(Kōkō Urakami's Training)

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Raphael was uncharacteristically apprehensive as he perched upon a stone bench in the vast, lush gardens of the Ossus temple. Although he had settled back into life as a Jedi almost more comfortably than before his impromptu sabbatical, but even interacting with other Jedi and seeing old friends, he was able to remain guarded, aloof and cut off from anybody if he needed to be...even if he was not someone who revelled in lonliness, he had gotten used to being alone. Yet now he had agreed into taking on a new padawan. A student, whom he would teach to become a Jedi Knight.

As was Raphael's custom, he was dressed less as a stereotypical Jedi Knight, although his training clothes were a little more usual in the Temple than his usual garb. He wore khaki trousers with black lace-up boots, loose fitting enough to allow for the more extreme movements a Jedi might make, and on his top half he wore a beige t-shirt, close fitting to his torso and upper arms, along with a wristband, the same colour as his trousers, on his left arm, and a brown fingerless glove on his right. At his brown belt, a few items hung, most notably a simple lightsaber hilt. It was not Raphael's own, but belonged to a friend of his, Huang Karasu, who had lent it to his fellow councillor in lieu of the state of Raphael's own weapon.

The Jedi Master, perched on his bench, was waiting in the comfortable golden sunlight, in the quiet gardens. He pushed a strand of his hair, a lot shorter than it had been, from his forehead. Unexpectedly for a Jedi master (but not for Raphael), he was smoking a cigarette, calmly and almost rhythmically as he waited.
 

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Uncharacteristically, Kōkō walked through the magnificent, sprawling temple gardens with noticeable haste in her steps. She generally took her time while passing through them, allowing herself to enjoy the vibrant colors and sweet mix of aromas, but she was buzzing with excitement now that she was on the verge of meeting her Jedi master for the first time. She hadn't even been told who it was yet, so the suspense was getting to her. It was a huge moment in Kōkō's life, one of the most important, even. Not only was receiving training from a master an integral part of her Jedi training, but she was also aware that many padawans developed powerful and lifelong bonds with their masters.

Still, she managed not to get too far ahead of herself, tempering her expectations with the knowledge that not all padawan-master relationships resulted in such strong connections. In an attempt to narrow down the list of possible masters, Kōkō had written up a list the previous night, grouping up all of the Jedi of the Ossus temple ranked as knights or higher who hadn't yet taken on any padawans. Unfortunately, the list of names was still very long, so it was pretty much impossible to gleam any answers from it. Although Kōkō wasn't the type of girl that particularly loved surprises, she was still cautiously optimistic, seeing no reason that the council would appoint her a master that was unfit for whatever reason.

As she rounded the last corner towards the assigned meeting location, Kōkō instantly froze in her tracks. She saw the particular bench on which she'd been told that her master would be waiting, and she saw who was sitting there, but her brain couldn't quite believe the signals that her eyes were sending it. Raphael Caelestis. The Raphael Caelestis, as in councilor Caelestis. Kōkō quickly turned back around, pressing her back against the massive pillar that she'd just rounded while keeping herself out of sight. Placing a hand over the left side of her chest, she applied pressure slightly, as if it would somehow manage to slow her heart rate down.

Kōkō was usually in firm control of her emotions, so getting that flustered was a little unnerving, not to mention embarrassing if she were to meet her new master in such a turbulent state. The urge to become annoyed or even angry with herself for her own lapse in self control began sneaking up on the toung padawan, but Kōkō decisively dismissed any such thoughts as her conscience retook the reins of her feelings. It was normal to be excited, she told herself; just as long as it was in moderation. In any case, there was no getting around the fact that she was absolutely delighted to find out that Raphael would be training her.

Having read up on many of the famous Jedi, including just about every single councilor that had been appointed in the last hundred and fifty years or so, Kōkō was familiar with Raphael's accomplishments, as well as a few facts about him that she'd picked up from various interviews. The thing that immediately jumped out at her was that he'd only ever taken a single padawan up until that point, so she'd been doubly fortunate when getting assigned to him. There was also the fact that he was absolutely knee-meltingly handsome, but Kōkō instantaneously scolded herself for even thinking of such a thing. Definitely not a proper thought to be having about one's master, that much was for sure.

