Just the Beginning

[Tynian]

The sun's light crept over the small tribal village in the plains of Ossus. The morning was warm and the air ripe with anticipation...
Tynian, a fifteen year old Ysanna, sat on a small wooden stool waiting for the arrival of the Jedi. His black hair was combed to the best of his mom's ability and his newly cleaned clothes made him itch in every uncomfortable place possible. Although in light of what the day would bring made the uncomfortableness more than bearable... for it was on this day that he was to meet his potential Jedi Master.
A few months ago the chief of his tribe had contacted the Jedi Order upon the discovery that he was attuned to the living force. He was to be trained and hopefully become a Jedi... although he was fifteen, much older than most students who were in training, the Jedi Order still agreed to send someone to assess and eventually train the young Ysanna tribesman.

After what seemed like hours, the low rumble of a shuttle's engines could be heard in the distant sky. Looking up Tynian caught a glimpse of the metallic craft making its way toward their small village. His heart began pounding in his chest unsure of what to expect. The Jedi were powerful, formidable and greatly respected... to become one of them was a great honor and not to be taken lightly. To fail would be to bring shame upon himself, his family and his entire Silver Moon tribe. Tynian vowed silently not to let that happen.

As the shuttle approached the elders of the tribe, led by Chief Ka'Tair, all made their way to the landing pad to greet the Jedi Master... Tynian was beckoned to join them and told to keep quiet until instructed differently. He stood next to the Chief and tried to keep his nervousness under control.

@One For Sorrow

 

[Kane]

The slight shudder from the shuttle landing jolted Kane from his meditation, he had arrived on Ossus where he had been sent to assess a force sensitive boy and decode if he would become a Jedi. He had never had this duty before, asside from Jinlo -who he had volunteered to mentor and, now that he thought about it, he probably should have brought with him- She'll be fine he thought to himself as he rose and buckled on his belt and lightsaber. He put his brown Jedi robe on over his tan Jedi clothes and exited the ship, leaving his Vibro-claws behind.

He squinted for a moment as his eyes adjusted to the light in the outdoors and he took in his surroundings. Chief Ka'Tair and the other elders stood waiting for him along with -who he assumed was- the force sensitive boy. "Chief, I am pleased to find you well." he said, bowing low to the tribal leader before turning to the boy with a wide grin, "And you must be Tynian!. I am pleased to meet you. My name is Kane, I trust you know why I am here."

He chuckled slightly, sensing the boy's nervousness in the force. Poor kid had no idea what was happening to him other than the basic facts -as far as Kane knew at least, the mission file merely had names, a location and his duties- The old Sentinel did not want to speak too much before giving the chief a chance to respond, though his knowledge of the tribes customs was next to nothing he still knew to follow proper etticut in this type of situation.

 

[Tynian]

Chief Ka'Tair bowed respectfully, followed by the elders, then returned the greeting. "You are most welcome here honored Jedi. Our hope is that your journey was pleasant?" Without waiting for an answer, he then turned and nodded to one of the elders. "Let the boy present himself." As the elders moved aside, Tynian stepped forward until he was in front of the Jedi Master. His eyes indicated he was intelligent and a bit more mature for his fifteen years... he looked at Kane with respectful trepidation.
"You may speak now." The chief instructed.

"I am honored to meet you Sir." Tynian replied. "I do know why you are here, and I hope I can bring honor to you and to the Order." As he spoke one of the elders mimicked his words with his own mouth as if he was the one who instructed the teenager exactly how to respond, then right after he was done speaking Tynian glanced back at the elder as if asking "was that ok?" The elder nodded his approval and Tynian faced the Jedi once more.

The chief studied the boy then looked at Kane, "Revered Jedi, the tribe is at your disposal. If you require anything from us, please ask. We do understand the need for privacy in the matter before you, so we will now take our leave and let you conduct your assessment without our interference." He bowed again, as did the other elders, and then they all turned and headed back to the village leaving the boy standing alone in front of the Jedi Master.
Tynian watched them go and then slowly turned back to look at Kane.

 

[Kane]

"Thank you Chief." Kane responded before the elders walked away, leaving him alone with Tynian. He looked around for several long moments as he thought of what to do first in his assessment of the boy, "One moment please, I need something from on board for this." he said with a self depreciating chuckle. He quickly ran into the ship and grabbed a large leather duffle bag before hurrying back out. "Now then Tynian, do you know of a field or somewhere else open and private that we can go to conduct this assessment?" the old Jedi asked. He was hoping the boy would take him to a favouted spot, somewhere he felt comfortable. There was no need to do this out here on a landing pad where passers by could distract him or make him nervous.

Kane's own assessment was so long ago he couldn't remember it, but he knew that it was perhaps one of the most nerve wracking moments in a young Jedi's life and Kane wanted to make it as relaxed as possible for Tynian. This was a huge thing and the more pressure he could take off the boy the more accurate a judgement of his abilities the old Jedi could make.

