How High

[Zay]

Kothis
R-14
Plateau of 1000 Islands​

The tropical island of Kothis was becoming the perfect go between point for Kaythous as he trained padawans and took on missions. Today he was excited to be showing a pair of padawans how to move through the force. He'd posted the lesson as a simple force jump class but looking at the landscape from his perch top a jetty the knight knew there was more to be learned than he'd originally thought.

Jumping off the jagged rock he grabbed the branch of a tree and catapulted his momentum forward with a swing of his legs. He released the branch as the pendulum that was his lower half reached the appropriate angle. Tucking his legs up into his chest he flipped backward twice landing on his feet with a nonchalance that would have astounded any normal being.

Kaythous loved free running. It was the only time he actually felt at peace. Sprinting through the ever changing landscape or the tropical planet the knight jumped, slid, flipped and dove over and under various rock, tree limbs and puddles. By the time he reached the meeting location Kaythous was covered in a sheen of sweat and mud. A smile was spread across his face and he welcomed both of the learners.

"Hey, I'm Kaythous. I'll be your instructor today. I hope you've streached. We're gonna start today off with a little test." His smile settled into a mischievous grin as he looked between the two padawans. "Before that though, what are your names?" He looked back and forth between the pair excitedly. Out of all the classes he'd taught, this one was the one he was the most excited for.

 

[Mesa]

Kothlis was beautiful; for miles the ocean, glistening with radiance as the sun beamed upon it, stretched, interrupted only by the myriad of islands grouped into atolls. Though a manufacturing planet for the Bothans, much of the oceanic surface was kept pure, without the corrupting influence of industry. Beaches of white sand outlined the lush, emerald jungles of each isle. Multi-colored coral reefs hid beneath the gentle waves, providing shelter to aquatic life. The beauty of nature was everywhere. It was as if the war everywhere else in the galaxy did not exist.

It was nothing Uuk had ever experienced. Cularin was a forest panet and held a beauty of its own. The salty air and warm sands were exotic to the Neti, and he took delight in experiencing the purity of the planet. Places such as these, places that resisted the growing darkness of the Imperium, are what gave hope to Uuk that the galaxy could be saved. A certain sense of peace swept throughout his body as he lumbered through the jungle, heading to the meeting location to begin his training.

The Neti knew nothing of neither his teacher nor fellow student and had hoped for a pleasant interaction between the two. As he made his way across the island, stopping occasionally to allow the almost sanctity of the planet to sink in, Uuk pondered the lessons he would learn today. He was to begin training in how to augment his abilities in order to reach greater heights, so to speak, but he knew there would be more than just that simple lesson today.

Uuk stepped from the jungle into the meeting grounds, blending in with his surroundings. Surely his appearance would be surprising to most, for his species was thought a myth. He wouldn't mind any bewilderment; in fact, he delighted in the curiosity of others and typically took it as a good sign.

As he waited, the sounds of snapping branches and rustling of the serenity of the jungle alerted him to the approach of his instructor. From the lush flora came the sudden arrival of the younger human, now camouflaged in splotches of mud, leaves, and sweat from his dash through the environment. Uuk cocked his head fractionally to the side, observing the grime-covered man, seemingly tireless from the journey. He spoke with enthusiasm and a smile, as if he were also unaware of the war raging across dozens of planets. The Neti turned his head and looked down at the Quarren beside him for a second before facing Kaythous again.

"I am Uuk Tiin."

His words were spoken slowly and eloquently. He gave the Jedi a small bow of respect before returning to his upright posture, staring down at the man with curiosity. Around him the activity of the jungle continued uninterrupted. A small bird flew by and, mistaking the unmoving Neti for an actual tree, landed on Uuk's shoulder. He turned his head once again to look at it, giving an idle shrug, and returned his gaze to Kaythous.

 

[Oreus]

The oceanic world was a pleasant and relieving sight for Fias. He had spent much of this war and his training on horrible worlds without so much as a large lake. It was most definitely a good break from the usual. This day's lesson would be about using the force to propel the body in ways normally not possible. Fias had learned only tiny measures of the skill before, and felt it would be most useful to take this opportunity to improve. What better way to escape a bad situation than to make distance?

"My name is Fias," he said, looking between the two Jedi present. "A student of Master Gil. Glad to be here."

Uuk was a being the Quarren had not seen or heard of before. That wasn't too surprising considering how many races existed out in the galaxy and his relative inexperience, but he was still curious about him. Perhaps in time he would learn about this strange creature. It likely knew as well as Fias did about being the odd one out in most places. Even this Knight was a human. The Galaxy was truly infested with them. It wasn't that Fias felt he was treated poorly or even different, he just didn't trust humans. The Jedi had at least proved to be a trustworthy group. This Jedi had at least some benefit of the doubt for now.

 

[Zay]

Kaythous placed his hands on his hips and finished catching his breath. The knight plucked a leaf from his hair and smiled kindly to the pair of Padawans. He had a lot to show them and he was excited to get on with it, but he knew formalities were important to most. The first being to appear had nearly been mistaken for a tree. The dryad before him gave off a pleasant aura. One that seemed to be optimistic and amiable. For that the knight was thankful. To many members of the jedi had be come stoic in the hard time. It was nice to see someone who hadn't been broken yet. Though he had to wonder how long the beings optimism would last. Pushing the thoughts from his mind the Jedi replied, "It's a pleasure Uuk. I'm blessed to be in the presence of one so rare." his words were kind and genuine.

The second Padawan spoke up and revealed he was a student of Reland Gil. Kaythous' smile widened and he clapped the being on the shoulder. "That makes us brothers." He chuckled a little before elaborating. "I was trained by Master Gil. He's a dear friend. I'll be sure to contradict everything he's taught you." Kaythous laughed and then took a step back so that there was equal distance between him and the padawans.

"I'm sure you both are wondering what this test is, and why we're starting out with a test before anythings been learned." Kaythous began gathering the force to him. His signature in the omnipresent force began to shrink and dissipate becoming more and more difficult to sense. A devious smile spread across his lips as he said, "The test is simple. Catch me." In a sudden burst the force rushed out from him in a powerful wave that would wash over the unsuspecting learners faster than most could avoid. There was enough force behind the wave to knock them back a few feet, but the clearing they were in was open and the ground was soft. Hopefully, they would survive.

As the force slammed into them Kaythous would adjust his position to that of a sprinter. Calling upon the force he would shoot off in the opposite direction of the padawans. It would be their mission to try and keep up or catch the jedi knight. Kaythous bounded off rock, cleared small rivers and scaled small rock faces. He finally came to a stop on the top of a small rock formation that overlooked the 1000 island plateau. He awaited the padawans and prepared the lesson in his mind.