The Knight and the Padawan

[Just Matt Now]

The Sundance Maiden, recently joined by two other freighters, one more beat down than the other, made its way onward towards Naboo. The destination was made to be a pitstop before continuing on towards somewhere, some place where the growing group of Jedi could be safe and hidden from the reach of the Imperial and Sith agents. Loogo led the group, along with his droid Shorty, in piloting Master Lariks ship as they entered the orbit of Naboo. With the ship's codes and markings erased from it's computer, they would have to fly in with an undercover alibi to the Naboo security force as they hailed them. Soon enough the console lit up, the hail lighting up the console to notify the ship.

Loogo answered the hail..."Requessting permission to land. We sstop here only to refuel and purchase ssupplies." He was met with compliance as they directed him and the other two ships to land at the specified hangar bay. Loogo knew that Master Larik had been busy with the other Padawans on board, though he would definitely be concerned with their landing situation.

"Masster Larik, we have permission to land on Naboo. ETA five minutess..." Loogo voiced in on the intercom system. And right on cue, Larik walked into the cockpit. The Correlian male seemed exhausted, though he wore the fatigue even before Coruscant was sacked. Loogo was used to seeing him like this.

"Ahh, masster. We are about to land on Naboo. Hopefully we can regroup with ssome more Jedi before we leave." He said in earnest.

"Yes, our group has grown large already. More Jedi would add to our hope to continue the Jedi way. I will inform the others, I'm sure they will be pleased to get some fresh air...Too long drifting away in here is bottling up everyones minds." Larik said as he placed a hand on the seated Sluissi's back. And as quick as he entered, Larik was gone from the cockpit, Loogo left with Shorty to land the trio of ships in the hangar bay.

_______________________________

Naboo was untouched by the destruction that the Empire had caused. It's beauty had left the Sluissi in awe as they landed in the spaceport. His mind still attached to their most recent member to their group, Riin. She was probably going through a lot, and he was unsure how long she would be able to sleep without thinking about what had happened to her mother, and her whole world. Loogo felt partly responsible for her. He had felt a connection through the Force to her, felt her pain cry out for help which saved her from the depths of space.

Now that they were on Naboo, Loogo could relax. He was now able to contemplate his next action carefully. Riin wanted to become a Jedi, she wanted to be his Padawan, and Loogo would have wanted nothing more. Waving for Shorty to follow him, the Sluissi slithered out of the cockpit, Riin's chamber was not far and he would see if she was still asleep, or with the others.

 

[Riin Morisani]

The girl had gone amuck in the ship.

Everything from the 'fresher to the sensor arrays filled her with wonder...and the distractions were quite welcome. Loogo's help had gifted her with some untroubled sleep, but always, the darkness crowded in around that serenity, mustering at the edges of her waking mind like a stalking beast or a nameless shadow. Images, sounds, emotions wanted to burst from her, to reduce her again to tears, to numbness, to shock. The interest in the Jedi was helping to stave these darker temptations from going beyond just that and now she had overheard that Naboo was a stone's throw away.

Maybe the youth was over-estimating Loogo's importance to the Jedi group clustered aboard the ship, but she suspected Loogo would be among the first to set foot on this world. The very idea of a fresh new planet was exhilarating, albeit dulled somewhat with the weight of grief not yet grieved, and Riin had every intention of going with Loogo to the planet. As such, she could be found in the quarters assigned to her, checking and rechecking the bag that would be slung upon her back.

It was packed lightly; a pair of socks, a shiny black rock she'd kept from Malastare, a ration bar or two.

Of course, there was also the staff which, comically, was about as long as she was tall, but the girl would insist on bringing it. The Jedi had lightning swords, she would have her 'bo. She wondered if Naboo would be dangerous; had the war reached this foreign world? Was it owned by the Hutts (whom she knew of via horror stories told over glowlamps in the late hours after bedtime)? The questions flitted in and out of her mind ceaselessly and it was a relief to be so distracted.