@Nastalle

 

[Tynian]

Tynian nodded and led Kane to an outcropping next to a stream about a mile or so north of the village. It was a pleasant place with some smaller trees shading the area as they lined the stream. Tynian smiled at the Jedi, "I come here often. It's peaceful and lets me think a bit." he then interjected, "The village can get a bit overwhelming at times. It's nice to be able to get away once in a while." He went next to the stream and gazed at the running water. "Do you really think I could be a Jedi?"

 

[Kane]

Looking around the small outcropping Kane smiled again, Tynian had taken him to a place that he enjoyed. This was exactly what he had hoped for. "This is an excellent place Tynian, and it will serve our perpose well. I can see why you like it." it was a beautiful spot, Kane hoped it would be a good place for the young boy to focus his abilities.

He paused to think at Tynian's question. "The real question is if YOU think you can be a Jedi Tynian. I think you have the capacity to pass these tests. All you have to do is want to." Kane hoped that his answer made sense to the boy, he knew it was a bit cryptic but that was something Tynian would have to get used to if he were to join the Jedi Order.

He placed the bag on the ground and opened it, removing several small metal plates. He arranged them (five in all) in a line in front of the boy. "Now then. I'm not sure how much you can do with your gift at the moment, that is the first part of the assessment. If you can move things with the force lift any of these plates. If you've never done it it is a very simple task. Focus, move all other things out of your mind and picture it lifting off the ground. There are many ways to do this, some people picture a hand, some picture themselves physically lifting an object. I personally picture tendrils of energy. Whatever works best for you. Just remember, focus, breathe, and let the force flow through you."

Kane thought his instruction was pretty good. He took a few steps off to the side, both to give Tynian room to maneuver the plates and to take some pressure off by the boy not having the old Jedi directly in his view.

"Whenever you are ready, take your time."

 

[Tynian]

Tynian listened intently to Kane as the Jedi placed the five metal discs on the ground. He had used his gift before, but it was more of a reactionary thing and not on purpose. The elders always told him to never use it until he was properly trained. Yet he had always wanted to try to use it, and now was as good as a time than any.
He studied the discs first... they were all similar in shape and all had a metallic sheen to them. Identical in every way except for one. The center one had a small fingernail sized scratch on it's surface. The reason it was there was of no consequence to Tynian, just that it had grabbed his attention more than the others. That was the one he would try to move.

As he focused on the small disc his breathing slowed and his eyes closed half way as in concentration... the force began flowing through him as he reached out to move the object... In his mind he felt like he was opening a tiny door at the bottom of a huge dam... his heart started beating a bit faster as he realized how much raw and immense power was behind the so-called dam.
Then something he couldn't explain, almost nudged, or brought back to his memory the small metal disc on the ground, which returned his focus back to where it should be.

Tynian began picturing the disc rising slowly from the ground and floating in front of his face, yet when he opened his eyes, he saw the object was hovering only a few inches off the ground, not in front of his face as he imagined. Disappointment filled his mind, severing his connection to the force and causing the disc to immediately drop back down to the ground.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at Kane, "I'm sorry I didn't make it move very high."

 

[Kane]

Tynian had managed to move the plate very quickly, and Kane could tell the boy had potential. "You lost focus for a second there, no need to apologize though. That was an excellent start." Kane knew that Tynian could do more, and so he would push the boy. As much as he was allowed to during an assessment that is.

"Now, what is it that took your mind away from the task Tynian?" the old Jedi asked with a kind tone in his voice. Hopeful that he could help the boy and see his true potential.

@Nastalle

 

[Tynian]

“It’s hard to explain.” Tynian replied. “I felt like I was standing in front of a small entryway, and if I opened it... well... I would be overcome with something so immense and powerful, that I’d be somehow washed away.” He thought for a moment and then decided not to explain it any further since it sounded strange in his own mind.
“In all honesty Sir, I wasn’t scared or anything. I just felt... unworthy. Does that make sense?”

 

[Kane]

"Believe it or not, I know exactly how you feel. But we are not to determine who is and isn't worthy of this ability, the Force itself makes that descision. Some people do unworthy things with that gift, but the force decides who will be connected to it. All we can do is strive to use that gift right." Kane stepped in and patted Tynian on the shoulder before stepping back and using the force to move all but the plate the boy had focused on before out of the way.

"Now Tynian. I want you to reach into yourself, reach deep. Sit, stand, whatever you are more comfortable with. Open that door, let your gift flow, and lift that plate." he stood a couple feet away, this time directly across from the boy. "I want you to try and get the plate up to the height of my chest, or as close to that as you can." Kane was confident that the boy could do it, as long as he listened to the Sentinel and opened that doorway.

 

[Tynian]

Tynian nodded and focused on the now singular disc. The force came back easier this time and flooded him down to his very core. He reached out his hand and imagined the disc rising up off of the ground.
This time when he opened his eyes he saw the disc rising up and then hovering at the height of Kane’s eyes.
For a moment a bit of panic set into Tynians mind and he disc began to drop... but the teen was quick and refocused the force catching the disc and then raising it to chest level.
“I think I’ve got it!” He exclaimed. In his exhubrance he laughed and as he did the disc flew from its spot and embedded itself into a nearby tree.
Clamping his mouth shut he looked back at Kane. “At least I thought I did.”