After fading out of her starstruck state and thanking whatever stars has aligned in her favor, Kōkō once again braved the final corner. She covered the remaining distance between herself and Raphael, bowing respectfully as she introduced herself. "Master Caelestis, it's such an honor and pleasure to finally meet you," she started politely, sounding a lot more like her regular, tempered self. "My name is Kōkō Urakami, as you no doubt already know." Her instinct was to continue gushing about how much of a privilege it was to have him as her master, but she managed to restrain herself, keeping it short and simple instead. Still, it was difficult to keep from blushing in his presence, even for her.
 

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As Raphael saw the girl skid around the corner and disappear, he frowned quizically. He recognised the girl, Koko Urakami, as his new apprentice - he would never select a student without knowing who they were, even if they had never met personally before. Reaching the end of his cigarette, he casually flicked it aside and it landed in the small bin at the other end of the bench. He was sure the benches had only been installed with the temple administrators being fed up with his cigarette ends constantly being found littering the area.

She finally came back around the corner and introduced herself. She was polite and, looking slightly flushed aside, seemed composed and friendly.

"No doubt I do," he replied, standing up and smiling warmly. He ignored the fact she called him 'master', it was something he still was not used to, and he almost found it uncomfortable. He was capable of applying his slightly more liberal and unique views to many aspects of his Jedi beliefs, and present them to others, but with something that traditional, he doubted he would get away with that.

"And as I'm sure you've worked out," he continued, "I'm your Jedi Master."

As he was speaking, he was sizing her up, taking in her stature and stance, her expression, her choice of dress, the lightsaber at her belt, everything that a first impression brought with it, and everything that it was telling him. Of course he had selected her for a number of reasons, and he had been given a brief, as all masters were, on their new students, brief histories within the order, age, allergies, and any other information the Jedi had thought it appropriate to record in their databases. Not that Raphael took much notice of these briefs, they were often skeletal in detail, and often led younger masters to erroneous conclusions as they tried to second guess too much about their students. The Jedi councillor much preferred to learn on the go, he would get to know quite literally as he got to know her.

"Shall we go for a walk?" he said, rhetorically and off-handedly. He did not wait for an answer, turning and walking through the gardens, giving a lead that she should follow. He would not begin by simply putting her in test conditions and demanding that she recite the code, explain it and then the tenets. They would discuss them of course, but for now they could begin with a more general discussion.

"Koko," he said, his path leading the pair of them to the very outer edges of the temple confines, the outermost garden wall in view, "tell me a little bit about yourself...I don't mean a day-by-day account of your history in the order, but more concerning your interests, both personal and in the Jedi sphere of things, your skills, that kind of thing."
 

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Kōkō was still slightly uncomfortable as she and Raphael faced off, finding it challenging to make eye contact but not wanting to avert his gaze either. It was a relief when her master proposed that they walk together, since at least it eliminated that little problem for the time being. Kōkō knew that his question wasn't really a question, so she simply followed at the councilor's side, staying about half a step behind.

Raphael had a reputation for being somewhat eccentric, kind of straddling the lines between what was considered proper Jedi conduct and what wasn't without ever really going overboard. Being aware of that, Kōkō found it impossible to predict what her training was actually going to be like. She was expecting something different or strange, but in fact Raphael's first question was perhaps the most ordinary one that he could have asked. It was simple and obvious, and yet surprisingly difficult for Kōkō to answer. She tried not to think about her answer too much, making sure that it was as honest as possible rather than sounding rehearsed.