She tugged on her boots, the black showing wear and the last of the Malastaran mud all but brushed off of them, and stomped her feet excitedly. Maybe today Loogo would start showing her stuff, begin teaching the hard lessons she was on the cusp of beginning with her mother before...before she'd been so rudely whisked away. The prospect excited her even more than that of a new world. A couple of heartbeats of pacing and she slipped the pack on. A few more and she decided to tie her hair back in a ponytail that dangled between her shoulder blades. A fresh churn of moments and she let it down...then put it back in the ponytail. At last, unable to contain herself--and admonishing herself as her mother would have for a lack of patience--she palmed the door control.

She would beg Loogo to go with him if she had to!

 

[Just Matt Now]

Loogo's hand slid over the control of the door panel, although it was as if he had used the Force that it slid open before he could activate it. Slightly surprised, he saw Riin, awake and seemingly enthused to be on a world, and not surrounded by the confines of a ship. Naboo radiated life. Indigenous to hundreds of different species of non-sentients, and home to many Humans and Gungans. It would be a pleasure to both of them to smell the fresh air. Loogo imagined that Riin deserved as such. Towering over her, her innocence showed no sign of tragedy, although Loogo could sense it was merely suppressed. He would fill her mind with things other than her recent loss, and hope that she would prosper from it.

"Why hello there. We have reached Naboo, a pitsstop before we move on to our final desstination. Would you like to accompany me?"

Shorty was right behind him, not much taller than Riin if so at all. He hoped that they would get along as they had, and his presence would ease her mind as much as everything else would. This would be an excellent time to begin her training, yet another factor to move her in the right direction. At this stage it would be so easy for her to fall to the darkside, that even following the light could alter her mind and send her down an undirected spiral. No, Loogo would not let that happen. Riin was too innocent, too pure. He would continue what her mother had set out for her, or at least try.

Unsure of whether to follow this lesson with philosophy, or actual teachings in the Force, he would let it play out organically. Right now they had a world to explore, one which Loogo had been on very few times.

 

[Riin Morisani]

Riin jumped a little to see Loogo already standing at her door, hand raised.

She felt a quick flush of blood rush to her cheeks in embarrassment; she didn't want Loogo to know she'd been sleeping less and less restfully. She didn't want him to know that deep down, fear still had tendrils sunk into the depths of her heart. But the sight of her new friend all but expelled the negativity from her mind and his news took that a step further until it was near-elation that gripped her now. She wouldn't have to beg at all! Loogo wanted her to go with him! She gladly nodded, the traces of fatigue vanishing beneath her green skin as she smiled. "I would!" she proclaimed.

She gestured to her pack and raised a brow. "I brought what I have," she continued, stepping out of her room to stand beside Loogo. "Well, its not a lot," she admitted. She sort of wanted the blaster she'd found aboard her battered transport, but had no idea where it had gotten to. Besides, she reasoned, Mr. Loogo will protect us. He's a Jedi, after all. Having given very serious--as serious as a child could be, at any rate--thought to the idea of being trained by the Jedi, Riin was sure she wanted to be taught. In some distant part of her mind she herself couldn't quite understand just yet, she knew it was something her mother would want of her. She extended a hand to pat Shorty on his cool metallic head and smiled. "Hi Shorty!" the girl chirped.

She looked up at Loogo expectantly, all too excited to take the next step into her life.

 

[Just Matt Now]

Loogo was elated to see her excitement and eagerness to join him, it pleased him so. Although he could feel the fear deep down inside, he could feel the darkness that was forced upon her by the tragedy and what the Sith had done to her. It was up to him, and the Lightside of the Force to guide her path. To make sure that she would never let fear, or hatred overrun her life and consume her. Loogo felt the bond they had between them was strong. He would protect her from this darkness, and all others until it was she who could protect him, and the future of the Jedi Order.

Shorty matched her excitement with his own, opening up a compartment and sending another poof of air that made Riin's hair blow up as he did the first time they met. His new form of saying hello. Loogo was happy to see them getting along, though never doubted it.

