Chester Ducere's Jedi Training (pt. 2)

[JM76]

Chester watched his master's movements as carefully as he could, although Javiik's speed was faster than Chester's eye could follow. As his master sprinted towards him, Chester spun his lightsaber in a wide arc in front of him, hoping that his master wouldn't get close enough to strike. However, he swung too early and the maneuver was ineffective.

When Javiik attacked the young Padawan with an uppercut swing, Chester performed a light parry with his own lightsaber to keep the attack from completing. Once he assumed the attack had been halted, Chester performed a Force-assisted backflip to avoid an follow-up strikes by his master.

 

[Demiurge]

Observing Chester's tendencies, Javiik approved of the way he was handling himself. His natural reflexes well suited his form, Ataru. As Chester made a backflip to avoid a counterattack, Javiik made a quick Force leap over Chester, and landed behind him.

As he landed, Javiik quickly swung his lightsaber towards Chester's exposed back, in a one-handed fashion.

 

[JM76]

Since Chester had landed rather quickly, he wasn't prepared for his master to leap over him and strike at his back. The action happened so quickly, in fact, that Chester only had time to set up a sloppy defense by turning around and holding his lightsaber in front of him vertically.

Although his defense was borderline pathetic, Chester assumed that his master wouldn't apply that much force to his attack, allowing him to back up while his master prepared for another attack.

 

[Demiurge]

Tràkata

As a swordsman, Javiik kept his face and mind emotionless and unchanged to situations. While his Padawan wouldn't be able to see or sense anything, Javiik was impressed by Chester's quick thinking, adaptability, and intuition.

However, Javiik took advantage of Chester's position. Instead of staying in a bladelock, Javiik fell into the Tràkata form. Javiik deactivated his lightsaber, with the sudden loss of resistance causing Chester's blade to fling into the air. Javiik then maneuvered around Chester, and slammed the hilt of his lightsaber against Chester's wrist, causing him to drop his blade. Javiik then put the deactivated hilt to Chester's head.

"Endgame, but well done, Padawan. You have good instincts, and focus well on the moment, never trying to perceive too distantly into the future motions of your opponent."

Javiik put his lightsaber's hilt back on is belt. and said "Padawan Chester, can you recite the Jedi Code, and interpret its meaning?"

 

[JM76]

Chester sighed, his voice expressing a mixture of disappointment and satisfaction at his developing lightsaber skills. Kneeling, Chester picked up his lightsaber and increased its strength to normal before switching it off and returning it to his belt.

The Jedi Code is: Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion yet serenity. Chaos yet harmony. Death, yet the force.

Emotions are inevitable, we are not droids in the respect that we can prevent ourselves from feeling. Love, hate, sorrow, fear - we cannot stop these feelings, they are natural. However, these emotions shouldn't drive our actions, we need to face these feelings and use them to bring about peace in ourselves and to others.

Ignorance exists, but we should not fear it. Instead, we should be ever conscious that learning is an everyday experience and we need to grow mentally, as well as physically, with every trial or test we face. A Jedi cannot only count on rationale to get by, however. It is important to feel as well as think; intuitiveness is one of the greatest traits a Jedi can obtain.

Violence should never be used as the first remedy for a problem. Unchecked passion is the first step toward the dark side. A Jedi should learn to handle his baser emotions with care and achieve an inner peace so their actions aren't influenced by their anger.

Although the universe appears chaotic, all things are actually interconnected by the Force. Good and bad things happen. However, the Force actively guides each event for the greater good in all things. Chaos is a natural part of life, however, harmony is the eventual aftereffect.

Death, like chaos, is a natural occurrence. However, it is simply another path that everyone must eventually tread. Death is not the end, though. When one unites with the Force upon death, they live on, collectively, as the Force. All things happen according to the natural order of the universe, so it is pointless to mourn overindulgently when it is unnecessary.

Of course, saying all this is one thing - acting upon it is another. But I just thought I'd give you my thoughts on the Code as I see it now," Chester concluded.

 

[Demiurge]

"Your thoughts and your words are in unison. Whether you realized it or not, you've revealed your maturity through your interpretation. I mean this both as a Jedi, and as a person. Master Mander did an admirable job in the initial stages of your Jedi training."

"Through your growth, I have seen your resolve and commitment to the Jedi. But remember, above all else - even the Jedi, whom you must not fail - do not fail yourself. Do betray your thoughts, or allow your thoughts to betray you. These are dangerous times, remember this. From this day forward go on walking as Chester Ducere..."

Javiik instantly drew and activated his lightsaber blade, and swung it past Chester's face, cutting off his Padawan braid.

"Knight of the Jedi Order."

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