"Well, I enjoy reading very much. Poems, science, history...almost anything really. But what I really want to do is to help people. I know that I shouldn't set unachievable goals for myself like helping every living being in the galaxy, but I want to put whatever potential that I may have to good use and help as many as I can," Kōkō explained calmly enough, although her voice was laced with slight hints of hope and ambition. "As for skills, I've been told that I'm a swift learner, although I don't believe that I'm particularly gifted in that regard." Her modesty was sincere, as she honestly believed that she was no better or worse than any other Jedi in training. "I apologize for not being able to offer a more impressive skill set, master, but I'm committed to doing whatever it takes to improve."
 

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"Modesty, humility and the unrestrained desire to help as much as humanly possible...somebody's certainly been raised by Jedi," he responded, with a slightly facetious smirk. He added, "and as for your skills...well if you already had a full locker I'd hardly necessary, would I?"

His path took him right to the outer edge of the gardens, to an old, rarely used doorway that led out of the temple a back way. He pushed a button and it slid open with a gravelly noise that made it sound unhealthy. He stepped through, outside the temple and continued walking in the comfortable warmth. At least, it was comfortable then.

"I'm not sure what you've been taught before, but from now on, I don't want you using the force simply for comfort," he paused a second, "so if you start to tire on this walk, don't use it to boost you, if you get hot don't use it to cool you down, you understand?"

He barely waited for an answer, or a follow up question as he began striding off, deliberately at a pace that would see her begin to tire before too long if she planned on keeping up with him. Which was good, because he wanted to see her physical limitations. He wanted to know he capabilities, and what she could already so, and what she would need more help with. But while he observed her physical strength, he could also test her mental adroitness.

"So adding to what you've already told me, what does it mean to you to become a Jedi?" he offered no qualification as to what specifically he wanted from this. He just was interested to see how she answered it. At least at this stage.
 

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"Modesty, humility and the unrestrained desire to help as much as humanly possible...somebody's certainly been raised by Jedi."

The tongue-in-cheek nature of Raphael's comment was not lost on Kōkō, who smiled back slightly bashfully in response. It was true that she was indeed quite close to being what could be referred to as a typical Jedi cliche, but she wasn't putting on any kind of act. Everything she did, it was based on her own honest beliefs, which just so happened to largely coincide with the Jedi teachings. Despite her idealism, Kōkō was not blind to the realities of life. She was fully aware that over time, as she got increasingly exposed to the harsh realities of the galaxy, there was a good chance that her views and opinions could change. For the time being, however, she was who she was, so she just hoped that her master would not judge her too harshly because of it.

Kōkō was expecting that they would converse for a while longer before moving on to anything else, but Raphael apparently had other plans as he all but announced that the physical part of her training was to begin immediately.

"So if you start to tire on this walk, don't use it to boost you, if you get hot don't use it to cool you down, you understand?"

"I do," she answered briefly, picking up the pace in order to match Raphael's. Considering the fact that she already worked out on a regular basis without relying on the Force for assistance, Kōkō was confident that she would be able to keep up for a considerable amount of time at the speed that they were marching. The rough, uneven terrain and having to answer vague questions at the same time did make things a bit more challenging, but still nothing that she couldn't handle. However, she had a pretty good feeling that the point of the exercise was probably not for her to 'pass' it, and that her master would probably scale up the difficulty until it was no longer so easy to keep up.

"Becoming a Jedi..." Kōkō repeated thoughtfully in between breaths. She was inhaling through her nose and exhaling by the mouth, each breath well timed out and controlled to be practically identical in length. "To me it would mean having the opportunity to do something truly meaningful...to stand up for the values that I believe in and that I know to be pure. Freedom, equality, the right to live a decent life." She paused, sighing with a slight sense of beguilement as she listened to herself speak. "I'm really sounding like some sort of pageant contestant, aren't I?" Kōkō added half-jokingly.
 

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"You're not far off, although to complete your training you're not going to need to prance around on a catwalk in your underwear," he quipped back, adding, "and you are going to need more impressive talents than playing an instrument or juggling."

He then added more seriously, "So, when you see a Jedi Knight walking around the temple, going about their business, is that what you see? Somebody who's life is geared towards doing what is right and standing up for the rights they themselves have as a given in the order? Moreover, is simply 'striving to do the right thing' in every circumstance what it is to be a Jedi? Is it attitude, belief and will to do what is right, or is there something more?"

