Shiny (Aria Dran training)

[Raif]

Owyn gulped at what Talzea had just said. So he was going to be responsible for part of the training of his fellow padawan? It was a lot of responsibility thrown onto the young man without much warning, but hey, maybe this itself was a test. Owyn mentally nodded in determination, while keeping his external self calm and under control...just like a good jedi should.

"I will do as you ask, Master. Thank you for this opportunity."

Turning to Aria, Owyn grinned like an idiot and held his hand out to his side like a waiter at a restaurant. He then realized how idiot-like his grin probably looked, and tried to suppress it.

"Aria, if you will please follow me."

He walked just a short distance away and found a comfortable looking spot on the grass, where he promptly sat down with his legs crossed and his arms out behind him to support himself -- he was the picture of casual. Tikk, realizing he was likely to get bored with whatever was about to happen, bounded off of Owyn's shoulder into the nearby foliage to see what sort of mischief he could get into.

"Now, Aria...tell me what you know of the Tenets."

Owyn's fingers flexed as he gripped the grass under his hands. Being out in nature always made him feel much more connected to the Force, as if he was connected to a live circuit with electricity coursing through his veins. On top of that, his question tomorrow brought memories flooding back of when Shingen had asked him the exact same question not so long ago. The combination was a heady feeling, but Owyn was able to push the thoughts from his mind and focus on his fellow padawan. He was determined to do his best to teach her what he could, not just to show he was a capable Jedi but also because he genuinely wanted to help her.

 

[AriaDran]

Aria nodded and followed Owyn, waiting until he was seated until she would sit across from him, about a foot away. She kept her legs together, bent beneath her and a bit to the side. She stared at Owyn's faec as she spoke, then looked down to the ground to tink on his question.

"They're hard."

She looked back up at him and grinned impishly. letting out a soft giggle. She grew serious again after a few moments and answered his question again.

"Well, there's what they've been telling us our whole lives, which I believe is a guide on how to live our lives."

She cleared her throat, then recited the Code in a clear voice.

"Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force. I remember Masters saying them so often that they became mere words, like they were just a throw-away greeting."

She paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts.

"I do actually find them very hard, to be honest. I sometimes have trouble suppresing my emotions especially."

She looked down at the ground, suddenly feeling awkward at having talked so much.

 

[Sreeya]

Talzea observed them from afar. She occupied herself with the task of preparing them to leave on a mission. The Grandmaster wandered off for a moment, though she was well aware of everything going on with her padawans thanks to a powerful attunement to the Force. Talzea dug into the bag she had brought with her to train Aria. Several small training sabers were contained within the bag, along with the hilt of a shoto saber. She knew Aria was not ready for combat just yet. She needed to get a firm grasp on the Force, something that wouldn't take her long.

Talzea glanced up every now and then to see what her pupils were doing. She finally sat down on the grass as well, remaining silent for now. It was curious to see that Owyn had jumped right up to the task instead of shying away. Most padawans shrank back at the thought of having to take up the role of a teacher when they were students themselves. It was a positive quality she made sure to note.

 

[Raif]

Owyn nodded repeatedly as Aria recited not only the Code, but her feelings on the code.

"You have hit on several points which I had trouble with during my own training."

Before he began speaking again, he gestured with his hands towards the forests surrounding them.

"I understand it is difficult to 'suppress' your emotions, as you say. My advice would be not to suppress them, but rather to realize what place they hold in your life. Look around you right now. You are surrounded by life. The trees, the grass, the animals that inhabit them...they are driven by passions and emotions. Passions to protect themselves, and their family, and to further their own biological mission. Passions, in and of themselves, are not harmful. It is when a person focuses solely on their passions when things get out of balance. I find it best to always think back to nature, and the creatures that live in harmony with nature, and allow them to guide you on your way.

As Owyn spoke, he gestured towards the nearby trees and a small bird flew down and landed on his outstretched hand. He gently petted the small birds head, before it flew back toward its home in the trees.

"Some Jedi strive their whole lives to understanding the meaning of the Code. I believe the true meaning of the code is staring us in the face every time we step outside. These seemingly 'insignificant' creatures have survived for thousands of years without our interference. Maybe it would be good if we learned something from them, wouldn't you say?

