Aarin Korre's Training (Tían Velvar, master)

[Cyril Khan]

The sun began to enter through the training room windows as the day of first training began. Tían sat within the room in a solum meditation stance. It was the typical meeting so far; the other masters told their students to meet at sunrise. This master, however, intended to begin training at sunrise. His new students never arrived on time; it seemed no one warned them about Velvar's stingy rules. It didn't matter, they'd know them in due time.

Tían rested with his eyes closed; however, he could sense everything in the room perfectly. His Force connection was intensified in his state; he normally had a strong communion with it, but now he was stronger than he normally would be. While he sat completely motionless, he was waiting for his new student. He had yet to arrive. It was most likely that he had not been told about this master's strict arrival deadline. This time he wasn't planning a specific comment for the youth; it was tiring to have his students late. In his state he did not keep track of time well; however, he could feel the sun on his back, and he knew this apprentice was tardy. He'd be sure to clarify his rules once the student would arrive.

 

[D-Despario]

Aarin Korre yawned as he trudged through the halls of the Temple. He was late, sunrise had been almost forty minutes ago. Aarin normally slept in until the last possible second, then rushed to class only to continue dozing while listening to the teacher drone on about galactic history. That had been his routine as an apprentice though. As a new Padawan he was expected follow his new master’s wishes, and that could prove troublesome. In a classroom setting, he was easily able to get away with pretty much anything he wanted... within reason of course. In a one-on-one setting, he would have to actually pay attention to his teacher, that would seriously cut into his sleep and daydreaming.

He continued on, certain of his knowledge of this area of the Temple’s floor plan. Though an extremely lazy person, he had forced himself to learn certain areas of the Temple so he could get from class to class quickly. This knowledge came in handy in the early morning, as he was taking the simplest route to get to the training room where his new master was waiting. Though he was late already, he paced himself. He knew from experience that an entrance and first impression usually made a big difference. If he rushed in, out of breath and sweating, the master may be displeased. If he was too late, then the master would almost certainly be upset. He had thought it through already, and planned to enter as calmly and early as possible without having to run.

Five minutes later, Aarin reached the door to the training room. The door was closed.
“Hmmm... perhaps he already is testing me in some way...” he thought, touching the cool metal of the door. Aarin raised his hand to knock on its surface.

 

[Cyril Khan]

It was a while before a presence was sensed at the front of the door. Velvar wasn't exactly sure how late his student was, but he knew it was way past sunrise. This new trainee was late even for the lest stingy masters. This was something that the master was not going to put up with. No sarcasm reply was going to be made quite yet. Instead, a punishment fit for the student would be the response. "Enter." The teacher spoke through the Force. "The door is open."

As soon as the other was inside, Velvar quickly gave him a next set of orders. "Sit." The master did not move any muscle; he only moved the ones necessary for speech. He did not indicate a spot within the room, but it he seemed to intend the location a few feet before him. "Meditate." These simple orders were spoken in complete seriousness. They were intended to teach a lesson; if his student made him wait, he would have his training delayed as well. As a final note, he added a further punishment. "You will arrive here an hour earlier each day to join me in meditation" His tone implied that even worse punishment would follow if he failed to comply.

 

[D-Despario]

“Enter.”
Aarin was startled by the sudden command from his as yet unseen new master. He quickly composed himself, then eased the door open and stepped in as quietly as he could manage.

His master was sitting in a meditation pose a few feet away. He seemed tranquil, but Aarin knew from first-hand experience that Masters were good at hiding their emotions.

“Sit.”
Again, the command was brusque and simple. Aarin was compelled to obey him, and he quickly sat several feet away from his teacher. He felt a slight squirming in his tunic and he quickly sent a quieting thought to his small pet.
“Shadow, be still,” he soothed. The tiny feline looked up at him from within his outer tunic, then curled up and went back to sleep

“Meditate.”
Now this, Aarin could manage. He enjoyed meditation because it was an excuse to sit in one place for hours and do absolutely nothing. He was about to close his eyes to begin his meditation when his mysterious new master spoke again.

"You will arrive here an hour earlier each day to join me in meditation"
Aarin smiled carefully. On one note, he was not looking forward to rising early. But on the other hand, he didn’t really mind meditation.

“An hour earlier? Sounds like more fun than a ton of Kowakian monkey-lizards.” he said cheerfully.

 

[Cyril Khan]

The training room did not become quiet after Aarin’s comment. Instead, Tían lashed out with a sharp order. “Silence!” His voice echoed within the small quarters. After the quick outburst, the master took in a single deep breath. This pupil was going to be more difficult that he had been originally told. It didn’t matter; this Jedi knew how to maintain discipline. “Concentrate.” Once again he said nothing more. There was no doubt that more trouble would ensue, however. The Force gave away the intentions of the student.

