Training the Child Of God (Jahk's training)

[Hanshin]

Cog leaned against the wall. No, Jahk leaned against the wall. He needed to stop thinking of himself with his old name, the one he despised. However, old habits are hard to break. He felt a little impatient, but managed to push those thoughts out of his mind while he let out a long exhale. He finished calibrating his voice, as it had been on the fritz and occasionally reverting to the childhood voice. "Jetii" he said. Instantly, he put his hand back on the device and twisted a knob a slight way. "Jedi" the device said in a monotone, yet adult, voice. Much better. It wouldn't be much longer now until his master arrived, he hoped.

 

[JM76]

Chester Ducere was running late. Deliberations, meetings, counseling sessions. Such was the life of a Jedi Master. Even during wartime, the Jedi saw very little of the true face of war, particularly those so high up in the hierarchical ladder. Dressed in rugged trousers and tattered, plain robes, the Human Jedi Master frantically made his way through the halls, approaching the location where he was to meet his next student. It was not often that the Jedi Master was informed to meet his students - they usually came to him - so this proved to be somewhat eventful.

A young, adolescent male of the Kallidahin species was not too far off from Chester's position. Standing against the wall, Chester watched his future pupil with interest. It was not often that Chester saw Kallidahin, and it was rarer for him to see a Force-sensitive one. Regardless, he supposed that it would be better to start their training immediately.

Clearing his throat, he approached the young student in earnest. He walked in a tipsy manner and he appeared a bit eccentric. Stuffing his hands in his pocket, he walked toward the Kallidahin. "Are ya... are ya Cog Starlite?" he asked. His accent was unrefined, thick, and sounded backwater. "'Cuz if ya're, I'm Chestah Duc're, your new master."

 

[Hanshin]

Jahk was a bit surprised by the thick accent of the Jedi, but managed a bow nonetheless. "Master" he said, and upon rising from the bow gave a flourish of his fingers, a sign of respect in his native language, which caused his gauntlets to clink together faintly. "It is an honor" He was excited, but kept his posture and eye movement calm. Looking at the humble way his Master dressed made him ashamed at how much he disliked the plain, heavy jedi garments he was wearing. Jahk suddenly realized that the Master had called him Cog. "Please call me Jahk" he said a little too earnestly. Once he was a Jedi, he decided, he'd legally change his name.

 

[JM76]

"As ya'wish, Jak. Now'r then, let's get started, shall we?" Chester spoke quickly and pointedly.

The Jedi Master motioned for the young Padawan to follow him through the halls of the Jedi Temple, where they would meet in one of the meditation chambers and begin their training. The halls were vast and their footsteps, along with the footsteps of other Jedi, echoed occasionally as the sound reverberated off the titanic, voluminous halls of the Temple itself.

The Jedi Master kept an ample pace, falling about every so often to appear as they he were intoxicated, and ensuring that he stayed far enough ahead to appear as if he was on an imaginary timetable and that he would be quite busy later. Truthfully, he did not have all that much to do. Today, anyway.

On this trek, he turned toward the Padawan. "So Jak, tell me about yerself. Yer history and the like."

 

[Hanshin]

"Well, er..." He disliked talking about his past, but it was obviously not up to him. "I grew up on Polis Massa, a small town. Wasn't really very nice, no one liked my family cause my dad was an idiot." He paused briefly, as the insult had slipped out unconsciously, but it was the truth. "People found out I had the potential to be a Jedi after a while, so I spent a lot of time on the enclave on Alderaan." He fiddled with the clasp on his gauntlet that kept it snug on his arm. "After a while, my dad found out I was force sensitive, and that my mother had passed it on to me, so he..." He blinked hard, pushing images of his mother's disfigured corpse out of his head. "...Well, he fled to Coruscant, and people started thinking that he was actually insane. But I knew better, it was him, and him alone that..." He stopped abruptly, not being able to voice the painful end to his sentence, due to the lump forming in his throat. "Anyway, now I'm here" he mustered up the strength to finish without being weak, and attempted to push his history away like he always had. "My apologies, Master. Thank you for asking" he didn't really like the question, but the fact that his Master was willing to ask those sort of questions was slightly comforting.

