were at a loss on what to due.
But not to long after one jedi realized Zell was beset by a powerful migraine. And with the assistance of two other used the force to calm Zell's mind and send him into a deep sleep, giving him relief.
Inside the temple's infirmary he would recover quickly, but the cause of the attack was never found. End the end all would believe that it to be a one time event, but they would soon be proven wrong. Over the course of the next two years Zell would suffer similar incidents of sudden and intense headaches from time to time. And while their level of intensity were no where as great as the first one he face they still raised concerns among many about Zell's health.
But none were more worried then Zell himself. While the pain was great, what truly bothered him were the visions that he saw during the attacks.
Being so young Zell lacked the comprehensive ability to make heads or tails of what the images in his visions were, all he understood was that they were about something frighting.
He tried to describe them to the jedi instructors and teachers but he never seemed able to get the descriptions right. A few time the jedi even tried to use the force to peer into his mind to see what he saw, but on all attempts they saw nothing.
Eventually they came to the simple conclusion that there was nothing to see and chalked it up to him simple having delusions caused by the stress of the migraines.
Little did they know that it wasn't that there was nothing there, but rather that some unknown force actively keeping them out. A force that for some reason was acting like a seal or door, keeping foreign elements from accessing the visions in Zell's memories.
*********
It would be at the age of five that Zell managed to gain some bit of control over the visions.
They were no longer so unbearable that he had to be put to sleep to endure them. And he could even start making out bits and pieces of the visions.
But not only that, Zell would notice he received a few surprising benefits as a result of suffering those dreaded migraines.
After turning five Zell started to demonstrate a remarkable aptitude for academics, quicky learning and becoming fluent in writing and speaking galactic basic.
This aptitude also included other fields of studies including but not limited to mathematics, basic sciences, galactic law & history, and other subjects that younglings are required to learn as basic education. And due to his incredible learning speed Zell had time to study additional subjects thought they would be useful later on.
This all stemmed from a seemingly increased cognitive ability that Zell secretly theorized came from previous migraines. Zell's mind also seemed to mature faster than the average child, allowing him to develop a mental age closer to that of a young adult.
These traits combined with his still young and malleable child like brain were likely key factors that contributed to he high levels of academic skills.
"And that's another one finished"
He said having finished yet another book, placing it in the completed pile.
Just as he was about to grab the next book in the pile to read his hands paused and returned to his side and he began staring blankly at the table top.
"I hope that what I saw does not happens"
Of the visions that Zell was able to make sense of, a number of them depicted what he could only describe was a massive conflict. An endless army of robotic like figures fighting against a secondary army of similar looking white armed soldiers.
In these visions he saw the two forces fighting cross countless worlds. The fighting causing the death of countless innocent lives.
He understood what this was. War. And it was coming in the not to distant future.
Once he deciphered the meaning of his vision, he immediately wanted to alert the jedi of what was coming, but either by instinct or by his newly enhanced mental faculties Zell understood the likely hood of the order taking his warning seriously were low.
It was more likely they'd just him off as suffering another cases of delusions brought on by headaches, like they did in the past. And even if on the off chance that did believed him the Jedi held firm on the believe that acting on force visions of the future will only help them come to pass rather than stop them. Making inaction the better move in their minds.
"hm, best I don't think anymore on this for now. To prepare for the future I'll need to focus on my training and studies in the here now"
So Zell chose to hold his tongue for the time being. But that didn't mean he would not act at all.
Zel understood that there was no point in him stressing his mind on future that was still a good few decades away. And outside his current means to influence in any way.
Also as a simple youngling he lacked the resources, freedom, skills, and knowledge needed to put any sort of plan he could think up into action. So for now he could do is build up his personal own strength and mind.
*******
To facilitate this goal, he constantly studied in the jedi archives.
To the point that it had become a part of his daily routine to come straight to the archives to further his studies most days, after attending the mandatary educational classes, meditation sessions, lightsaber and force training that all younglings take.
This was because Zel understood he would need many skills in various fields of experts for what was to come. So he delved into as many areas study as he could, as shown by the many books that surrounded them.