 

[D-Despario]

Aarin gulped as his teacher shouted for him to be silent. He realized that he should have been more respectful, especially to a Jedi Master that was on the Council. He didn’t know much about Tían Velvar, but he knew when he needed to pay attention and be submissive. And this was definitely the time to practice respect.

“I’m... sorry Master,” Aarin said, bowing his head respectfully. He closed his eyes and cleared his mind to meditate. The Force trickled into his consciousness as he opened up to it. Hopefully, master Tían would forgive his transgression so the training could begin.

 

[Cyril Khan]

"Talking is not concentrating." Velvar spoke angrily at the student. He did not enjoy it when his students blatantly arrived late to training. "Focus on the Force; feel how it encompasses the world; listen to what it tells you. Meditation is more than just connecting with the Force. If you let it, it will teach you more than I ever could." The master remained silent for a few seconds. "And no sleeping!" The Jedi returned to his silence and did not move for the time he had stated. As soon as the time of punishment was over, he spoke once more. "Now, tell me what you have learned." Had the student failed to comply with his request, this test would be met with failure.

 

[D-Despario]

Aarin quieted his mind and opened himself to the Force. At first, all he could think about was how much he wanted to just go to sleep. But he forced himself to ignore that desire. He had not eaten, but he made himself ignore that too. As he sat there, he began to feel the life in the room; Tían a calm steady blur of light, Shadow, a small faint aura. They were blurry, but he could still see them.

He vaguely heard Master Velvar speak to him, and he came out of the meditation.
"I... saw you, but with my eyes closed. You looked like a bright light." Aarin replied as he opened his eyes.

 

[Cyril Khan]

Master Velvar did not move as the student said this. What the youth had experienced was simple Force sight. However, the master did not explain what had occurred. Instead he continued on with the training. He had other things to cover before he actually taught any powers. "Tell me your understanding of the Eight Tenets." The task was simple if the student had paid attention in class as a youngling.

 

[D-Despario]

Aarin closed his eyes again to concentrate on remembering the eight tenents and what they meant to him.
“The Jedi protect the peace and order with their loyalty to the Republic,” he began.
"However, in times of conflict, members of the order are permitted to support the group they believe is following the correct path. These choices must be made carefully, as sometimes they will lead to conflict between members of the order itself.”

He continued after a brief pause to collect his thoughts.

“Jedi are not ‘droids. They are permitted to feel emotions, even love. However, such a strong emotion can easily cloud judgement and cause other emotions of a less rational nature. Such feelings of love are to be rationally and carefully considered, as love is a powerful commitment and bond. And while the Council will merely advise, their wisdom should be heeded in such matters.”

Aarin snuck a glance at his Master, to see his expression. But Master Velvar revealed none of his thoughts through his facial expression.

“A Jedi is called to respect life in all of its many forms, as life is an extension of the Force itself,” Aarin continued. “A Jedi must act to preserve the many, even if that action may cost him personally. He must be willing to risk life and limb to protect the weak and defend those who cannot defend themselves.”

Aarin paused again, this next tenet was tricky, especially considering his master was a member of the Council. He chose his next words as carefully as he could.

“Members of the order are not forcibly compelled to follow the Grand Master and Council. As Jedi, they must do what they believe is right.”

“Two more to go...” he thought.

“The Jedi Order does not discourage power and financial wealth and possessions, but a Jedi must be willing to sacrifice all of their material possessions for the good of others.”

“The most important of the tenets is the most simple yet it is the most important; be mindful of the Force,” Aarin concluded.

 

[Cyril Khan]

((Sorry for the wait))

"Indeed." Tían remained completely still in his meditation. He waited a few moments before continuing. The next question was rather simple and didn't take much effort to ask; however, the master saw no reason to rush since the student didn't hurry himself. "I assume you have been taught some Force powers, or have you been late and sleeping in all your classes as usual?" The blunt question implied he wanted to know the the student's current skills.

 

[D-Despario]

Aarin stifled a laugh. Master Tían did indeed have a sense of humor... or perhaps merely a refined sense of sarcasm. He was not offended by his master's bluntness, it didn't bother him that many members of the order thought him to be helpless and untrained. He would one day surprise them all with his knowledge. As a quiet person, Aarin was able to observe many happenings in the Temple without being told to move along or leave. His presence in the Force was tranquil and calm, thus causing few to think of him as anything significant through the Force. As a result, few noticed him when he wandered around.

"I have some knowledge of Force Sense," he began. "I also have a slight knowledge of telekinesis." He thought for a moment about adding that he also could communicate with animals, but it was somewhat of a secret of his. Aarin knew however that Master Tían was incredibly attuned to the Force. He probably knew this little fact about his apprentice already.

