Mountaintop Training

[Veloster Turbo]

Spoiler: OOC Note:

This class is for Kheera Fii and Cappi Tremaine. If anyone else is interested shoot me a PM and we'll see if we can work something out!

Mountaintop Training

Planet: Naboo
Time: 08:00
Location: Silver Giant, a hiking location to the north of Theed
​

Khelsea lay flat on her stomach at the first peak of the hiking trail located about an hour to the north of Theed, the capital city of Naboo. Most people who planned on attempting the trail would ride out to the base of the mountain on their speeders, but the more adventurous hikers had the option of trekking out from the city on foot - which added about half a day to their hike. The trail itself would take about eight hours for a round trip without assistance of the Force, and was known for its difficulty and the amazing views the two peaks provided. There was an airlift service which was used frequently, as unprepared hikers would either give up midway or hurt themselves. Although it was a fairly well known location, the difficulty made it less popular than other hiking trails which provided similar views from their peaks but were significantly easier to hike. However, the Silver Giant was the highest peak in that mountain range, and from the top you could see everything from the city of Theed to the south to the plains to the North. If you were lucky, you might even see less adventurous hikers looking up at you from nearby peaks.

As for Khelsea, she had done the hike before, and felt it was the perfect place to teach some padawans who she hadn’t met yet. She had been promoted to a knight just prior to the Battle of Naboo, and two months had passed since then. She had just recently returned from a mission, and it had come to her attention that there was an influx of new Jedi who needed training. She remembered her first lesson with newly promoted Jedi Master Rane Vastra, and felt like she should reach out and try to help the newer members of the Jedi Order just as he had done for her. It would be a quick cram session which covered the basics that every Jedi should know. Of course, she wouldn’t copy everything he did. Rane had trained Khelsea and another padawan in the area near the swamp, and Khelsea would teach on top of a mountain. To each their own.

Having been dropped off at the base of the mountain by a friend who had given her a ride on his speeder, Khelsea had started the hike hours before the time she had scheduled to meet the students she would train. It was the middle of the night and very dark still when she started. However, she wanted to be at the peak to catch the view when the first rays of light shone over the horizon, reflecting over peaks in the distance. It was a breathtaking view, and although it was twice as hard to hike in the dark, Khelsea trusted the Force to guide her footing and used a glowrod to help her see where she was stepping. Several hours later, she was at the first peak where she meditated, watched sunrise, and after a light meal she found herself looking down the trail and trying to see if any of the expected guests were close to arriving yet. They still had half an hour, so it didn’t surprise her that she couldn’t see anybody yet. Besides, she had chosen a difficult location and wouldn't be surprised if her two students were both late. It would depend on their level of preparedness and their mental strength.

Another ten minutes passed, but still nobody was in sight. Khelsea hoped the directions she gave to the two padawans was adequate:

Meet me at 08:00 at the first peak of the Silver Giant. The beginning of the trail is located at the base of the mountain, and is clearly marked. The trail itself is not as well marked, so make sure you follow the yellow markers or you'll get lost. There are two peaks; we are meeting at the first peak. Bring enough liquids to stay hydrated, and bring a small meal if you think you'll get hungry. We'll be away from civilization for almost the entire day.

Looking forward to meeting you,
Khelsea

PS. Give yourself adequate time to make the trip up, and most importantly, stay safe!

 

[Lamper]

"Ugh...", he moaned. An itch in his winded throat, he scratched at his scruffy neck; his fingers catching on his shirt as they descended back down into that familiar listless sway, his sweaty white shirt having somehow crept up from off his body through his brown salt-stained backpack straps and wrapped around his head like some tuscan raider. His white sneakers had become even less mint, already having browned some after months of negligence, and his gray sweats stuck to the hairs along his inner thighs; the right pant leg pulled up just under the knee to let his skin breath in the morning air. Each scuff of dirt was a declaration of vengeance to the man, whose actions can only to interpreted as malicious, after boasting an easy hike from the city to the base of the Silver Giant. His hands would ball into fists if they really intended to find that guy and teach him a lesson, but that'd take even more effort than they were willing to give at this point. If they just so happened to stumble upon him by happenstance, well that'd be a different story.

Cappi looked up at the summit. He was more than a half hour's trek from the top, and he'd noticed someone close behind him for the last hour almost. Were there other lunatics hiking this trail so early in the day? Er...night? Was night. Now Day. His hot breath, his rhythm, managed an experienced tempo. He wasn't a stranger to hikes and morning runs after all. But this was a little more than a skippy trip to see the butterfly-lollipop sunrise. And the way this person shadowed him without passing him or getting too close or saying hello even though he'd hate to have a conversation while huffing this mountain air, well, needless to say it bugged him like, well, like the little bugs that seemed drawn to his eyes and ears no matter how seductively he batted his lashes at them. In fact he wanted to know how long they'd been there, but his hand couldn't quite reach back to his white plastic watch that dangled from the side of his tightly cinched pack; which was unfortunate considering he didn't yet realize he was already going to be late.

He couldn't take it anymore.

"Alright. Would you just pass me already? You've been creepin' back there like a mouse for so long you've got me worried about my stash of cheese." A casually aggravated tone with a couple of hiccups in manliness, Cappi had stopped and turned around to address the source of his oncoming headache.

 

[LilyNion]

Did you HAVE to take a big backpack with you?! HOW stupid can you be? You could've known that it was a hike, but no. You decided to bring a big backpack stuffed with food. Kheera had always been a girl who enjoyed to eat, so taking food with her only seemed like the smartest choice. But oh how she regretted it. Her backpack was pulling her down and worst of all, it was so big that she couldn't use her wings. With a complaining moan, she took another big step upwards. Her feet kept slipping away from some lose stones. You see, Kheera wasn't quite the hiking person. Normally she would use her big wings and fly, but obviously she couldn't this time. Her outfit also wasn't quite suitable for hiking, she brought her high brown boots along that she normally wears under her Jedi robes and a white casual dress. The dress - which had a tight fitting skirt - stopped her from making big steps, causing her to almost trip on her face from time to time. The morning air itself was lovely, it was great how it caressed her sweaty skin. And the view, it was breathtaking. The golden rays of light which was shining against the mountain she was climbing were truly a beauty of nature itself. Kheera herself was a big fan of the morning, mostly because of the beautiful sceneries of the world, slowly waking up while being showering in the sun's golden rays. And this hiking trip would easily fit in her top ten of beautiful sceneries.

In front of her - she would say around 30 inches 76 cm in front of her - was a man, hiking. He's been following the same yellow markers as Kheera. He looked better at hiking then she was. His steps were more concentrated and better placed. She followed his footsteps, which made the hiking a bit easier. He clearly used common sense and didn't step on the loose rocks, like Kheera used to do. With a tired moan, she whipped the sweat away from her forehead. My body isn't build for this. I know it. Tomorrow, tomorrow my muscle will be so tense and sore. I need to find a Jedi who can massage. A Jedi massager! Kheera laughed softly behind her hand. The thought of a Jedi massager seemed funny for her. A Jedi, only specialised in massaging Jedi like me. And then they would open a big Jedi Spa!

