Ask Yavin IV A Lesson In Humility

[Asena Zeev]

Temple Training Grounds
​

Today was the day! No meditating. No lectures. Just good ol' practical training and with a bit of luck, there may even be a bit of dueling. Practice sabers only though, but still it was better than nothing. Asena could hardly contain herself, given the special occasion; young knights, and even mature padawans, were attending today's event. They had been invited to oversee the training day and watch as the next generation of Jedi displayed and exercised their potential. Some of those attending would even be encouraged to participate as well, offering up their own knowledge and expertise. Times like these truly helped to affirm the Order.

As expected, many of the youngsters flocked to the attending Jedi, swarming them in earnest. They asked question after question, seeking guidance and advice.

Asena wasn't one of them. Instead, she was more interested in a starting game of push feather; it was a kind of sport, created by the Jedi for the purpose of developing the Force sensitivities in young students. The idea of the game was for a student to telekinetically push their opponent with the Force and redirect their opponent until one party lost balance. Meant to attune a padawan to the slightest changes in balance and pressure, it also taught students that it was often better to use an opponent's own energy against him or her rather than blocking the opponent's energy with greater energy.

Wasting no time, Asena scrambled to position herself atop a scattering of pillars alongside others of similar ability. Younglings would have their own game but, for safety, it was restricted to ground level only. Perched in her ready position, Asena began sizing up the opposition. There was a twi'lek, two zabraks, as well as a human. Similar in age, all seemed to be on equal footing.

"Remember, padawans. It's not about power, it's about skill." A Cathar instructor was there just as an overseer; he wouldn't interfere unless needed. "Begin!"

The human was first to strike, sending a moderate push towards the Twi'lek positioned opposite him. She staggered a little, nervous but remained balanced enough to send her own shove at Asena. Offering little more than a toothy grin, the Nautolan made an unexpected move; she struck out at two. Contorting the Force, she split it, sending both the human and twi'lek stumbling back. She had amplified the amount of energy previously used; after all, a simple game of back and forth was too boring!

Try as they might, the two padawans were unable to correct their balance; both ultimately fell from the pillars, landing on the ground below rather embarrassingly. Certain they weren't hurt, the Cathar instructor seemed less than pleased, "Padawan Zeev! What did I just say?"

"Skill is all well and good, master, but you gotta admit, power certainly has its advantages." With one last chortle, the Nautolan turned, ready to face her remaining rivals.

They were (rightfully) wary and, with a shared glance, decided to strike as a team. Asena seemed to expect this as she dodged out of their line of striking, jumping onto one of the vacated pillars. Deciding to change tactics, the aquatic adolescent swiped low, using the Force to completely pull at the legs of the one closest to her. As expected, he toppled back, his failing arms snagging onto that of his partner. The pair fell and, much to Asena's glee, she remained the last one standing.

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

When Hailee woke up this morning, she knew that this day would bring some very welcome changes of the daily routine with her usual training with Pêro. Not that she didn't enjoy her private sessions with her master - no she had actually grown very fond of them and of her master - but she still thought that escaping their usual routine would be nice. Also, she would enjoy socializing with the other Padawans and Knights and so her mood was generally good today, even if she knew that she was supposed to be the one ensuring the young Padawans' safety. Actually, she was even a little proud, because the Order entrusted her with something like that. Supervising was no easy job, and she was confident to do her best.

When Hailee arrived at the temple's training grounds, she was one of the first ones to arrive. Together with some Knights, she arranged the different games and challenges, prepared the training sabers and moved around obstacles for practical skill training, before the first Padawans arrived. It didn't take long until the event was in full swing and Hailee had her hands full with work. She paced around from one station to the next, cautioning boisterous participants or offering her help and advice when needed, but after some time, an interesting game of push feathers caught her attention. At first, she was still busy instructing two Padawan about some basic duelling skills, while she suddenly overheard yet another cocky Padawan talking back to a master.