Some of the topics Zell was covering included political science, programming, mechanics, slicing, diplomacy techniques, medicine and agriculture. In addition he spent time learning the languages of multiple sentient species, as well as studying recorded combat manuals for battlefield tactics and command skills from several different wars cross multiple eras.
While the Jedi were capable fighters, at present very few if any had the experience and knowhow to lead troops into a battle. To rectify this Zell brushed up on any military oriented records available to him in the archives.
"Hey there! How's it going No eyes!"
A young child like voice shouted from a short distance away with aggression and hostility.
Just as Zell was about to pick up the next book he was planning to read, he paused upon recognizing the owner of the voice. But with an internal sigh he quickly choose to ignore the voice and resumed grabbing the his next book.
"HEY!!! I'm talking to you NO EYES! What got no ears too!"
The owner of the voice shouted even greater and with more anger from be ignored by Zel.
The voice was Nelko Bordolly, a youngling who was slightly older that Zell by two years. Who was also in the same youngling clan as Zell.
The Convor clan.
(A/N: This a fictional clan a made for my story. So its not Canon)
Nelko was a young Seven year old zabrak male, who was brought to the jedi temple at the age of two. As a youngling Nelko displayed a slightly above average talent with the force. Resulting in him showing slightly elevated skills in his training as compared to other younglings his age.
(Image of Nelko Bordolly)
This fact coupled with praise he received from his instructors easily feed into his natural arrogant and self centered personally, increasing these traits in himself.
Nelko saw himself has his clan's defector leader, and never hesitated to exert his will or dominance over his follow clanmates, and he reveled in it.
Of course he made sure to do this out of sight of the instructors. Overall Nelko had full unchallenged control over his clan, with one sole exception.
That being Zell the only youngling who's skills surpassed his own, much to his annoyance.
For as long as the two have known each other Zell never paid Nelko even a moment of his time. When ever Nelko started going on one of his egoistical rants about how great he was Zell would leave the vicinity, getting away from the noise.
And likewise when ever Nelko tried to boss him around Zell would just ignore him.
This caused Nelko to feel much distain for Zell. Believing that he was being looked down on by him.
It got so bad that eventually Nelko in retaliation started demanding the rest of the Convor clan to stop being nice to Zell outside of official monitored lessons and classes. As a means to harass him. But Zell never reacted to this, as he had no time to give any attention to such petty childish tactics.
Pulse, because of his more matured mind Zell found interacting with his still child minded clanmates a bit uncomfortable. While he bared his fellow clanmates no ill will, his new found isolation from them allowed him to concentrate more on his studies, which aided his efforts.
******
"You know Nelko, if you have the time to shout at me it may be better for you to put that time towards your training more"
Zell said to his highly emotional fellow initiate, without look up from his book.
"What was that!!"
Nelko directed an intense heated glare at Zel after hearing his words.
With his hands tightly griped into fists Nelko began walking closer, clearly with the intent of wanting to get physical.
Zell noticed this, and set his book down. Though annoyed that his reading was interrupted by something so stupid, his still prepared to face Nelko should this truly escalate. But before things could get that far, some stepped in.
"That will be quiet enough of that"
Jocasta Nu, the Jedi orders chief librarian said in a calm but pressured voice.
Hearing the voice of the elderly jedi and seeing her walking in his direction Bordolly immediately stopped in place and faced her at attention.
Zell likewise got up from his desk to face Jocasta Nu. As he believed it was only proper for an initiate to stand formally and give greets to a Jedi master when they address you.
""Greetings master Nu""
Both boys said in unison, greeting the elderly master.
"Greetings to the two of you as well"
She said in return.
"Now then, initiate Bordolly did you perhaps need anything in particular from youngling mooncrest I take?"
"N--No not really, I--I was just saying hell--lo"
He stuttered out while avoiding eye contact with Jocasta Nu.
"I see, well then I must say, that was quiet a large amount of loud aggressive yelling coming from this direction for a simple hello"
A small amount of sweat began to form on Bordolly's brow as he feared that he was over hear. Especially by the well known strict master, who was very particular about the things that happens within the temple's archives.