While Kheera was dreaming away about the Jedi Spa, she heard the voice of a man. The suddenness snapped her out of her daydreaming. It didn't take too long before she noticed who's voice it was. The man she has been following had turned his body around and was looking straight at Kheera. A bit surprised, her cheeks rose up. "Don't you worry! I don't want 'em cheese. I have enough food in my backpack, too many food! I didn't really mean to sneak up on you! You were following the same path as me and I couldn't catch up to say hello!" Without taking a break, she pointed at the yellow markers. "So I figured that I would just follow you until we both reached the stop! Also, are you okay? You shirt is soaking wet with sweat. Well, so should be my dress of course. In fact, just forget that I said anything about your shirt!" And her bad habit - speaking nonstop - continued, a whirlwind of words flew out of her mouth.

 

[Veloster Turbo]

Time was moving quickly, and there were only fifteen minutes until they were supposed to meet. Another few minutes passed, and then Khelsea saw first one, then two figures emerge from the edge of the trees. As with most peaks, the top was mostly barren with only tiny plants, since there was not enough soil for trees to grow. Thus, the top of the hike was the most dangerous. They were very close, and there were less than fifty meters separating them from the top. However, the elevation gain was also significant, which meant that they would have to traverse the rocky surface of the peak with caution and would need to be careful with their footing. Khelsea estimated that it would probably be about another fifteen-ish minutes until they made it to the top, but she kept watching so that she could lend help if anyone needed it. The two padawans were traveling together, which meant they were already acquainted or perhaps they ran into each other along the way. Either way, it was good to see since Khelsea had hoped to build relationships with the newer Jedi today. Regular training was good, but what she had hoped to achieve was a bit more than that. It had been hard to fit in at first when she trained at the old Lamaredd outpost, since she didn't know anyone well. Knowing the struggle, she wanted to make sure the trio would end the day each having two new friends.

Watching the two make their way up from the peak, Khelsea thought about how she approached the challenge which was the first peak. The yellow markers ended at the edge of the trees, since it was clear that the peak was right in front of them. She had heard from the elderly that someone had originally painted easiest way up the rock with yellow, but time, wind, and rain had eroded all of that away a long time before she had been born. Besides, it was meant to be a challenge. Being shown the easiest way up wasn't fun. It was also fun to try and predict which way the two Jedi were going to approach the peak from. They had a lot of rock to choose from, and there was no clear path to take. Khelsea had chosen the direct approach, but had to climb on all fours to make it up the top. The sides looked easier since there were spots to hold yourself, but its difficulty increased exponentially as you approached the peak where handholds were nonexistent. The peak itself was flat and there was enough room to land a starfighter, so once they made it to the top it would no longer dangerous. The hard part was making it up to the top.

Looking down still, Khelsea had to stare at the female for a few seconds as she made her way a bit closer. Was that a skirt she was wearing?!? She looked tired, but her skin still shone with the natural glow of the Diathim. In fact, both of them looked rather tired judging from the way they methodically put their legs in front of each other, but that was normal. Khelsea had done the hike without using the Force to enhance her movement, thus it was just as difficult and grueling for her as it was for the other two. She kept herself in excellent shape and exercised regularily on top of her Jedi training, but fitness and conditioning itself wouldn't be enough for the Silver Giant. She didn't doubt that the other two were quite fit as well. After all, the Jedi had to be able to do a variety of tasks which required physical capabilities. The Silver Giant was about perseverance, and by being able to make it up more or less in time to meet her, Khelsea knew that they had adequate mental strength and wouldn't just give up when something was difficult. She stayed silent and continued to observe.

 

[Lamper]

Irritation washed away. His copper eyes swelled at the sight of glory, emanating light. Beauty blessed the day before him. Then began to dull. His expression sank into confusion, frowning even. A full cycle, reuniting his future self with the past; shaking hands as brothers and smiling as if to say, yes you were right all along. Listening to her mouth run on, he leaned into his hip and folded his arms; smearing forearm sweat into armpit sweat. Squinting, single brow cocked, he twisted his neck. His chin pushed out a belittling grin, the look in his eyes outright sympathetic to her plight. He almost couldn't believe the difficulty with which she struggled to form complete sentences as she rambled. Well she was a woman after all. He consoled himself with the thought.

"Awe, look at that. You're completely soaked. You poor thing. You must feel so self conscious looking this way. Look, you can see right through that. There and there. Don't you worry your pretty little ...tall self. Here. Let me help you with that."

He wrapped his arm around her as if to reach for her backpack to help. But he just pushed it, guiding her along, leading her ahead towards the rockier path and her misfortune. He masterfully concealed his outright mocking of her within this persona of gentlemanly kindness mixed with a motherly love for a nasty brew. He'd barely even looked at her when he pointed out the wet portions of her white clothes, so poorly chosen for such strenuous activities, as if to suggestively protect her from fabricated prowlers he could almost see lurking round every boulder just to get a glimpse of her body. No never mind about his own appearance, as this was like any other day's attire in his case. Though his shirt was inside out and wrapped around his head over his man bun.

"I forgive you for ignoring me and not saying hello and trying to sneak up on me because you're hungry and might lose your way. But you'll have to- Oh. Those are wings... But you'll have to make it up to me okay? I want you to take the easy way to the top, okay? Straight up the center. Climb right up. I won't take no for an answer. An I'll just go up that way over there. It's much harder. I'll have to go all the way around there. Ugh. I'll be a mess. But you owe me okay? Alright. It's settled. Good."

He monopolized air time and discretely manhandled her towards the difficult climb ahead while pointing out his path to the side, the easier looking steps. He wasn't phased by her appearance even after realizing he didn't yet recognize her race. He toyed with her innocence using cutesy talk and guilt-tripping her into obedience. It was all in good fun.

 

[LilyNion]

Kheera - as naive as she was - followed the man's pointing as she didn't understand what he was talking about. And then, as she looked down at her own body, it hit her. Her sweat has been soaking into her white dress, allowing it to become see-through. While she was wearing a band around her breasts which blocked any perverse sight, it was still pretty embracing. Her once very pale cheeks rose up extremely. Ashamed, she moved her arms in front of her body.

"I .. I didn't realize that a white dress would become see-through with sweat. I should've known, oh how dumb of me. But thank you for pointing it out! Oh, how awkward it must've been if I didn't wear this band. Also, you seem quite the nice one. My name is Kheera, Kheera Fii! And your name? I'm betting for 'em cheese that it's Brandon! I can sense it! Brandon snugheart! You see, I have this third eye for sensing other people's names!"