She immediately turned her head, giving the two duellers a short, but rather soft "I'll be right back. You can start if you want" before she started to stride into the direction of the Nautolan girl. The warm smile that had graced her lips until now vanished immediately and her face took on a sterner fassade. "Young Padawan, you are not in the position to argue with a master. We do not tolerate arrogance" she warned her in a sharp tone. Hailee wasn't there to scold the youth, but this Nautolan seemed to start overstepping certain borders with her over-confident demeanor.

@HoneyMagpie

 

[Asena Zeev]

Feeling rather smug, Asena quickly looked for another trial. The obstacle course, perhaps? A young Wookie currently held the position for the best time; it might take her a try or two, but chances are Asena could beat it. Ever the competitive type, snatching this first victory (hopefully one of many) had given the Nautolan a taste of triumph. She wanted more. Pushing the limits, chasing those thrills; it was all part of the fun.

Shame though how others didn't exactly see eye to eye Like this random human.

Unbothered, Asena didn't even try to hide the rolling of her eyes. Instead, she gave a scoff, gnashing her teeth together in the process as if it were a smirk. "Tch. You know, it's only arrogance if you're wrong, and well..." She glanced down at those below, letting the silence speak for itself.

She was the last one standing. "It's funny though...I don't remember asking for your opinion."

The Cathar instructor, not one to tolerate rudeness, was quick to speak. This wasn't the first time a reminder of manners was needed. "Padawan, you show some respect. She is your equal."

"Ha!" Asena was going to bite her tongue but a passing glance was all she really needed. Apparently, the Nautolan was less than impressed. "Her? My equal?... Doubt it."

Humility. A virtue to some, especially to those devoted to the Order but to someone like Asena, it made no sense. Success in a hunt was always a cause for celebration. Why did the Jedi insist otherwise? Where was their sense of pride? The Force was at their fingertips, it was their weapon in defense of the galaxy. Fortune favored the bold, not the humble. The Jedi of old were honored for their feats - did anyone ever try to humble them? Blood unlikely! How ridiculous.

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

Unbelievable. Hailee swallowed the trace of rage that slowly started to boil up because this Padawan was not only rude and arrogant, but seemingly also outrageously audacious. She did neither respect the Cathar master, nor the ancient Code of the Order. She demonstrated hints of behavior that was not fit for the Jedi Order and Hailee seriously wondered why no one reprimanded her appropriately.

Hailee knew that it wasn't actually her task to scold her, but this cocky Padawan had pushed her buttons. However, Hailee also knew that she had to be the mature one in this delicate matter. She was not only older than the young Nautolan, she was also more experienced and balanced, which was also a little ironic because something inside this Nautolan reminded her strongly of herself. Hailee had also had some issues with flaming emotions, but as far as she was concerned, she had never been that arrogant or rude, in contrast to her.

Her fiery gaze still lingered on the Padawan in front of her, fully ignoring her challenging answer. She was not going to give her the satisfaction of replying to that. It almost sounded as though this was exactly what she wanted: To provoke. Instead, Hailee breathed through, just like her master had always told her. "Apologize to the master. You were taught to show more humility. We do not accept such behavior and you should rather deny yourself such sharp answers and empty threats" she replied calmly, even though it had actually costed her a fortune to remain that calm. She did feel a little proud of herself for managing to keep herself together so well. That was exactly what she had already learned here. Back on Corellia, the Nautolan girl would have already found herself on the ground.

@HoneyMagpie

 

[Asena Zeev]

Asena could practically feel the human's vexation, it ran so deep. The knowledge of this was enough to make the younger padawan feel rather puckish. It was like that time she teased one of her older cousins. She was half tempted to continue her taunting but one look at the Cathar made her think otherwise. This particular instructor was familiar with Asena's antics, tolerating them for the most part but she was fast toeing the line. Patient as he was, even he had limits but the young huntress seemed unwilling to yield.

If anything, she bristled. "Apologise?" Just the idea made her baulk but the Nautolan quickly masked this with a bout of laughter, going so far as to twirl one of her head tendrils like it were a lock of hair. "Why don't you make me, princess?"