 

[AriaDran]

Aria didn't look up at Owyn as he talked, but she did listen intently. She would also look up to the bird as it fluttered down to land on his finger, then briefly to his face as it flew away before looking back down at the ground. She smiled as he finished.

"You're very wise."

She spoke softly, cheeks turning a slight shade of pink as she said the words. She hoped he didn't take them the wrong way. Her hand reached down and slid slowly through the grass.

"I... will meditate on this later, when I have time. I would like to think more about it, and get my thoughts in order before I say anything... if that's alright, Master?"

She shifted her head, eyes raising to look at Talzea as she asked, her hand fidgeting nervously in the grass. She wasn't used to being open with her thoughts, especially not with people she had just met.

 

[Sreeya]

Talzea smiled and nodded back at Aria.

"You have done more than enough for today. For the rest of the day, I would like you to think about the tenets and fully understand them."

She turned to Owyn, rising to stand.

"You have an interesting view on things, padawan. While I agree with what you have said, I hope you understand that it will take a lot of hard work to maintain that outlook without being governed by emotions. The dark side is strangely alluring, and even the best of the best have fallen victim to its seduction. Remain vigilant, and you will prevail."

Talzea knew that both suppressing emotions and letting them run rampant were paths to the dark side. One had to find the balance to find inner peace, yet rise to the occasion when the galaxy needed warriors. She finally turned to them both.

"That's enough for today. We will meet again tomorrow."

 

[Raif]

Owyn nodded his head as Talzea spoke. He was confident that he could succesfully stride the narrow path between light and dark, yet not so confident that he refused to acknowledge the threat that constantly existed for himself and other padawans in his positions.

He glanced towards Aria before he responded to his new Master, waiting to see what she would say.

 

[AriaDran]

Aria smiled, then rose and bowed towards Talzea.

"I will, Master. Thank you for the training."

She would look towards Owyn again, seeing that he was quiet and seemed to be waiting for... something. She smiled at him, feeling a bit awkward again, then raised a hand to wave before turning to walk back to the side of the river. She stood quietly by the side of it and looked down at her reflection, thinking about the tenets and what they meant to her.

 

[Sreeya]

--Next Day--​

Talzea had arrived purposely earlier than her padawans. She had been meditating in a different training room, her mind free of all thoughts. This had been a routine she had practiced since she was a youngling. The simple action made her highly alert throughout the rest of the day. In many cases, it even saved her life. She had left a note for both Owyn and Aria, telling them to meet her in the dueling room. The theoretical aspects of Aria's learning had been covered, and it was time for her to see the combat side of it.

The Grandmaster had gathered training sabers for both Aria and Owyn. She would slow things down so Aria could catch up. Talzea strode into the middle of the room, sitting down at the center in a meditative position. Her eyes were closed and she allowed her Force signature to project like a beacon to help them find her easily.

 

[Raif]

Owyn woke up bright and early after a restful sleep the night before. After their training had been completed, he and Tikk had explored the wilderness nearby, eventually finding a boulder-strewn rise that gave him an amazing view of the Enclave and the surrounding land. He had spent several hours meditating on that spot, allowing the beauty of nature to inspire him and give him something to think about.

Now, after a quick (and bland) breakfast, he momentarily contemplated returning to "his" spot for another meditation, but decided against it. Today was his first full day of training with his new Master, and he didn't want to be late. With Talzea's note in hand, Owyn soon found his way to the dueling room.

It appeared he had arrived before Aria. As Tikk ran off to investigate the rafters of the new room they were in, Owyn quietly walked towards Talzea. Not wishing to disturb her, he stopped about 10 meters from her. He thought about sending another force nudge like he had the day before, but then realized that he was looking at one of the most powerful force users in the galaxy-- she undoubtedly had felt his presence before he entered the room. Instead, he bowed before greeting her.

"Good morning, Master. What would you have me do this morning?"

 

[AriaDran]

Aaria arrived a few moments after Owyn, but after he was already in the room. She paused at the doorway as she heard him speak, her eyes drawn to Talzea for a moment before she walked in herself. She looked up to the rafters as she heard the odd little monkey scampering around and let out a soft giggle at its antics.

She would move to stand beside Owyn, but a few feet away, and also would bow. "Good morning, Master." She would look to Owyn then and curtesy. "And to you, Owyn."

She returned to looking around the room, studying and memorizing the layout as she waited quietly to be addressed.