She completely fell for the man's act and that he tried to push her upwards only worsened it. She laughed a bit at him with an innocent smile. He truly does want to help me, heh? That's a first one! Such a gentleman. Kheera continued with giggling dumbly as she didn't suspect a thing. With the biggest eyes, she looked up at the man as he spoke about how the road in front of her was the easiest way and how she had to walk it, for his sake. A feeling of guilt flew over Kheera's body, her smile disappeared and her eyes got filled with sorrow. She didn't want him to take the difficult road, but she owed it him, didn't she? And somewhere it felt nice that she could take the easiest road, finally a road without slipping and falling.

"I'm very sorry, I'll take the easiest road, just for you! I owe you it, just like you said! Just.." Kheera opened her backpack and grabbed a sandwich out of it. It was a royal looking sandwich with a lot of topping in it. "Please, take this. You'll need it for the road! And take your time, okay? Oh and give a shout out of you need help. I'll just climb over to your way and help you!" After she was done with talking and covering the man's ears with many quick words, she pushed the sandwich in the man's hands. "Also that shirt doesn't fit your head. It's the wrong size. A size small might look better!"

And with that sentence said, she ran off to the difficult road.

It took her a solid hour to climb to the meeting point. The road was - obviously - difficult and it didn't treat Kheera nicely. In fact, it treated Kheera as an enemy, a threat. Rocks flew from Kheera's feet, ways were blocked off, some steps were impossible to make and worst of all, some of the rocks were slippery. This all caused Kheera to slip and trip many times, a lucky angel must've been sitting on her shoulder as it's a miracle that she hasn't broken any bones yet. Her knees and hands had been bleeding a bit, but it was nothing too serious. With her nails in the dirt, Kheera pushed her own body upwards over the peak. Using her last strength, she made herself roll over the edge and ended up in the middle of the meeting point, sitting on her knees. A load moan could've been heard as Kheera fell down on the ground - face first, tummy second - in front of her. Her breath was completely gone and her legs.. what legs are we exactly talking about? The ones that felt broken and torn apart? Her dress was completely soaked in dress, the only reason why they couldn't see her body through it was because of how dirty her dress has gotten. "Easy.. road.. my ass.." Could've been heard between a few gasps. "Never again.."

 

[Veloster Turbo]

It seemed that Cappi had taken the deceivingly 'easy' path, whereas Kheera had taken the more difficult looking path. Khelsea watched as the two climbed and struggled with various parts, but it was just a struggle. They were never in danger of slipping or injuring themselves, which was expected from two Jedi; but at the same time it was a relief to see that everyone was safe. One of them had made it up first, and then the other a short while later. Khelsea just smiled at them and let them catch their breath, hydrate themselves, and rest for about a minute before speaking. They deserved a small break after all their hard work after all.

"Well, now that we've all made it up here, let's do some introductions so that we can get to know each other." Khelsea looked at the two padawans, remembering that they seem to have been talking to each other earlier before they went their separate paths to the peak. Seeing that she had their attention, Khelsea continued to speak. "But maybe I'm the only stranger, since you two seem to have met already. It's probably obvious who I am since nobody else is up here, but I am Knight Khelsea. Lets see, how about you each do a short introduction. Tell me your name, how long you've been with the Jedi Order, and an interesting fact that people don't usually know about you! Oh! And also tell me your thoughts on the hike so far! We still have to get to the second peak up there at some point today." Khelsea pointed behind her at the second peak, towering only just under two hundred meters above them in elevation. However, much like the rest of the hike, it was deceivingly easy since they had to descend down an extremely steep slope before making their way up the steep second peak. However, if they managed to get an unobstructed view from the pinnacle of the Silver Giant, it would be nothing short of magnificent. Cappi and Kheera didn't know the challenge they faced yet, and Khelsea wouldn't spoil the surprise just yet. They would spend a little time on the first peak first. "We'll start with you sir." Khelsea looked at Cappi, flashing an encouraging smile. She had read both their files prior to sending them the directions to meet her, but it was not the same as a face-to-face introduction.

She hoped the students would be honest with her, and she wouldn't be surprised if they hated the hike. Besides, she was pretty good at reading emotions even without the Force, so she would hopefully notice if either of them were displeased about something. That said, she wasn't about to pamper them and make everything easy. They needed training for a reason, the galaxy was a tough place and if they were going to play a part in making it a better place, they better be ready to tackle anything and everything.

 

[Lamper]

''Whaaat?" His falsetto-sarcastico peaked. "No way. How'd you know? My name's totally Brandon. Awe thank you. Thank you. Awe. You think I could pull off a small? Oh stop. You're just saying that. I'll see you at the top okaaaay?"

Turning away from the space case, Cappi could finally drop the nice act. His face literally dropped. His cheeks were starting to hurt just from pretending. He massaged his face. His eyes rolled. And he wasted no time attending the wrapped sandwich as he made his way towards the real path to the top, chuckling to himself.

His was a simple start. Munching away on the sandwich Kheera had made, which was seriously good and messy and - were the edges cut off? - Cappi but had to lift his knees a little and lean forward as his feet climbed the steps. There was more dirt than rubble, but the steps spacing eventually started increasing drastically. Cappi couldn't finish the last few bites of the sandwich as he concentrated, making a zigzagging pattern from step to step; almost hopping each time. He'd lean in to take a bite, then realize the focus needed for the next hop. This continued until he reached two final short cliffs. The first was taller than he was. It was difficult without room for a running start, but he managed to jump and pin a foot half way up to support his reaching grip and pull up onto the thin ledge. The final one jabbed at his humerus minimus. Slightly funny. Seriously? People can make this jump? There's no chalk marks or hand holds. Just a flat wall that no normal person could just ... jump. First he tried, to gauge the distance he needed to make up for. He jumped, stretching out his left fingers, and tapped the highest point he could along the wall. He was about two, maybe three, hands short. He'd have to apply a little fairy dust if he was going to make this. So he concentrated, gathered a build of nervous energy in his legs as he glared up at the ledge he aimed to reach. And he jumped. Without thinking, he took hold of the ledge, squishing the remains of the sandwich in his right hand. He squirmed a little, pulling himself up. First he slapped his elbow over. Then the other. Then he leaned into it, pressing his arms straight and arching up waist high. Because of his fatigue, this was more difficult than expected. Finally he growled to hike up his leg and step up to stand up with a little ache in his back.

Took him about twenty minutes. He held up a finger as though to ask for a breather. He took off his shirt, wiped his face and shoulders, and stuffed the makeshift towel in-between his back and backpack. He took his hair down, shook it out, fed the sweat through with his fingers, and tied it back up a little cleaner. In the meantime he took a seat and drank some water and waited until Kheera joined them and introductions started.

"No strangers here. We're all bros. Right Kheera?" His voice had completely changed. It was deeper, raspier, and negligent. His slanted eyes wandered devoid of empathy. But the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl a little when he offered a handful of crumpled sandwich wrapper and smooshed sauces on bread. She probably didn't want it back though. "Name's Cappi Tremaine. Some call me Brandon... Been with the Order for about, oh, somethin' short of a decade. I'm a real straight A student." He motioned a flippant, two fingered salute from his temple; real lazy like. "I like long walks on the beach. And. Oh. Those little dogs. Those puggles. Not the ugly ones, but the mixed little guys with the ears that stick up and they got those cute little barks that don't annoy the sh*t outa you like most mini's do?"