"That will be plenty. Before we leave I jusst want you to know. These are very dim timess for the Jedi rright now. And sso mention of them...of us...might put us all at rissk. Jusst keep that in mind as we passs people, which I am ssure that we will. Naboo is a very popular planet from what I undersstand." Loogo said voicing his concern over the entire group. At every moment, they were at risk. Risk that someone, anyone was a supporter of the Empire and would rat them out to the Sith. Despite Naboo being far from their grasp, the risk was always there.

"And now we can go. The otherss I'm ssure are ssearching for resources. I will sshow you the sscenic view of the countrysside." Loogo said motioning for er to lead them out of the ship.

_____________________

After renting a speeder from the spaceport at Theed, the Human capital of Naboo, Loogo took both Riin and Shorty to the beautiful Lake Country. They found a spot in the middle of one of the rolling grasslands. The scene of which was breathtaking, waterfalls in the distance that fed into deep blue lakes. Grassy hills and tall mountains littered the horizon. Loogo hoped that Riin would enjoy it's beauty just as much as he did.

Coiling his tail off of the speeder, he helped Riin off by picking her up and plopping her on the soft grass. Shorty managed to unbuckle his restraining harness and leap off.

"Riin...this is the beautiful Lake Country of Naboo. Probably the mosst sscenic in this part of the Galaxy..." He let her drink in the view. In the distance, several Aiwha's soared above them far enough for them not to be noticed on the ground. And atop a hill was a small pack of Greysor canines that scoured the land for prey.

"Look all around you..notice the animals, the life that breedss from this planet. There are sso many, sso much beauty found in one place."

 

[Riin Morisani]

For perhaps the third time in her life, the girl was stunned into silence.

The view seemed to stretch on forever, no matter how hard she peered at the horizon. So much water! The thought was borne from the memories of her own world, dry and baked as it was. The lush grass was practically a new experience all together and she felt a sudden desire to go running across the hill as fast as she could. Luckily, the expansive view and the accompanying wildlife held her in place. A gentle breeze plucked at her hair, sending it wafting behind her; the smells on the air made her eyes water for a brief moment--so much pollen and fibers--but she quickly grew accustomed to it. There were the scents of the grass, the smell of the animals that seemed far, but were actually much closer. She could smell the dampness from the lakes, the strong smell of the leaves from the trees...all so very new that she wanted to drink it all in before her senses acclimated and rendered the wonder into normality.

At Loogo's prompting, she looked up to watch the flock take to the sky in absolute freedom. She was quickly drawn to the canines however as one or two yipped or growled. She could hear some insect buzzing busily nearby...Mister Loogo is right, the girl decided with an awestruck sigh, this has to be the best place ever! She could feel--if not quite understand--the tears that collected in the corners of her eyes as she did her best to process this abundance of input. It was hard to imagine a war spreading through the stars when there was such a place as this. She turned finally to regard Loogo. Their connection was strong and, while the girl might not yet understand it, she was growing used to Loogo as a constant in her life. Now, she swallowed, glanced over her shoulder and returned her gaze to Loogo.

"Its...its..." she paused as she was unable to locate a word for the scene. "Thank you Mister Loogo," she said finally with a smile.

 

[Just Matt Now]

Loogo continued to take in the scenery himself as though it were his first time seeing it as well. His trance broken the moment Riin broke the silence. "Thank you Mister Loogo" He felt as though this gift of nature was his to give alone. He watched as Riin's excitement and utter amazement poured over her, watched as she saw the peace even in a time so wretched for them as this.

"Don't thank me young one...this is nature.." He replied in a soft tone, grateful for her thanks, though he could not take it for himself. It was the divine and peaceful intent of the force that created this place, and it was something he hoped Riin would remember for a long time. If anything it would serve as a place Riin could always revert back to in her memory, whenever she was struck by the thoughts of her mother and the tragedy that took her away.

"The ssith may have desstroyed everything we loved, but there are alwayss places in this galaxy that are worth fighting for. It is not in the sstars to hold our desstiny, but in oursselves. We musst sstay strong, for the only way the ssith can win is when we give up on oursselves. The Jedi are bound by the Force to uphold this peace, to protect it, and to ssave it. If we musst be desstroyed first, then so be it. It is how I came to find you, young one, who will be the future and who will determine how this peace will once again find the galaxy." Loogo placed a gentle hand on her back as she gawked at the scene.