 

[JM76]

"'Course. I un'erstand. Aldeeran is a nice place. Lush plains, bubbling brooks, that purty stuff. I'd like to vis't sometime," the Jedi Master said. Although he seemed to be ignoring the more potent, and relevant, part of his Padawan's tale, he most assuredly was not. In fact, he was musing over the events in his mind, and wondered how best to discern the rest of his Padawan's history. It was always troublesome getting the reluctant ones to divulge their past entirely, but in the end, it made them stronger.

The Jedi Master approached one of the meditation rooms - large, circular chambers that were spacious, spartan, and had transparisteel windows that loomed over the Coruscanti skyline - and slid his keycard. The door itself was stubborn, though, and it took its idle time, slowing opening itself and creaking open, groaning as it did so.

While the stubborn door slowly forced itself open, Chester cleared his throat, seemingly casting off his backwater persona. The Jedi could no longer stand talking in such a manner, so he figured the charade had outlasted his usefulness. Whether his Padawan noticed or not would be his first test. "Jak, you alluded to your father's flight to Coruscant, this fair planet, did you not? Would you assume, dare I ask, that your father would still reside on this planet of ours?"

 

[Hanshin]

Cog shuffled his feet at the creaking sound of the door, it causing unusual discomfort, but he managed to cover the feeling up mostly. It was obvious that his Master was focusing on the more pleasant aspects of Cog's history, and he was grateful for that. However, once the Jedi cleared his throat and began talking differently, he was caught off guard. Why would he do such a thing, and what purpose would there be to make a pointless lie of that sort? He shook his head. Obviously there was a good reason, but unfortunately it would most likely not be divulged to him. So, he decided, he would answer the question that had been haunting him since he came here.

"I hope not, for if I found him, I would be compelled to go against every aspect of the Code." He figured that if he was honest, he might get past this. Lying would get him no farther than it ever had, and it wasn't in him to maintain such a huge fib for that long. However, truthfully, he had no idea what sort of crimes he would or even could do, but did not have high hopes for himself.

 

[JM76]

Chester entered the room, always keeping a third eye - one imbued with Force power - on his Padawan. He entered the room and spun around, shifting on one foot until he was facing the Kallidahin. He cast off his dirty cloak, revealing a cleaner - but still simple - robe of gray with white markings underneath.

"Understandable. However, we as Jedi must learn to rise above such things as revenge. It is a baser emotion, and one that must be subdued and kept in check whilst we serve the light. If your father is on Coruscant, then we must train until you can no longer violate our tenants," the Jedi Master mused.

"On that note, why don't we begin." Chester took a seat in the otherwise empty room. "Recite the Jedi Code and tell me the meaning of each individual tenant, if you please."

 

[Hanshin]

When the cloak was shed, Jahk felt like he was looking at a completely different person than when he had first seen his master. No longer was he a grungy, thickly accented, kind man. Now he was a stern, intelligent, well-groomed individual. At the master's request, Jahk opened his memory to the words that he had memorized time and time again, forgotten, and re-read, so that they were ingrained into his mind. He then sat down and began.

"Emotion, yet peace. No emotion is inherently bad or wrong in any way, and we recognize this, but as a Jedi you must learn to control your emotions. Your emotions can cloud your judgment and potentially cause you to make hasty decisions without properly thinking them through. You must transcend your emotions and come to a place of inner peace. This is my weakest point, and so I hope to improve on it under your teachings."

"Ignorance, yet knowledge. Everyone is ignorant in some way or another. It is the duty of the Jedi Order to continue to educate ourselves and each other. This process is never-ending, as no one has attained all the knowledge of the universe except those who are One with the Force. Remain vigilant and know that you are not all-knowing, there is still much to learn."