 

[LilyNion]

Kheera looked up at Cappi with burning eyes, as she noticed the crumpled sandwich. Wasn't her sandwich - yes, without edges! - good enough to get eaten!? She finally gained the energy and strength to sit up from the ground and warped her legs over each other as a buddha. Sniffing a bit upset, she moved her eyes away from Cappi. "'Bros', sure. Let's called it that. Also, YOU owe me one." Her joyful mood against Cappi was gone, she felt a bit used and tricked. While she wasn't exactly mad, she just had to calm down a bit.

While Kheera leaned back against the ground with her hands, she looked over at Cappi and Knight Khelsea. She rolled her eyes for a second as Cappi said his real name. Tho she was surprised that the man enjoyed puggles. Perhaps he wasn't too bad after all and was it just some friendly messing around? Kheera stretched her body with a yawn and drank some water to get hydrated again. And then, it was her time to talk.

Kheera's joyfulness and bubbliness just popped back again. She moved her body up straight and released her hands from the ground. With the biggest arm gestures, she began to talk as if her life depended on it. "So! My name is Kheera, Kheera Fii! I've been in the order for.." She quickly began to count in her head. "Ermm.. Well. Of course, we had the fall of 'em Jedi order, but if we ignore that then it would be thirteen years. I have missed a lot of 'em lessons as I went to hospitals and studied basic healing stuff there. Like how cells work! Now.. some facts. Uhm! So first of all. I want to become a Jedi healer, preferably a combat healer. I also want to break off the path where Jedi healers depend too much on the Force. Meaning that I want to work more with bacta tanks, iv's and so on." She took a breathing break. 'Break', after a few seconds she continued while her breath was still very heavy and unsteady. "AND I'm scared for 'em water! Oh and about the hiking. Mister Cappi here tricked me and made me take the difficult road. So right now, I didn't quite like the hiking. My legs feel broken!" And with her overdramatic sad eyes, she poked her pale legs. "Look, it's all bruised!"

Once Kheera realised what she has done - throwing a whirlwind of words against the two Jedi's ears - her cheeks began to rose up a lot. She was aware of her bad habit, however, she enjoyed talking so much that she didn't quite feel like breaking it. It was part of her personality after all. Kheera ran her hand through her fox red hair and sighed deeply. Her hair was messy, the flowers weren't quite sitting in place anymore and worst of all, it felt dirty from all of the dirt and sweat. Oh, how she longed for a steaming hot shower and a hairbrush.

 

[Veloster Turbo]

There seemed to be a bit of tension between the two padawans. Perhaps they had a previous disagreement, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that they put their differences aside for the time being, and make use of the day. Khelsea wasn't sure how to diffuse the situation quite yet, but she would try to stay cordial and polite regardless of the situation.

Between Cappi and Kheera, the male was definitely the tougher nut to crack. His answer seemed devoid of passion, and his demeanor glowed with indifference and a general lack of interest. Maybe he was the type to keep to himself, and took a while to open up to others. Or perhaps he's had some sort of suffering, and his way of coping was to not care about anything. There was a chance that he really didn't care at all. But why make the trip all the way if he didn't care? It wasn't like it was a stroll through the Royal Naboo Gardens. Anything was a possibility, and it wouldn't be fair to make assumptions so Khelsea continued to be welcoming. It would be easier to teach if he liked her after all. She would respond to him, but keep it short so that he wouldn't have a chance to show home much he didn't care.

"Thank you Cappi. Walks on the beach are nice! I love the feeling of water washing over my bare feet."

And then Khelsea turned to Kheera, signaling that it was her turn. She talked for less than a minute, but the rate of words coming out of her mouth was incredible. There were several interesting facts about Kheera that Khelsea wanted to talk to her about, or perhaps bond over. Khelsea had studied medical care in school, so she could at the very least hold an intelligent conversation with Kheera. As for Force healing, Khelsea had only a minor understanding of it, so she wouldn't be the best at teaching that. Given the chance, she might even put herself into a Force Healing class so that she would be able to get a better grasp of it. Most importantly, Kheera seemed to have given Khelsea a small opportunity to apply damage control to whatever the situation was between Cappi and Kheera. The problem seemed to be that Kheera felt tricked, and that Cappi had gotten up easily. Perhaps there was more to it than that, but Khelsea would work with only what she knew.

"Difficult? I don't think there's an easy way up. It might seem harder, but up here you can see the whole picture. Feel free to look where you came from, and look at the side where Cappi climbed up." Khelsea left it at that, and gave the two a chance to come up with their own conclusions. If she said any more, it might seem that she was favoring one over another. Perhaps Cappi had tricked her and taken what he had thought was easier. However, ten feet leaps were no easy feat and it had taken his full effort to make it to the top. Regardless of Cappi's intent, it kind of worked out in the end, since there was almost no chance Kheera could have jumped the way Cappi did. Maybe if she used her wings, but that wouldn't be a flight, not a hike. She gave them time to go look over and compare the two paths if they chose to, then spoke again when she had their attention.

"Thank you both for your introductions. Hopefully, we can put aside whatever grievances we have for the time being. I'm sure you wouldn't want to waste all that effort in making the trip up here."

Regardless of how they felt about each other, it was time to get down to business. Besides, it was hard to stay upset at someone when you were surrounded by the spectacular display of Naboo's geographical wonders and the region's unique flora and fauna. Khelsea could tell that they were still fatigued, which was normal. That was fine. She would start with the slower stuff. The Jedi Code.

"Let's start with something relatively simple. Tell me what it means to be a Jedi for you personally, and tell me why you feel that way. If you want, you can also give an example on a time you felt like you acted as an exemplary Jedi."

It was a simple question, and since it was opinion based there could be no 'wrong' answer. This could also be debated for days, depending on the participants of the dialogue. As she pondered this, a thought crossed her mind and she quickly spoke before Cappi or Kheera had a chance to answer her question. Khelsea looked at Cappi directly. "And don't just recite the Jedi Code. We all know it."

 

[Lamper]

Face-palm. Arms folded. Hip popped. His hand slid down his face and over his beard. His chin sat into his palm. He just stared, dead-eyed. He felt an immediate impulse to answer Kheera's initial threat outright, without hesitation. But he withheld his wit, went about it wickedly, waited to retaliate; let calmer, wiser plans prevail. Meanwhile, he stared, he brooded, just waiting for his opportunity. Countenance concealed - Tabula rasa.