 

[Kane]

Kane smiled as he tried not to laugh, Tynian had done incredibly well in spite of his slight mistake. "That was very good Tynian, eventually you will not panic when you perform feats of telekenisis. And, you will learn more control." he chuckled as he pulled the plate out of the tree and set it with the others using the force. He brought the discs back into a line in front of the boy.

"For our next task, I would like for you to stack the plates on top of eachother. Like this," as he spoke he used the force to stack the plates one on top of the last until all five were one stack. He left them like that for a moment before returning them to the line in front of Tynian. "This will take more concentration than the last task. But i have faith in you." he said smiling. "Now, whenever you are ready. And remember, if it isn't exact do not panic. Correct it, or just move on. This doesn't have to be perfect."

 

[Tynian]

“Stack them...” Tynian repeated as he looked at the discs. “Ok I think I can do that.”
He didn’t close his eyes this time as he concentrated on the discs in front of him. In his mind he pictured them neatly stacked with the one with the scratch on the top. But for some reason he couldn’t move them all at once. It seemed just a bit too hard to do it that way. So he changed his tactics and began with just one disc.
By the force it moved and set itself lightly on another one.
Pleased with the results Tynian went to work on the other discs and one by one he stacked them on top of each other as planned, with the scratched disc settling neatly on top.
He looked up wiping the sweat from his forehead and asked, “How was that Sir? I tried moving them all at once but I got too confused... so I simplified it.”

 

[Kane]

"That was VERY well done Tynian." Kane answered, beaming proudly. This boy showed immense promise. as he spoke he moved the plates off to the side of the outcropping since they were finished with them for the moment. "Moving more at once takes time to learn. You've already stacked them much faster than many initiates I have seen. Now then, on to the next stage of our assessment."

Kane walked over to the duffle and drew two wooden sticks carved into the likeness of lightsabers. Worn and dented from years of use, it could be seen that they were once very intricate and ornately carved. He offered one to Tynian -hilt first- with an excited smirk on his face. "This is a less standard but more fun part. We can bypass it if you like anf continue with the plates, but this has been said to be a good intermission." not many Jedi he knew actually used this task in assessments anymore, but he liked the idea of it. A sparring match was an excellent way to form a stronger connection with someone.

"The only rule here is no force abilities, this is simply to test your combat aptitude. It won't affect your overall score though, we focus more on force ability than anything and you are doing incredibly well."

 

[Tynian]

Tynian took one of the sparring stick from Kane and swung it resting its weight. “I don’t suppose you have a quarter staff in your bag? I’m more used to one of those.” He swung it around a couple of times. “It feels really short.”
He took it with both hands and stood in front of Kane... he did have some idea of how to use it, but his training that he got by his tribe didn’t include swords. So he went with how he thought he should hold it... “I’m ready I think.”

 

[Kane]

Kane chuckled at Tynians question. "Sorry, I would have brought one had I known. Your grip looks good though." Kane felt for a moment that he had failed the boy, but it was too late to focus on that now and Tynian seemed willing to try. That was what was important of course.

He took a loose defensive stance, holding the stick up in front of himself. "Alright Tynian, attack me."

 

[Tynian]

Tynian took a deep breath and stepped forward. He had been trained with a quarter staff on how to defend and attack, but a sword was altogether different. It had a different weight, length and feel to it... so he proceeded with a bit more caution.
He came in to strike at Kane’s chest with a feint then at the last second he tried to switch and go the the Jedi’s legs. But since the wooden sword was lighter and faster than what he was used to he misjudged his swing and it went more toward the Jedi’s feet than his legs...

 

[Kane]

Knowing that the boy wasn't trained in the use of a sword Kane was not expecting a feint. He moved to block the initial strike and was momentatily confused when Tynian's practice stick hit him in the foot. He hopped around for a moment, fighting the urge to curse.

"Well struck Tynian. Now try this on for size." he said happily as he regained his footing and lunged forward, thrusting towards Tynians left shoulder.

Kane moved much faster than one would expect someone of his age to go, covering the distance in a matter of seconds. The boy was also fast so the old sentinel didn't feel the need to hold back quite as much as he would were he sparring with someone who had absolutely no combat training.

 

[Tynian]

Tynian was definitely outclassed by the Jedi and was soon backpedaling in desperation as he tried to counter each thrust from Kane. The wooden sword was soon knocked from his grip and he could himself on his back staring up at the Jedi in amazement.
He never realized that anyone could move that fast...
“I yield.” He told the Jedi.
As he got up he smiled, “Now that was impressive!”

 

[Kane]

Kane realized he may have gotten a little carried away when Tynian landed on the ground, the old jedi chuckled a little and helped the boy up. "You did well Tynian, next time we spar I'll make sure you have a staff." he smiled as he put the sparring sticks away. His mind was made up.

"Well Tynian," he started, putting on a serious voice as he used the force to put away the plates and zip up the duffle. "How would you like to come and learn to be a Jedi?" Kane couldn't help but grin as he asked the question, this was a hige moment in the boys life and the old Se tinel was honored to be a part of it.