 

[Sreeya]

Talzea looked up as soon as Owyn entered. She rose to her feet, nodding back in greeting. She did not answer him immediately, her senses in the Force telling her that Aria was arriving. She walked in a moment later. Talzea strode over to the center of the room.

"Good morning to you both. Today we will be going over some basic combat."

She brought up two training sabers, tossing them into the air. They gently flew over to Owyn and Aria respectively.

"Owyn, once again, I'm sure you have gone over this. However, I want Aria to be introduced to the basics of lightsaber combat. I don't want to waste time talking about it."

Talzea called two training sabers to her own hands. She turned to them both, smiling.

"Attack me. Both of you."

 

[Raif]

Owyn grabbed the training saber out of the air as Talzea floated it towards him. He had to suppress a grin as he realized they were about to spar. The ironic thing was that when he first began training with Shingen, he had not given much thought to lightsaber combat; his focus had been more on the powers of the Force. After a while, though, he realized that not only was he better at combat than he originally thought, but he enjoyed the sparring as well. The rush delivered by combat somehow seemed to open him up more to the Force. This light-hearted approach was only directed at training, however; in the back of his mind he was aware that real combat would be far from enjoyable, but as a Jedi it had to be something he could not only deal with but accel at.

At Talzea's command to attack, Owyn immediately thumbed the training saber to life and saw the green blade spring to life. Without a word, he rushed at his Master while focusing his thoughts on Aria. He tried to picture a noose tightening, and pushed that image towards his fellow padawan. While he lacked the skill to telepathically communicate like some of the older Jedi, Owyn hoped the mental image would be enough to get across the message; he wanted to distract Talzea so Aria could flank her and attack from the side or behind.

As he came within striking distance of Talzea, he suddenly stopped his forward momentum and juked to his left, quickly rolling and coming up on Talzea's right. At the same time, he put as much effort as possible into a Force grab at his Master's feet, hoping to trip her or at least unbalance her.

 

[AriaDran]

Aria gingerly grabbed the saber from the air, then brought it close to herself and looked down at it. She studied it for a few moments before looking back up at Talzea. Attack her? This probably wasn't going to end well. She nervously flicked her blade on a few moments after Owyn, hers also glowing green.

She looked away from it as a mental image of a noose pressed into her thoughts and saw that Owyn had already started his attack and was nearly at their Master already. She recognised that the mental image had come from him, but didn't really understand what it meant. He dove to the left, leaving her a clear shot at Talzea. With a shrug, she decided that Owyn meant the noose to mean go for the neck.

She charged straight forward, her sabre held out and mostly to her right in just that hand. As she neared striking distance she slowed considerably, bringing the blade diagonally up from right to left, aimed to strike at the Grandmaster's neck.

 

[Sreeya]

Talzea grinned as she realized that Owyn was already willing to cooperate with Aria on this. Most padawans attempted to show off around one another instead of working together. As Owyn made his approach, her calculating eyes observed his motions. She noted that Aria had begun her dash a moment after Owyn, allowing her time to block his action and use it against him. As he came in from her right, she felt the Force tugging at her feet. To his surprise, she went with the motion. Talzea fell forward, launching into the air. Her saber swung out to meet his perpendicularly. She used the momentum to flip into the air, right above his head to land behind him. This was time right as Aria was coming in with her diagonal attack. As Talzea landed, she applied a powerful pull on Aria, her attacking coming in towards Owyn instead. It was a trick, but one that would teach them to work well together.

 

[Raif]

Well...that wasn't at all what Owyn expected. Not only had his force tug not worked the way he had intended it to, it actually seemed to aid Talzea. Owyn was quickly finding out the hard way that in battle, 'expecting the unexpected' is the rule. If he and Aria hoped to stand any chance, they would have to think outside the box.

This thought flew through his mind in the blink of an eye, but in that time their Master had acrobatically somersaulted over Owyn and somehow managed to direct Aria's attack at him. Owyn was able to barely bring his saber up in time to deflect Aria's blade, but thanks to Talzea's force tug his fellow padawan still managed to hurtle bodily into him.