Khelsea was about as sharp as a ball-point pen, mother hen over here obviously trying to keep the peace. She looked younger than the both of them. Shorter at least. But Cappi couldn't decide which of them was worse. Well, clearly Kheera was. But still. Cappi's eyes may have shifted over to her, but his fish-eyed expression hadn't changed. Oh you want some of this too? I can hold this all day, he thought to himself. Great job. Mental golf-claps all around. You deserve it. She tried to relate to him by agreeing with his beach comment, even personalizing it with a nice little daydream. Could she not tell he was being facetious?

Then it happened. Kheera just... detonated sugar. He couldn't believe, couldn't fathom the degree to which Kheera had erupted to, the amount of bubbly obnoxiousness she had achieved at his expense. She had mounted a full assault on his mind, his stability, tranquility. He just rubbernecked at her, dead-eyed, as she went off to fairy land. Was he hallucinating unicorns? What malicious Sith spirit had possessed her and chose him as its target? How could he be so unfortunate? MISTER Cappi? Shock rebounded off his face like bricks on rubber. Don't ever call me that again, he thought. But then, just then, her explanation and simultaneous action highlighting her bruised and broken legs caused an involuntary, shoulder shirking, snort to squeeze out Cappi's nose. He hid it with his hand.

Cappi's brows raised when Khelsea invited Kheera to go look where he had climbed up from. He stayed perfectly still. He wanted to go look over the edge where Kheera had climbed so he could laugh, but Khelsea's invitation seemed, to him, only to infer on Kheera's part. And when Khelsea voiced her concern for grievances to be put aside, Cappi, of course, shrugged a nod as if to agree whole-heartedly, squinting as though it was obvious he could only agree. Of course.

Simple?!? Cappi listened to Khelsea's kick-starter with disguised stupefaction. Simple? He could remember his first class years ago when they asked him the same question. Well, he reconsidered, they do have to follow up on that once you've learned more to actually know what you're talking about. So he relaxed a bit. And returned the needle of his satanic compass pointed back towards Kheera. He'd have to mess with her more somehow...

"There is-" AH DAMN IT! She caught it. She must know me better than I thought, he rationalized. He restarted after her insta-correction. "Well. Uh. To be a Jedi means to help others. Even if it means taking the harder path. One might say, even, the rockier path. I feel that sacrifice is sometimes necessary to show someone the way to... well maybe to lose a few kilos around the midriff for example. Gee I remember a time when I helped a certain someone take the hard path. And it paid off in the end. Well not right away. She's still a little pudgy, but I wouldn't point it out. Some people can be sensitive. Oh! And they should always give what they owe. And I owe you one..." he walked over to Kheera, wherever she had gone, having dipped a finger in the yellow sandwich sauce, and wrote, smeared one might say, with his forefinger the number one on Kheera's white belly.

"Boop," he somehow managed to say with a straight face in his low tenor. A grown *ss man. Looking Kheera square in the eyes.

 

[LilyNion]

While Kheera was having a sweet teeth as she explained the facts about herself, she noticed Cappi's reaction. A switch in his eyes happened as if he was getting tortured by her sweetness. A little smirk could've been heard from Kheera's side when she finished her introduction.

She made a mental note of Cappi's "weakness" against her sweetness and tucked it into her mind, allowing her to not forget it for now. It's not like she wanted to torture Cappi for real, no, not at all. But she knew the game that Cappi was going to play so she had to get a strategy, a plan. And right now, this was her plan, using her bubbly and sweetness against him.

"Difficult? I don't think there's an easy way up. It might seem harder, but up here you can see the whole picture. Feel free to look where you came from, and look at the side where Cappi climbed up."

Kheera figured that she might as well follow Khelsea's advice. She looked like the wisest of the two, yet also the youngest on of the two. And being a Jedi knight at a young age said enough already. After took a better look a Khelsea, she noticed that she had this exotic look which made her look a bit younger, yet it suited the Jedi knight. She looked charming none the less. Kheera moved her heavy and stuffed backpack off her shoulders, stood up from the rocks below her and walked over to the edge. Kheera compared the two roads, just as Khelsea advised her to do. She noticed how Cappi's path had a couple of difficult jumps on the road which would've been impossible to make for Kheera, yet besides these jumps the rest looked less rocky and bumpy. And with that, Kheera concluded that both of the sides had their own hard parts and Kheera became thankful of Cappi. Him, tricking her, worked out for Kheera in the end. She wasn't the one who had to make those impossible jumps.

As Kheera moved back to the two, she noticed that Cappi was talking about helping each other and taking the harder path. Kheera rolled with her eyes as she laughed a bit, it wasn't rocket science to know he was talking about Kheera. Kheera looked away from the two Jedi's and stared at the beautiful scenery. The forest of Naboo has completely woken up, birds were singing their songs, flowers popped open their petals as the sun rays hit them and here and there, an almost humanlike scream could've been heard. It was nothing more than the animals hunting each other for breakfast. The charm of a morning forest.

And then, out of nothing, Cappi stood in front of Kheera and painted the number one on Kheera's belly. Kheera stared down at her own belly, then back up at Cappi again. She smiled brightly and swung her arms around Cappi's back, pulling him into a big hug. "Booopp!" she said - a bit too loud - in Cappi's ear. Over Cappi's left shoulder, she smiled warmly at Khelsea. "We are becoming great friends, aren't we Cappi!" Her - loud - voice was again joyful.

She moved her arms away from Cappi's back and walked over to Khelsea. It was her turn to talk about what being a Jedi meant to her. For once, her sweet mood calmed down a bit, yet the wave of words hit again as hurricane Kheera opened her mouth. "Being a Jedi for me means that I'm here to protect people, despite how I feel. As a guardian, I'm willing to fight for other innocent's lives and help the ones that are in need of help. That's also the reason why I want to become a Jedi healer. So I can give life to the ones who are about to lose it. You see, a few years ago at the fall of Tython, a padawan named Jade saved my life. She showed me that day what a real Jedi should be like. Selfless, caring and helpful. Ever since she saved 'em ass, I want to help everybody in the way that she helped me."

 

[Veloster Turbo]

Khelsea watched Cappi's antics, and Kheera's response to him. She wasn't too interested in what was happening between the two padawans. She had tried to help, but since it clearly wasn't making a difference, it was time to remove herself from the equation. It was difficult to imagine how two grownups could act the way they did, but Khelsea did not intervene anymore. If they were going to mess around, there was nothing she could do about it. She would try her best to pass on whatever knowledge she knew, but it was ultimately up to Cappi and Kheera to decide whether they wished to make use of their time. The option was theirs, and the opportunity to absorb and learn was right in front of them. It wasn't like they were stupid, so Khelsea was fairly confident they'd make the right choice

Khelsea considered how to Cappi before speaking, and was glad she rephrased her question as quickly as she did. His answer wasn't half bad either, despite him messing with Kheera right after he answered her. He was right in many regards, it was just his choice of words which were less than ideal. Jedi definitely had a responsibility to help others. The more she listened to Cappi and watched his actions, the more he reminded Khelsea of a padawan she had taken classes with when she was still a fresh padawan. However, the difference was that Cappi messed with Kheera. The girl Khelsea was thinking of wouldn't disturb others, only causing a bit of grief to her instructors and teachers.