His thoughts momentarily turned to his sleeping kitten, Shadow. The creature was not his first pet, he had had another back on Corellia as a child. His parents had not sent it with him when they forced him into the Jedi Order. Shadow had been a stray before Aarin had found him and cared for him. The tiny creature had been suspicious of everyone else, but it was completely loyal to Aarin, as he was the only human it had ever understood.

Shadow stirred inside Aarin's tan and brown robes, but continued to sleep. Aarin glanced up at his master carefully, hoping that Tían hadn't noticed the creature's presence.

 

[Cyril Khan]

"Imagine what you would know if you weren't so lazy." Tían didn't hesitate on saying such comments to the student. He didn't find much amusement from the wisecracks; he wanted the youth to realize he expected pure discipline. "Yery well then: tell me how many people are outside this training room."

 

[D-Despario]

With his eyes once again closed, Aarin let the Force slowly flow into him. He could sense Master Tían, a bright light in the Force. Shadow was a small glow, like a tiny glowrod. He began pushing his sense in the Force beyond the training room where they sat. The Force began to swirl around him as he opened himself even deeper to its power. He began to gradually expand his sense to the surrounding area in proximity to the room.

There! Three faint glimmers in the Force on the very edges of his fledgling Force Sense. They were just beyond the door of the room. One seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere, and the other two were standing there talking about something or other.

"Are you referring to the entire galaxy of people that are outside of this room? Or merely the three that are currently outside the door?" Aarin said mischievously. He was, of course, merely teasing his rather grumpy Jedi master.

 

[Cyril Khan]

"Funny." Tían's voice did not lose a bit of seriousness in the least. It seemed as though the comment was not amusing to the Jedi. "There are three nearby, indeed." The master took a breath before adding an additional line. "Next time you joke like that, be prepared to give detail to all the beings outside this room. You might be finished by the time the galaxy ends."

"Telekinesis is an easy skill." Tían's tone did not differ from its original style. He remained as stern as he had always been. Without moving a muscle, he telepathically alerted the student to a datapad on the sole piece of furniture in the room. "Place that device on the table in front of me."

 

[D-Despario]

Aarin was a bit disconcerted by the telepathic alert from Tían, but he saw the datapad and knew that his master wanted himto move it. As the gruff Jedi master had clearly indicated, he was to use the power of Telekinesis to move the delicate device. He knew that some of the technique of telekinesis required him to visualize movement of the object when attempting to move it, but he had often had trouble moving objects bigger than a pebble or eating utensil. Still, this was why he was here.

He closed his eyes and drew on the Force, calling on it to surround the datapad in intangible energy. He visualized the datapad lifting smoothly from its resting place. He opened his eyes, the datapad was hovering shakily just above the place where it had been sitting. Aarin grinned and began to guide the datapad toward Master Tían. It shook and wobbled as it moved across the two meter or so distance, then it settled on the table in front of him.

 

[Cyril Khan]

"Almost good enough," the teacher said in a witty tone. Even though it was "not good enough," the teacher chose to move on anyway. There was no reason to slow down the training with useless talking or hesitation.

"Now we will practice a telepathic skill called Force Projection." Tían demonstrated with the next statement. It allows one to speak to another through the Force. With the Force, look at the person you seek.” He paused for a second; he didn’t want to overload him with information all at one time. “Now, focus as if you were to talk physically. Do not engage throat or mouth; instead of sending the message to those places, keep the idea in your mind. It is an odd feeling at first; it is no more than talking silently. The same energy is expelled, yet instead of sound waves, you send the thoughts through the Force.”

 

[D-Despario]

It was a little bit disconcerting for Aarin to hear voices in his head. He realized though that this power was actually similar to his empathy, He was able to communicate with animals, such as his kitten, using empathy to share feelings. Telepathy was just the sharing of thoughts through the Force.

Aarin concentrated, then he attempted to communicate with Master Tían.
"C- can you hear me?" he projected cautiously. At first, it seemed as if he were merely communicating empathically, but gradually he noticed the difference.
"This is stellar!" he projected. "What else can I do with Telepathy besides speak silently?"

 

[Cyril Khan]

"We will get there when the time is right." Tían spoke out loud in a stern voice. A minor tremor flowed gently through the Force as Force Hallucination was put into effect. A few moments later, the teacher stood up and moved towards the training room's entrance. The master said nothing and only walked through the temple's corridors. More would be taught when they arrived at their destination.

 

[D-Despario]

Aarin felt an unusual tremor through his budding telepathic senses. He made note of it, and then dismissed it for the moment, if it was important then he would find out eventually.

He stood to follow Master Tían, nearly tripping as he realized belatedly that his right foot had gone to sleep while he had been sitting there. He shook the feeling off as quickly as he could, and rushed to catch up to Tían. Strangely, the halls of the temple seemed slightly different, as if they had changed colors or structure. But that wasn't possible.
"Where are we going Master?" he asked.