And like that, Owyn was strewn on the ground, his eyes flickering as his head bounced heavily against the floor of the training room. His training saber deactivated as it fell from his hand.

~~~~

While this was all going on, Tikk had not been sitting idly by. Thanks to his strong connection through the Force with Owyn, the small primate had been busily scampering too and fro along the rafters of the training room...

 

[AriaDran]

Aria gasped as she was tugged and her blade almost took Owyn's head from its shoulders - she sighed as he deflected it, but wasn't able to stop herself from slamming into him. She landed on top of him, a quick glance showing her that he seemed to be unconscious or at least out of the fight. She rolled off him quickly and turned to face Talzea, her saber held up defenseively in front of her.

The two of them hadn't been able to even come close to touching the Grandmaster, and she knew for a fact that Owyn was better with a saber then she was. This was certainly going to end well. The Grandmaster was also clearly extremely agile - she figured her only chance of doing anything at all would come if she could get in close and try to limit that agility. She'd still lose pretty quickly, but maybe less spectacularly.

She charged forward with that thought, slashing with her saber as soon as she was in range. She ducked her shoulder to the right, then angled to her left instead and continued charging, attempting to fake out the Grandmaster and get in close.

 

[Sreeya]

Talzea effortlessly twirled the saber in her hand, striding around casually behind Owyn as he fell to the ground. Her eyes were on Aria, though she spoke to Owyn.

"Don't ever leave your back open. I could have sliced at you from behind."

He fell to the ground shortly after, leaving Talzea with one opponent. The Danthiri took a few steps back out of range of Owyn, not moving a muscle as the female padawan made a dash at her. Her eyes flickered to her motion as she leaned to the right. Still, the Grandmaster did not move. At the last second, Aria swung her saber to her left. Talzea, with the reflexes of a cat, jutted her saber upwards, catching Aria's saber from below and swiped it in a slight arc. As she did so, the Grandmaster pivoted around Aria's right flank, on her toe with the grace of a dancer. Her saber trailed along behind her, aimed to neatly slice along Aria's right flank while her padawan's saber would be raised. The fact that Talzea's saber had been underneath hers allowed Talzea to hold Aria's saber at bay, leaving her open. The Grandmaster would end up diagonally facing Aria's right side, slightly behind her. Meanwhile, she was still paying attention to Owyn, knowing there was more to him than he let on.

 

[Raif]

Owyn did not have what one could describe as a 'cookie cutter' childhood. While most kids had been learning long division and figuring out what cooties were, Owyn had been stranded. In the jungle. For six years.

Borleais still brought an occasional nightmare to Owyn's sleeping subconscious, and as he lay on the floor of the training room, his mind once again traveled back to the jungle. However, it was no nightmare he was currently having, as he was far from asleep. No, the memory brought to mind now was of a lesson learned...almost the hard way.

You see, the jungles of Borleais held many strange and interesting creatures. One in particular looked like nothing more than a small, harmless rodent. This rodent- - which Owyn had long ago dubbed the Razorfang-- would lay on the floor of the jungle, whimpering piteously, until some large predator came upon it and decided to have a snack. Unbeknownst to this predator, however, the Razorfang never traveled far from a highly venomous but small viper. The viper would then bite the predator, the predator would die, and the razorfang would get to work eating the carcass while conveniently leaving aside hunks of meat small enough for the tiny viper to ingest.

The reason for this mental zoology lesson became apparent as the shriek of wrenching metal pierced the training room. Tikk, despite his small size, had freakishly powerful hand muscles, and he had been busy unscrewing the supports for one of the large hanging light fixtures in the chamber.

As the last support came loose, Owyn's eyes snapped open and he reached out towards the light, grabbing it with the Force and hurtling it towards Talzea.

Hopefully this would be unexpected enough.

 

[AriaDran]

Aria was pretty sure this counted as failing spectacularly. Not only had she not even gotten close to the Grandmaster again, but she had also let out an extremely girlish squeel of pain as Talzea's lightsaber had slashed into her flank. The movement was so fast that she wasn't even sure how it happened - all she knew was that she had then proceeded to fall to the floor, where she still was, and had barely managed to spin enough so as to not land on her injured flank.

She distantly heard the screeching of metal, but ignored it for now. She thought back to the lesson from yesterday, her hand moving down to gingerly hold over her injured flank. She closed her eyes and concentrated on shutting out the pain and the noise and willed the Force to heal her flank. She was glad it was a duel - in a real fight, she'd be dead if she tried this. As it was, she hoped it would just be assume she was out of the fight and that Talzea wouldn't kick her in the face or anything while she concentrated.