"That's very true. Jedi have a responsibility to help others, but you also have to judge whether the moment is right and see the big picture. Lending your help is important, but if you decide to help someone and it leads to other complications, or if you help a politician but start a war, what good is that? A lot of the time, there is no distinct right or wrong. It's a complicated process, but as long as your heart is in the right place and you trust the Force to guide your actions, you'll make a justifiable decision. Whenever you have the chance, meditate and take your time before deciding something. When you start going on missions and attempting to solve problems with large interplanetary implications, you want to make sure your decision is something you can live with."

At least Kheera was serious when she answered Khelsea's question. No complaints whatsoever when it came to Kheera's attitude. After all, she was being provoked by a grownup man who should know better. Kheera was taking it all without breaking stride, which was admirable. Curiously, Kheera spoke of Jade, who Khelsea had interactions with. "Jade... Evoyn? Pantoran girl? I know her! We've trained together before." Khelsea thought back to her first interactions with Jade, and her first impression of the Pantoran was almost the same as Kheera's. Jade was undoubtedly selfless, caring, and helpful; and it didn't surprise Khelsea one bit to find that she was like that even before they had met.

"That is correct. We protect people, but your feelings are important too. Don't ignore them. Trust your feelings, and let the Force guide you. Also, its good to have someone to look up to, which is Jade in your case Kheera. But, its important to be yourself. We're all unique, and have our own strengths. I haven't spent enough time with either of you to be able to list your strengths and weaknesses, but don't be afraid to be different than Jade or anyone else when the need arises, and there's always more than one way to help someone."

Khelsea continued to talk for a few minutes about what being a Jedi meant to her, and gave examples of how she and other Jedi had acted, comparing and contrasting styles without putting anyone down. Having spent years in school, Khelsea understood that if she just talked continuously the two padawans would lose interest sooner or later.

Perhaps more critical thinking was required. Maybe they'd come up with the same conclusion as she had, and maybe they would come up with something fresh and new. "Remember when I asked about your thoughts on the hike?" Khelsea glanced at Cappi, who had ignored her question earlier. "Why do you think I asked you to meet me up here? I could've chosen almost anywhere as our meeting location." Khelsea gave the two padawans time to think, hoping they'd draw an analogy between the hike and life as a Jedi. She had recently discovered many similarities between hiking and life in general. For example, hiking trails had both easy and difficult portions. Life was the same way, and no day was identical. Everyday had its own challenges, and it's own ups and downs. Perhaps they didn't see things the same way she did, and by giving them a chance to express their feelings, Khelsea would have the opportunity to understand Cappi and Kheera better.

 

[Lamper]

"Gnah..." Cappi groaned, reeling back as the fairy queen hugged him, hands half raised in surrender. Her voice rang in his ear, her sauce streak stained his stomach, and they sort of slid off each other from the sweat of their bodies. She'd paralyzed him with her cuteness. But despite his disdain for her cuddly retaliation, he did not counter strike. And then she left him in his stupefied state. He slowly turned rejoining the conversation with this sour pickle face, hands turned up like worn rubber gloves after servicing a public bathroom.

Kheera's words did have meaning for Cappi, though he'd never admit it aloud. Her specific reference to being a guardian, or a healer earlier, gave him pause as he did not know where his interest lies. He'd never really been interested in excelling as a Jedi. In fact he almost resented being one at all. Or maybe just the way it all went down. He'd really just been dragging his feet, walking a path he thought his Pops wanted him to. And Jedi always pointed out how much of a privilege it was to be gifted, and how necessary they were for the galaxy and others. It was always so damned important. He didn't get it.

Help this. Help that. Trust in the Force. Tch. He just plain didn't. Cappi folded his arms. He'd shriveled into his shell a little as he listened. Cappi reflected on the Jedi who recruited him with a certain dissatisfaction. He couldn't place why he disliked that Jedi. The more he thought about it, he hadn't done anything specifically wrong. But it felt wrong. It felt condemnable. It felt like a lie. Should I trust this feeling, he asked himself? It was frustrating. His mind raced, heart beginning to pound. But he just stared, keeping it to himself like always.

Finally Khelsea returned to the hiking question, and Cappi realized he'd forgotten to answer that one. Oops. And it showed on his face. Of course apologizing didn't come naturally to him. Whatever. She knows. He could always talk himself out of being polite. It's a gift.

"Well. Isn't that what you do when you exercise sometimes? You go outside. It's like all, zen, and stuff."

He knew she was looking for a more intelligent answer. And he'd had one come to mind. But he just couldn't be that person. He wasn't being spiteful. He just didn't want any badges or stars stuck on his plusses with pats on the back from johnny do good and I'll give you some sweets. The obvious, correct answer that first came to mind was ALWAYS shoved aside in favor of an obnoxious one. If an answer was so obvious to him, then it was like a slap to the face; like a father's inheritance. He despised easy answers. And he responded in kind, with what he felt it deserved, mild passive-aggressiveness, sarcasm.

 

[LilyNion]

Cappi's response on Kheera's high was gold worthy. It brought this big smile on her face, he turned out to be very fun to mess around it. And perhaps, they truly could become friends at the end of the day? She took a mental picture of his sour pickled face and tucked it in a drawer named 'Funny memories'. And with the drawer shut closed, Kheera turned her attention back to the Jedi knight. She realised that it must've been weird for the Jedi knight, two grown ups, teasing each other as little children.

Her voice raised and Kheera moved closer towards the Jedi knight. That they had something in common brought up her mood, her voice became twice as fast than before. "Why yes! Jade Evoyn! Such a charming and talented girl." Kheera's smile was so broad that it looked like her face could split in two, anytime soon. She thought of the moment where she woke up for the first time after the fall. Jade stood next to Kheera, looking all worried at her with the biggest eyes. Between her hand, she giggled a bit as she remembers it all clearly as if it was yesterday. "Oh, and mostly at all, sweet." And with that, she moved away from the discussion topic.

"OH! I'm very much aware that we are allowed to use our feelings. But it shouldn't control our actions, per say. That's one of the things I've learned in the lessons. Let's say.. someone steals your favorite object. Then you shouldn't response with your anger emotions as that'll allow you to make big mistakes. I think we've seen that enough in the past. And don't you worry. I don't want to become a Jade clone! I want to be myself, the amazing Kheera Fii!" A laughter could've been heard from Kheera's side as she moved her arms openly, presenting herself. Kheera didn't quite realise how wasted she looked, dirt all over her clothing, hair messed up, bruised skin.

"Why do you think I asked you to meet me up here? I could've chosen almost anywhere as our meeting location."