"Passion, yet serenity. Emotions, and especially those in circumstances of extreme stress, must be understood and checked, lest you risk losing yourself to them and becoming a tool of the dark side. Always act with a cool hand and an even temper. Uh... hang on... oh yeah. Observe each situation and act according to the will of the Force, and not to the will of your unbridled passion."

"Chaos, yet harmony. It is undeniable that sometimes things just go awry, or at least appear to. And while this is true, we Jedi understand that all events are interconnected and are simply part of life. Tragedies and failings are inevitable, it is how we deal with them that matters, and as a Jedi, you should take such things in stride. Without this knowledge, the rest of the tenets are meaningless."

"Death, yet the force. Death is a natural part of life. Jedi can be killed, and often are in times of war. However, death is not a tragedy, but a necessary part of the life cycle. Without death, life could not exist. They balance each other out. When we die, we are just passing into another realm of existence, that of the Force. I had trouble grasping this tenet until... well a few years ago."

 

[JM76]

"Very good. I am most pleased by your answers," the Jedi Master said. And he meant it. "Admitting your flaws, particularly in regards to our Code, is the first step toward vanquishing them."

The Jedi Master was still sitting, meditating, on his student's words. They rang true and made sense. Chester was already formulating plans to improve his Padawan's knowledge, wisdom, power, and self-control. For now, though, basic training would suffice.

"As my other students know, my training is rather non-linear. You may choose what you wish to learn first. Force powers, sword-combat, or other particulars. It matters not to me which you choose, for that interest is yours alone. I will adjust any such schedule I had as necessary. Additionally, I will answer any questions you may have before we begin."

 

[Hanshin]

Jahk nodded at his master's approval. He was pleased that he had been able to recite the entire code, as he had never recited it all at once, even to himself. Luckily, it had worked out, and so he allowed himself to feel pride in a flash of self-enjoyment, before he reverted to humbling himself.

Relieved at this new revelation, Jahk considered what he most wanted to study. The two that were mentioned seemed to be the most worthwhile physical activities, but he had no wish to learn how to use a Lightsaber. Since he had been accepted into the Jedi Order he had wished secretly to be a new kind of Jedi in the heart of combat, striking from the shadows without the hassle of a long-winded fight. Of course, he would remain traditional in every other aspect of his ways. For this ambition, he decided, he would need the Force to help conceal him from probing minds and unwelcome eyes. "Would it be possible to learn to manipulate the Force so that I can't be detected by others?" He wanted a lightsaber as well, but not the training that went with it, as one stab, one slash would be enough. He guessed being able to defend himself properly could be useful, but doubted he could be taught to properly use the gauntlet by anyone other than his...

 

[JM76]

"The path of the silent guardian appeals to you, does it? There are several skills that can aid you in this path, Padawan. There is physical invisibility, garnered from a skill known as Force cloak, which bends waves of light and sound. This requires some proficiency in altering the physical world. Another skill is based off of the manipulation of the mind - a powerful skill, it is - known as Force illusion. This creates holographic-like, realistic, images out of the Force itself, and it can be used to manipulate the mind of individuals so you too disappear," Chester dialoged. He remained seated while he did so, allowing his eyes to wander about until they eventually returned to his Padawan.

"Which would you prefer to learn?"

 

[Hanshin]

Jahk considered this. Force illusion might be more useful, however its success would depend on the strength of the mind he was manipulating, which meant that a strong-willed enemy was all that it took to ruin its effectiveness. Probably. Alternatively, Force cloak could make him truly invisible, but could not be used to create other illusions. However, since the method used the bending of light and sound, technically he could use it in other ways, such as a mirroring effect or a loud sound in the distance. Yes, that would be better. "I would like to learn the physical invisibility, please" He couldn't smile, but his eyes tilted up in a kind expression.

 

[JM76]

"Well, then Force cloak you shall learn. First, though, you must learn to channel the Force. Your efforts will be useless until you can successfully utilize your innate connection to the Force," the Jedi Master informed him.