"Technically, we are 'the guardians of peace and justice within the galaxy'...by that title we are no different from any individual trying to do the same thing. Yet is there something unique in our methods, and practice that sets us aside? Is it not arrogant to state we are these guardians, assuming we have moral authority and impartiality?"

He realised he had asked more questions there than she would care to remember, but he did not want a specific answer to each, most were rhetorical. He wanted a response, though, whether a solid rebuttal or an agreement building on what he had to say. And all the while he had not broken stride across the rolling grasslands that surrounded the temple.
 

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Kōkō chuckled lightly at Raphael's joke, although just the thought of actually walking down a catwalk in nothing but her underwear with millions of people watching was enough to make her blush again. "I think that being able to master a musical instrument is quite impressive," she mused thoughtfully. "I get your point though. It's not terribly useful for us, but it's still an art form nonetheless." In fact, Kōkō had even considered possibly learning how to play an instrument herself, although it wasn't a project that she planned on attempting any time in the near future. Certainly not before her training was complete, as she didn't want any other distractions overlapping with it.

The barrage of questions which followed was rather difficult to follow, so Kōkō did her best to answer as many as possible without getting her responses tangled or making them too convoluted. "Well...yes, I suppose I do see Jedi knights as individuals who are dedicated to doing what is right and standing up for those who cannot do it for themselves. And yes, I guess that if you look at it that way, it is kind of arrogant to appoint ourselves as the galaxy's guardians." It was interesting, she'd never really thought of it that way before. It just went to show that most things in life didn't fall neatly into categories such as black and white or good and evil.

"I guess it's a necessary evil that must be done for the greater good. Otherwise, how would it be accomplished? Getting a unanimous vote from every planet in the galaxy to appoint the Jedi as its guardians? That could take centuries if it was even possible at all...so who would protect it during that time?" The questions were directed at herself more than towards her master, and the answer that they led her to was that the Jedi were still doing the right thing. As right as possible, at least.

Kōkō's legs were beginning to tingle slightly as she and Raphael continue to march, but she was still good to go for quite a while. It was the questions that were proving to me far more challenging so far, not the walking. Although she was excellent at answering typical questions based on logic or clearly defined knowledge, the much more philosophical questions that her master was throwing at her were far trickier. There was no obvious right or wrong path to take while attempting to reason them, no obvious right or wrong answers, and that caused Kōkō to struggle a bit. In a way, the questions kind of reflected what real life was like: various shades of gray with only the occasional absolutes.

"Managing to sift through the intricacies and variables of life while still doing justice to our principles, that's being a Jedi."
 

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"We have to step up because nobody else will?" he responded, slightly quizzically. He remembered when that was akin to his own thoughts, and although to him it seemed one of a far gone idealistic youth, as Koko was compared to him, it was a grave problem in Raphael's mind that too many Jedi, especially a number sitting alongside him on the council, thought much the same. He continued, "many Jedi feel a sense, often unecessarily, of self importance. As if they are a divine gift to the galaxy and, although they'll never ask for praise, duly expect it when they set foot before the down-trodden billions they risk their lives to save. This 'greater good' idea...what does the greater good even mean? It is little more than a phrase to make Jedi, and others in such positions as we find ourselves, feel better when they have to make difficult choices and are unable to deliver everybody from evil."

"Do not be fooled by our monikers and current status, our operational role in the galaxy at the moment does not define who we are as Jedi, going out and bringing peace and justice to those who have never asked for us to get involved. It is a role we have fallen into, becoming both crutch and scape goat for the Senate. When they need help they are more than happy to ask for it, and we oblige because we do not wish ill will or bear grudges, and when things go awry they are willing to cast us off and blame us for every problem they are then faced with, and we withdraw awhile until a new problem arises and once more we are implored to intervene."