The more she pushed the matter, the further Asena would dig in and resist. 'My equal, huh?' The thought alone made her frown.

None had yet compared to her. In duelling, she was swift, and in the Force, she was strong. There wasn't a challenge yet she hadn't bested. Now, Asena wasn't perfect, even she knew that but everything she had, she worked hard for. She'd train to the point of exhaustion and would practice a drill again and again till it was right. Why not be proud of such endeavours? It wasn't natural talent she was boasting about, it was a skill. Hard, well-earned skill. Why should she now belittle herself with humility, and treat it as if it were nothing?

Perhaps the Jedi had it all wrong. If only they were less humble, then their enemies would think twice...

As if proving a point, Asena reached out through the Force. Nearby objects began to rise, floating into the air before reaching a safe height. There, they began to swirl and circle, the vortex expanding further and further as Asena added yet more fodder. It seemed she was putting on a bit of a demonstration.

"Tell me, not so young padawan..." Speaking with a smile, she then gestured to the swarm above, "Why be humble, when you could be great?"

Pushing herself further, the Nautolan added yet more weight, opting for rocks and boulders. They wavered at first, the combined load causing the Asena some strain (yet still), she continued, feeling the Force was hers to command. Others in the area had started to notice the commotion; some were in awe but those with more experience were all too wary. It was a sloppy display, lacking control and refinement. The more Asena tried to show off, the more she began to struggle.

Fearing for her, and others, the Cathar moved to end such nonsense. "Asena, enough!"

@LadyRen

 

[Hailee Lightwood]

The blonde woman contemplated whether she should simply walk away and leave the Nautolan girl to herself, as she would sooner or later get punished anyway. Hailee could feel her frustration grow and she knew that this was wrong. The younger padawan was still seemingly wanting to provoke her and her stupid little games wouldn't lead to anything at all, so why wouldn't Hailee just lean back and enjoy the show?

The problem was, however, that she couldn't let it rest so easily. Since Hailee had been abandoned by her parents, no one had really looked out for her. No one had ever cautioned her when she was overstepping borders and she had to learn it all the hard way. Maybe that was exactly the reason for her to feel obliged to scold the taller yet younger girl. She wanted to help her avoid committing the same mistakes she did when she was her age and additionally, the Nautolan had woken her own fiery temper.

If the Nautolan would have behaved the exact same way on Corellia, the bosses would have immediately dealt with her. Good for her that she was living with the Jedi, who were known for their forgiving, patient manner....However, that was even more the reason for the padawans to respect the higher-ranked Jedis and humility was clearly something the girl still had to learn.

Hailee opened her mouth to hiss another, this time feisty warning in the direction of the girl once she had used the term 'princess', but she closed it as soon as she could feel the Nautolan reach out through the Force. That was not good at all. She knew exactly what she was trying to do: Now she had to show off her skills and prove that she was quite capable with the Force, but before she even started to struggle, Hailee could already sense that her audacious arrogance would cause harm not only to herself, but also to the uninvolved surrounding them.

While the Cathar instructor intervened with his voice alone for now, Hailee decided that the matter was even more pressing and dangerous. With outstretched hands, the blonde padawan interfered by using the Force to bring the vortex under her control first, before she slowly decelerated the movement of the objects. In one last swirl, she brought them all back to the ground in a spirally movement, carefully avoiding all of the bystanders. She tried to swallow the rage that was starting to boil up, but she could feel its effect through the pounding heart in her chest.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" she hollered slightly furious, contemplating whether she had thought at all. "You almost hurt someone! Not even just yourself, but also the others! Letting some rocks uncontrollably zoom through the air is not proving anything!" she added loudly, however forcing herself to calm down. While cockiness was definitely dangerous, so was rage. Hailee actually knew it better. She knew that her master Pêro would had been able to stay completely calm in such a situation, but this impudent Nautolan had pushed her luck too far. Maybe her displayed lack of control and skill had taught her the much needed lesson on humility now, but Hailee wasn't sure whether this incident would actually have it sustainable effects.

@HoneyMagpie