Eehh. Kheera rubbed her own temples as she thought about the Jedi knight's question. Ohh damn. What a question. After a little while of thinking, the first thing that popped up into Kheera's mind was how the nature changes, causing the road to be differently every time. With a doubting voice, she began to speak loudly. "Nature always changes, causing the road to never be the same. Rocks will change and fall, mud will dry up or get even wetter. And the same counts for the Jedi. The road a Jedi takes is never the same and it's always changing." While talking, Kheera moved towards her big backpack and opened it with just a single finger movement. "As a change of topic, anyone, want a snack?" Kheera grabbed a couple of sandwiches out of her backpack, handed them over to the Jedi who desired to have one and sat down on a big rock that was in front of the backpack. Charmingly, she moved her left leg on top of her right leg, having them a bit crossed.

 

[Veloster Turbo]

Once again, Cappi hadn't disappointed in delivering an underwhelming answer while projecting complete disinterestedness. He seemed to be a bit warmer towards Kheera, but that might just be the fact that she wasn't trying to ask him questions about the way of the Jedi. Or perhaps he had a crush on her, which was a definite possibility. Kheera was pretty after all, especially if you looked past the dirt and the battered body.

While listening to both her students speak, Khelsea prepared to give her own version of how hiking the Silver Giant related to Jedi life. Kheera surprised her by offering snacks, which Khelsea politely declined. She wasn't going to speak with food in her mouth, and she had brought her own food which she would eat after speaking. She waited till Cappi and Kheera finished fidgeting with their food, and then took the chance to conclude their discussion about what it meant to be a Jedi.

"I know the hike wasn't the easiest, and we still have a ways to go, but I thought it was symbolic of what Jedi deal with." Khelsea paused, and looked to see if she had their attention. It didn't matter if they were examining their sandwiches or looking off into the beautiful landscape, everyone had their own vision and their own lives to live. Jedi abide by their code, but different Jedi lived it out in different ways, and responded to problems differently. It was the beauty of the freedom of thought. They had shared their opinions on the matter, and she would share hers. Their answers were not bad at all, and she could tell that even Cappi understood how Jedi acted, even if he chose not to put that into words. "Kheera, I agree with you wholeheartedly. Although I didn't think about how the trail changes, I think we've come to the same conclusion. Our road is always challenging, and just like how different parts of the trail presents different challenges, various tasks assigned to us, or interactions with others also present their own challenges. And why do people hike? For exercise, yes. But many do it for the satisfaction and view from the top. However, what if it's cloudy. Or foggy. Or you just aren't strong enough to make it? It's a bit depressing, but it's something to consider. Being a Jedi might not be as rewarding as you want it to be, or perhaps it doesn't lead you to where you thought it would. That said, its a lifelong commitment. For me personally, I think enjoying the process is just as important as working towards a goal." Khelsea originally had a bit more to say, but she let her voice trail off. She felt that it was a good place to stop, and just leave everyone to their own thoughts and contemplations.

Seeing that the others were still eating, Khelsea sat down cross-legged, pulled a fruit out and munched on it. As she was just about finished, a small rodent-like creature inched towards her. Realizing that it was interested in the fruit's core Khelsea stretched out towards the animal and put the core down gently so that it didn't feel threatened. Khelsea watched as it scampered off with bulging cheeks, its prize secure in its mouth.

"Well, now that we're fed and rested, maybe it's time to move onto something else. How much do you know about the art of movement?" If they could explain the theory behind the art of movement properly, then they could probably show her what they know and they could go from there. However, if their explanation was a bit lacking, perhaps it would be wise to go back to basics and begin with Force Speed, Force Jump, and a bit of Force Vision. Since they hadn't done anything other than talk, Khelsea wasn't sure how skilled Cappi and Kheera were. She wouldn't be surprised if they knew quite a bit, since they had been with the Jedi Order for much longer than herself.

 

[Lamper]

"Amazing..." Cappi irreverently echoed with rolling eyes after Kheera's open-armed presentation, scurrilously mutating her word to blaspheme her own intelligence. But despite his dispirited responses all day, she was growing on him. Like an annoying little mole that keeps growing, and no matter how ugly it looks or how uncomfortable it feels it somehow draws the attention of countless women who think it's cute; which pays off in the end.

Cappi's distant gaze, pretending to daydream, judged Kheera's answer harshly. He thought, no you pixie-brained fairy. The answer's simple. Just say you choose your own path, but can't predict where it'll take you. It's what he would've said if he were to allow himself to be so bold, and therefore it was obviously the correct and only correct answer. But he didn't.

"Mm."

Of course, Cappi wouldn't refuse the food and munched away on the small offering. He didn't dwell much on the past, and so didn't draw attention to the way Kheera moved on either.

"Well said," he insouciantly cheered, raising a water bottle as a cheers to the end of Khelsea's rousing speech on the Jedi path to rinse a mouthful of sandwich down. Then he took a swig without raising his eyes to care.

Next, Khelsea asked about the Art of Movement.

"Ah. I got this, kid," Cappi said to Kheera, raising a finger and facetiously foretelling a jest. "It's a higher form of movement, reflex and agility amplification by application of the Force... Like when I have a really aggressive bowel movement and I need to traverse the treacherous halls of aimlessly wandering padawans to reach the only available refresher on the other side of the base before I stain the pink panties I borrowed from Kheera's drawers."

He was pretty proud of his brown-nosing styled answer, using his big words and playing the student; his sleepy-eyed squinting and simply casual smile reveling in the imagery he expected Kheera to become fixated upon: a naked Cappi wearing nothing but Kheera's underwear, streaking down the halls holding his butt out of fear as he did cartwheels over peoples' shoulders and awkward wall running in a panic to relieve himself wherever he might find relief.

 

[LilyNion]

Kheera grinned a bit as Cappi accepted her sandwich. With a big smile, her eyes sparkled as she looked over at Cappi as he munched her sandwich. It looked like he could've appreciated Kheera's cooking, otherwise he wouldn't eat two sandwiches in a row... Right? To her, Cappi felt a bit like that annoying little brother. The brother that everyone hates, but not quite for real, people actually find his annoying attitude cute, especially the female friends of the sisters. Could've come in handy one day.

She turned her eyes away from Cappi as Khelsea began to talk about her vision about the road. Kheera could've easily agreed with the Jedi knight's word, as she was right. Cappi cheered for Khelsea once she was finished with her speech and Kheera joyfully joined Cappi's cheering. The cheering wasn't quite outplaced, in fact, it was a deserved cheer. The speech was powerful and strongly told with a lot of passion.

While eating slowly from her own sandwich, she quietly thought about the speech Khelsea just gave. It was quite the thinking material. Kheera decided to write it all down on some paper so she wouldn't forget about it. She opened her big backpack again and after a minute of searching, she found a sheet of paper and a pencil. While Kheera wasn't an artist, she enjoyed sketching from time to time, giving her a reason to always carry paper and a pencil with her. With an almost Royal like font, she began to write down Khelsea's speech, word for word. Between the writing, she took a couple of bites from her sandwich, causing her to slow down a bit with the writing. But after another couple of minutes, the words were written down.