He realised his tone had grown rather grim and he may even have sounded bitter to the untrained ear. Nut he bore no ill-will to the Republic. He was simply being honest. Sometimes these cycles took generations to come around, sometimes they came around in weeks, but that was the way it had been since the Jedi first ventured from the deep core and established a temple on Coruscant, and forever intertwined their allegiance with the Republic.

"We find ourselves in these positions because we do step up, however, and you are correct to remember our principles. Indeed it is these principles that are what steers us to be able to make impartial and unbiased decisions for 'the greater good'," there was a hint of iron as he said phrase, "but they do not demand that we seek adventure and battle. We help whomever we find, but there is no obligation to go out and search. Jedi Librarians and Archivists have been a creed that has given us some of the finest minds ever to have lived, and several have spent entire lives without setting foot outside of the temple. Does that mean they are not proper Jedi? Not all Jedi believe in using a lightsaber, even though it characterises who we are...I once knew a Jedi master who sat on the council when I was a padawan myself, and he simply refused to take up arms, he had no lightsaber or any other weapon. Does this mean he is not a proper Jedi?"
 

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"No, of course not. I didn't mean to imply that there was only one way to be a Jedi or that it had to be done through combat, far from it," Kōkō immediately clarified. She was quite amazed at the way that the conversation had turned, but she was also greatly enjoying it even though she didn't fully understand her master's views just yet. Most of the concepts that she'd been taught previously were relatively clear and rigid, but the way that Raphael explained things left them open to a far greater array of interpretations. It was a sort of realization that she'd only been learning the simplified version of things before, and for Kōkō it was very fascinating to finally be discussing the "real world" applications of the Jedi mantra.

The topics that Raphael skimmed over were kept somewhat vague, but they were already touching on a few new ideas that Kōkō had never really thought about too extensively. For instance, the idea that some Jedi harbored a strong - and perhaps unconscious - sense of pride. In theory, any Jedi would be free of such emotions and flaws, but in practice it was basically inevitable that the power would rise to some peoples' heads.

Kōkō wasn't extremely familiar with the political side of things either, previously believing that she shouldn't concern herself with such things, but she was beginning to understand that that was very naive and impractical. How could she expect herself to act correctly if she wasn't aware of the world around her? As such, learning more about the rapport between the Jedi order and the Republic was suddenly much higher on Kōkō's priority list after listening to Raphael's little rant.

"So we should simply try to do the best that we can based on what's thrown at us?" she asked, unsure if her very rough summary was accurate or not.
 

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"I would never ask more of you," Raphael replied. Although it sounded simple she had essentially hit the nail on the head. Being a Jedi was not about playing with the force or running 'the bad guys' through with a lightsaber. It was an attitude, a mindset, a way of life, that steered one towards certain actions.

"Being a Jedi, although simplistic, is extremely difficult to completely attain. Indeed, I am not of such mentality to be a perfect example of a Jedi Knight - granted I'm closer than most, but then again I would not even say that the grandmaster is such a perfect example of what we strive to be. In some ways, a Jedi Knight is an ideal, a theory, that each of us devotes our life to becoming."

"It would be impractical if it were any other way, we do not live in a world where I can tell you the way a Jedi should behave in any given situation, because you could travel the entire galaxy for the rest of your days and never come across such circumstances, and then be confused as to the correct path in those not aforementioned. Not to mention that every Jedi in the temple will likely have a different spin on the 'correct' path in any and every situation," he laughed softly. His description would almost have sounded hopeless, yet for the fact that somewhere within this confusing, complicated galaxy he was describing to her, plenty of Jedi, like Raphael, managed to live and do perfectly well enough for their mandate.

"I'm not here to tell you right from wrong, or that action A is Jedi-like and action B isn't. I'll try and explain to you why the Jedi are the way they are, and I can give you the tools a Jedi needs, but only you can use them," he paused a second, "aside from being force sensitive a prerequisite to being accepted for Jedi training is the capacity for independent thought, which remarkably is rarer even than the force sensitivity."