Chester assumed a meditative stance before continuing. "The Jedi is subservient to the Force. During meditation, we enter a sacred and mysterious union with the Force itself. You must reach out, clear your mind of distractions, and allow the Force to flow through and in you. You and the Force are universally synchronized in this way, and we may begin further training once this synchronization is complete. Begin whenever you are able."

 

[Hanshin]

Jahk nodded, willing to learn what he had been wanting to learn for a while now. He folded his feet together, and draped his arms over his knees, letting his hands hang free. It would be slow progress, probably, so he calmed himself and listened to his master's teaching. Exhaling slowly, he relaxed his eyes, bringing them out of focus from everything and ignoring what they were telling his brain. He dropped everything his mind was working on, and concentrated on the design of his gauntlet. He focused his mind entirely on the object, and then let it go, giving his mind a free and blank canvas with which he could complete his goal. Then, breathing evenly and quietly, he opened himself to the flow of the Force. Hmmm, so this is what it was like- oh great a thought. His eyes came into focus and he almost groaned with frustration, blinking slowly and starting again.

 

[JM76]

"Good, good," Chester urged. The Padawan continued to feel the Force, although only in short intervals of time. "Continue practicing this, and then once you are able, try seeing what you can accomplish while you and the Force are one. Telepathy, telekinesis, Force sight... all are within the bounds of your knowledge."

Chester remained where he was, ensuring that the Padawan properly maintained his meditation.

"If you need any further instruction, I will guide you."

 

[Hanshin]

Jahk blinked long and let out a sigh, once again bringing his eyes out of focus and removing all thoughts from his mind, using the same image of his gauntlet. After relaxing and clearing his mind, he once again opened his being to the Force, allowing it to engulf him, or at least that's what it felt like. He reached out, and found a mind. For some reason this action didn't bring him out of his meditation. Perhaps he was doing it in a more calm, abstract manner. Hello? the mind recoiled unexpectedly, and then he realized it was a Spider-roach. Oh, its life would probably end badly because of that. He searched and found another mind which was hopefully his master, and tried again. Hello? His thoughts weren't bringing him out of this state any more. But they seemed distant, vague. It was as if someone was thinking the thoughts for him. Ah, just an illusion.

 

[JM76]

I hear you, Padawan. Good work.

Chester returned the mental prod sent by Jahk. He was doing well. The Jedi Master opened a small bag filled with items, mostly assorted trinkets and useless keepsakes from various, distant planetoids, and dumped them on the ground.

"Feel free to test your skills with telekinesis, now. It should not be too difficult. Try to lift as many as you can and test out your abilities as you feel able."

 

[Hanshin]

Jahk nodded, and concentrated on the items. He centered on one multicolored trinket that appeared to have no use at all, and reached out with the Force. He concentrated with difficulty, and eventually closed his eyes. The object moved. This encouraged him, and at his will it started to slowly lift off of the ground. Now knowing how it felt, he began to lift a few other objects off of the ground at random. After doing this he began to have more difficulty, and so he dropped them, feeling as if a weight had lifted off of his shoulders. He felt slightly confused, as he had not moved his limbs at all to direct the Force energy. Why did Jedi do so, then, if it wasn't needed? He decided he would probably find out without asking soon enough. Opening his eyes, he looked at his Master.

 

[JM76]

"Good work, Padawan," Chester said. "You seem puzzled. This is understandable. A Jedi utilizes the power of telekinesis with his mind. For many Jedi, it is more convenient to guide the objects with their hands. It is purely a matter of preference, although some philosophers and the like have argued that it is far easier, because the hands act as a conduit to and from the mind."

Chester waved his hand and lifted the rest of the trinkets with telekinesis, returning them to the bag they had come from. "Regardless, let us continue. Your next task will be to utilize the skill of Force Sight. It is a basic skill, and should prove ever useful. Instead of using your eyes to see, you see through the Force. It is a practical skill, and would be particularly useful for those who sneak about in the shadows."