Kheera took a look around the area they were at while waiting for her ink to dry. She noticed that Khelsea gave the core of a fruit to a little creature. The creature's cheeks became swollen and poofed as the core was practical too big for its mouth. But it simply didn't care and wondered off with its prize. For some reason, the creature looked proud, as if he catched a big monster and brought it home to feed its family while telling the story about how he slayed it.

Khelsea then asked a question about the art of movement. Cappi snared Kheera's mouth and began explaining it. Yet when he mentioned the pink underwear, Kheera's cheese rose up madly. The first thing she thought was how he knew about the pink panties she owned. But then she realized that she wore 'cute' blue panties today and since her dress wasn't quite covering it all caused by the sweat, it must've been an easy guess for Cappi. Then, out of nothing, the image of Cappi running around in her pink panties popped up in her mind. Jedi Padawan stared at the half naked Jedi as he ran over the walls. She bursted out in laughter and hid her face away in her hands. It took her easily a full minute to calm down with laughing.

Once she calmed down a bit, Kheera looked over Khelsea and gave her a quite serious answer. "I know nothing about it, I'm scared to say. I've heard the name before, but there it stops for me."

 

[Veloster Turbo]

Cappi's answer was good at first, and without warning it took a sudden nosedive. To be fair, Khelsea could've seen it coming judging by his actions and how he called Kheera a "kid". However, he had surprised her when he seemed to be actually answering a question for once. Khelsea looked at Kheera, and sighed to herself. If she wanted to continue her battle of wits with Cappi, Khelsea wouldn't stop her. However, the ways things were at the moment, it seemed she was a bit outmatched. What Cappi had said wasn't entirely appropriate, but Khelsea didn't want to raise up a stink about it so she let him be for the time being. Besides, if she gave Cappi the attention he'd only continue with his ways. It was best to ignore it.

Khelsea gestured for the two padawans to follow her to the edge of the first peak, and looked down towards the path towards the second peak. It required them to scale down a boulder field. It was almost bare rock, and it led downwards before flattening out and leading back uphill towards the second peak. It was a steep descent, and the boulders were treacherous because one wouldn't know if it was stable or not until they stepped on it. There were sections of chains installed to aid hikers in their descent or ascent, but Khelsea knew that after they had learned the art of movement they wouldn't be needing the chains. Khelsea gave Cappi and Kheera a look. "Meet me down there, and we'll start our next lesson. Come down safely." She stared at Cappi, hoping her words would sink in. She hoped he wouldn't do anything he wasn't completely confident with, and a small slip-up could lead to injury even with Khelsea watching and ready to help.

It was time for a demonstration of the art of movement. Khelsea put her backpack on securely, and leaped off the rock. No running start was required, as the Force guided her and she hopped downwards. Khelsea landed lightly on the boulders, and in less than a second she was airborne again. Her focus was strong, but one wouldn't be able to tell judging from the ease of her movement. Deciding that she only needed two more landings to reach the bottom, Khelsea turned in midair so that she faced the direction she came from instead of the direction she was headed towards. As she landed, she looked up for a split second before launching into twisting back flip. Landing precisely in the middle of a small boulder, Khelsea launched into the air for one last time, and flipped twice in the air before landing softly on a patch of grass. In less than a minute, she was over a hundred meters below the two padawans who had been watching her. From the bottom, she looked up and made sure she was their to catch them with the Force if they needed help. It wouldn't take them more than ten to fifteen minutes, even if they used the chains like normal people did.

"Maybe it's best to start from the basics. You're familiar with using the Force to make yourself jump to heights you wouldn't otherwise be able to reach?" Khelsea was pretty sure that they were able to do that. The difficult part was just focusing and putting together Force Jump, Speed, and Sight. In the valley, they faced a steep uphill climb towards the second peak. There would be plenty of opportunity to practice their jumping, and using the Force to guide them so that they find a suitable spot to land. Khelsea pointed at the trail which led upwards. "We're going this way. Show me what you've got!"

 

[Lamper]

Cappi shook his head, scorning Kheera's responses with an amiable affectation; unable to hide his dopey grin, though not for a lack of trying. She praises his sarcasm and laughs at his wisecracks. Half the time he couldn't tell if she knew he was joking. Most of the time he figured his veiled spite was completely lost on her. It took all his antipathy to bubbly betty just to cage the amusement that warmed his face. Somehow he enjoyed this primitive creature that nagged at his humors and strained his solidarity. But he was surprised to hear she'd not had some introduction to the topic at hand. In fact he chose not to believe it, thinking surely she knew certain aspects of physical empowerment and just hadn't put it together.

Cappi followed Khelsea to the edge as directed, her social strategy working wonders as a buffer against his defense mechanisms. He'd hardly noticed her as a target to keep at bay. She was slipping under his radar. He stood so close he scarcely recognized a spacial disparity.

He pouted an esteemed appraisal of the slope before him, brow raised. First he heard rocks collapsing, imagining the sounds of bones breaking. He wasn't about to go nuts. Not for brownie points. The risk wasn't worth the rewards. Then he watched Khelsea show off. He nodded his modest approval. He folded his arms. Then her earlier quip to Cappi began to resurface with a rebellious friend. And he smirked.

"Don't worry. I got this. Safety with a capital C. See?"
He waved away the notion with a disregarding gesture before suddenly switching onto his palms, kicking up his feet over head and balancing a handstand on the edge.

His pack's contents shifted and sagged, pulling him off balance over board. Taken suddenly by surprise, Cappi let out a playful noise as he twisted a cartwheel down to the next step; the momentum taking him. Starting down the trail backwards he skipped down another step before his back completely tipped and forced him into a committed flip. He just let go and accepted the surge of power in his instincts as they pumped through his body. And though he smiled, his eyes bulged out of his head. Layout. Awkward stumble. Hand scrapes rock. Layout. Stiff landing. Then rock slide. He twisted sideways as he slid down, arms arcing over head and trying to maintain his wobbling until he was forced into a front flip. Each time he took the risk of full committal over an attempt at reservation for a possible restart, erring on areal flight over a refusal to accept the inevitable. He made quick decisions and didn't look back, feeling a sense of sight in his blind willingness despite his dislodged equilibrium. Until finally he tumbled down the homestretch, looking to Khelsea as an eventual obstacle. He'd taken a lot of extra steps, too many missteps, bruised and cut himself, and showed no amount of control. But when the flash of him crashing into her came to mind, he suddenly tightened up like a flexing muscle, pupils narrowed, and shot up into the air with newfound form; arms folding above, head looking for ground, legs straightening over each other as he corkscrewed a dazzling rotation arcing over Khelsea in stalled air-time until he landed. Less so, he pounded through the balls of his toes, rolling off his heels and crashed backwards to his back. It'd hurt, unless Khelsea took pity on him and softened his landing.

On the whole, a half-assed dismissal of the danger he'd faced. Except for that one final moment when he was forced into focus, to do the one thing he tried most to avoid - apply himself.