"So, how do you suppose one can begin to attain the Jedi ideal? What must that person be able to do, what freedoms must they have, which shackles must they not be bound by?" It was an extremely open question, and Raphael knew that, but it was a question that was quite hard to get wrong, given it was so based on opinion. As long as she had good reasons for her choices.
 

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Kōkō listened very carefully to what Raphael was saying, considering every one of his words carefully as she attempted to process all of the information. She felt as if she was at least beginning to understand what her master was explaining to her, which gave her a bit more confidence to work with. Of course it made no sense for her master to attempt to walk her through every possible situation that could arise, as there were an endless amount of them. What she needed - and wanted - was to have the knowledge and wisdom necessary to make her own decisions.

Raphael's bluntness continued to surprise Kōkō in a very positive way. She appreciated the fact that he was so direct and that he considered her worthy of speaking to her like an adult. She'd been frustrated with her lessons in the past on more than one occasion due to them being too rigid or simplified, but there was obviously no such complaint to be made about Raphael.

With what her master had told her as well as what she already knew, Kōkō could see why being a Jedi was so much harder than what most people assumed. As Raphael had said, every Jedi obviously had their own thoughts and their own unique ways of reacting to any given circumstances, so they had to seamlessly incorporate the Jedi principles into their every move. There was no procedure that was set in stone and that could be followed, each of them had to make their own choices with them and then live with them. Kōkō could already imagine that the latter part of that statement was probably the hardest.

"I think that, most importantly, one would have to know themselves as intimately and accurately as possible. Otherwise, they would not truly be able to adapt the Jedi beliefs to their own. As you said, we cannot be mindless drones going through a checklist of tasks to accomplish. We must be able to use what we've learned in order to assist us in drawing our own conclusions, not draw conclusions based solely on what we've learned." Kōkō wasn't sure if she'd expressed herself correctly, but she still spoke with conviction since she really believed what she was saying.

"I think that as long as a Jedi is free to think and is not blinded by emotions that there is little else that he or she needs. Hypothetically, even if a Jedi were to be imprisoned in a ten foot prison cell for fifty years, they could still remain Jedi, could they not?"
 

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"Exactly," Raphael replied. She was an astute girl, the trappings of youth not weighing upon her mind at all. And she did not seem shy to share her thoughts, not did she blurt the first thing that came to her head. Her responses were clear and considered, and concise. And they were both still walking, the temple a speck in the distance behind them. In the heat, a bead of sweat had broken on the master's brow. Although not particularly draining as yet, the heat and walk would begin to take its toll, as it would on anyone.

"Although knowing yourself inside out is very useful, it also happens to be very difficult," he paused a second, "understanding why you are the person you are, both mentally and physically is not something that's simple, and is something you have to figure out yourself. Knowing what your talents are, what your limitations are, and everything else will aid you...how can you begin to understand the workings of a galaxy-wide society if you don't even understand yourself?"

He was not suggesting that she needed to become an expert on psychoanalysis, or human physiology or biology, but she needed to know her own being, her strengths and weaknesses, and how they fitted (or did not fit as the case may be) with the Jedi mantra.

"The world around you is not a stagnant place, yet your lessons, the Jedi code, the tenets won't react to whatever you come across for you. You need to react to these things. You are correct on those fronts."

"You mention, however, that blinding emotions prevent a Jedi thinking clearly. Yet we are people, emotions are natural. They're not unavoidable, and ignoring them completely won't make you compassionate as a Jedi is encouraged to be. Emotions are a tricky business, the code and tenets hardly offer much insight," he realised he was openly criticising perhaps the most fundamental parts of the order, but it did not matter. The line 'Emotion, yet peace' was open to more different interpretations than there were stars in a clear Ossus night's sky.

"How do you deal with emotion?"
 

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Kōkō was very impressed with how her master was subtly guiding her towards new thoughts and theories that she'd never really considered before. He wasn't spoon feeding her information, but instead giving her mind vague directions now and then so that she could think for herself. She knew that some students preferred the spoon method, but that was not the case with her at all. She loved how stimulating her conversation with Raphael was, and she also loved that she felt as if she was actually learning rather than just memorizing information. Kōkō had a pretty strong feeling that not many Jedi could have instructed her in such an efficient way, which reinforced the feeling of gratitude that she had for being chosen as Raphael's padawan.

Listening to every word that he had to say very carefully, Kōkō was only paying attention to the path that she was walking on with the minimum amount of concentration that she could get away with, focusing the rest of her brainpower on analyzing what her master was saying. She did notice that it was getting very hot, though, as she was beginning to sweat slightly. If Kōkō had known that they would be taking a trek through the woods in the middle of the afternoon, she would have worn something a bit more suitable than her usual robes.

"I didn't mean that we should ignore them entirely, but moderation is crucial. You said yourself that we should aim to make unbiased decisions, and it's extremely easy for emotions to make us act selfishly." Kōkō had to agree with her master that emotions were indeed one of the most difficult aspects to deal with for an aspiring Jedi - or any Jedi at all, for that matter - but she did her best to explain the point of view that she'd envisioned so far. "As for myself, well, I try to deal with my emotions as they come. I find it much easier to understand them and keep them under control if I don't let them pile up on top of each other. If I feel angry for example, I'll just let my anger out until it's gone so that it's not following me around and weighing me down, chipping away at my conscience. Of course, it goes without saying that I'll find a way to do it so as to not disturb or harm anyone."
 

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"That it is, and often the inability to deal with one's emotions is the reason several Jedi fail in their training - whether as padawans, knights or masters we are all still learning, and we're only human, we're fallible," he replied. Realising that he was fallible was not something that had come easy to Raphael, as it did not to many Jedi. Many bore arrogance and over-confidence, especially before the revelation of the Bogan; several seemed to believe themselves invincible, unaware of their limitations, and that was a lethal failing.

"But keeping your emotions in controlled and ordered check isn't simple. Perhaps for you, growing up in the temple, it has been easy enough to walk away and find somewhere to vent in your solitude. But sometimes, often in fact, that is not a possibility. Out there," he gestured towards the vast wild beyond, and up into the sky, "you will not be in a controlled, safe place, under the supervision of Jedi Masters. You may come across people who need help before you have had a chance to let your anger subside, you may be in a situation where you need to choose between one you love and several you have never met before, you may encounter a danger that is unrelenting and you must tackle it as you are, without a moment to release your emotions. How then do you become free to act as the impartial arbiter?"

He paused a second, wiping his brow before adding, "It is good that you already recognise that emotion is something to be dealt with carefully, and noble that you would hope to become free without harming anybody. But were it that simple, my role here would be pointless, as would your training. The way of the Jedi is to look for peace in emotion, peace of mind would be the first stop. We get there through trial and error, years of experience and study and practice. We learn to center ourselves, as you will have done as a youngling, and become at peace in the most peaceful of places, then we begin to extrapolate. I am not asking you to become a robot, devoid of emotion, but I am warning you of what can happen if you do not tread this path carefully, as if always on a frozen lake covered with very thin ice."
 

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Miss Fortune
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Kōkō used the back of her sleeve to sponge her forehead lightly as she considered what her master had just said. He was right, of course. She'd lived in the very controlled environment of the temple for basically her entire life, so not everything that she did or learned there was necessarily directly applicable everywhere else. It was quite a glaring oversight on her part, and she was actually surprised at her own silliness for not having realized it on her own much sooner.

She was even downright embarrassed for a brief moment before getting a hold of herself and remembering that the very purpose of training alongside a master was to fix such flaws. Whatever hint of pride Kōkō had felt quickly dissipated and was replaced by gratitude, as Raphael was actually doing her the biggest favor possible by letting her know what she needed to improve or correct.

"You're right, master, I suppose I hadn't really thought it through all the way," Kōkō admitted. She was very eager to better herself, but she also understood that things like that took time, so she was prepared to wait patiently and proceed at whatever pace Raphael deemed appropriate.
 
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