It was true, the Jedi had to be destroyed if that meant that peace can once again rule over evil. If Coruscant had ever been destroyed and conquered, then he would never have run into Riin. And he could feel the potential in her, he could feel how powerful she could become in the guidance of the light. Had Loogo not run into her, Riin could have died on the freighter, or worse yet, she could have been captured by the Sith.

"You musst undersstand this, Riin. You are the future of the Jedi. And now I will teach you how." Loogo said as he brought the Force to his muscles. And in the blink of an eye, the Sluissi darted in a slither about 100 yards in front of Riin. He watched as her attention was diverted back to him. And in another second, with the Force strenghtening his muscles, he darted back.

"The Force can be used for many thingss. Using it to ssprint fasster is a key power. One that I will teach you firsst so if ever you are in a ssituation where you are in trouble...you can use it to esscape by yoursself..."

 

[Riin Morisani]

Riin listened intently, though she wanted to keep watching the wildlife.

It brought a tremor to her, when he began speaking of the Sith, of the Jedi and of the future. The present was all she had ever considered in her short life; she hadn't given thought to warding off evil, upholding virtue or any of that stuff. Now, it was practically all that was left to her. Bitterness and anger and sorrow vied for her attention, but Loogo's sage-like words struck home. She shivered again, unable to keep herself from swallowing the lump in her throat nervously. Riin opened her mouth to ask a question--and instead found herself gasping.

Loogo had moved like the wind--No way, he was faster than the wind!--with seemingly no effort! She herself had been taught to use the Force to maintain physical balance or to soothe burns and bruises. She knew how to gently push and pull objects to a slight degree, she could use the Force to clear her mind of what her mother called "clutter" and discover answers to questions she only vaguely comprehended. What Mister Loogo just did was very, very far beyond what she'd been taught. She watched, her eyes as wide as saucers in a silly, naive attempt to see the way the Knight was using the Force to his benefit.

Suddenly, everything Loogo said seemed to be extremely important.

Eagerly, Riin shucked the small pack off of her back and moved a little closer to her friend. "I can learn this?" she asked. She shook her head quickly; that wasn't the question she had wanted to ask. "I mean...you can teach me how to do that? Can every Jedi do that? Does being the...the future mean I can learn things like this?" The questions tumbled from the girl's lips faster than she could properly form the questions and, as such, she sputtered until she fell quiet at last.

Every muscle in her diminutive frame ached to make the attempt at the speed Loogo had achieved.

 

[Just Matt Now]

Loogo smiled as Riin nearly tripped over her own words. It was clear that she had not been taught this skill yet. The Sluissi was still trying to judge what she knew and did not know. He figured that it would not matter much, whatever she was taught, he would improve on. It would be clear to see that she knows something when she is told to perform it. He would soon know everything she did, and didnt know, but for now Loogo wanted to work on her speed. Philosophy will come later.

"Yess young Riin. You can and will learn this. And with proper teaching, you will learn many other abilities ssuch as this. Now, let us begin. I want you to feel out with the Force, reach out and connect with the world around you. Feel everything, the grass, the plants, the flowing water, the animals that fly above, and those that are deep within the earrth. Free your mind and lose yoursself in the Force. Focus on nothing but the worrld around you, around us."

Loogo wanted to see how she connected with the Force. There was no doubt in him that she could tap into this, connecting with the tendrils that emanated from everything. He wanted to see how well she could sense and feel the Force around her. Only then will she be able to focus then on herself and her own muscles.

"Tell me what you feel. Tell me how the Force is connecting everything together in your mind."

 

[Riin Morisani]

Riin nodded excitedly and did her best to concentrate.

At first, all she could do was close her eyes and feel. She heard the animals, the breeze, the sound of water gently lapping the shore. She felt sunlight and air and cool; the smell of the world around her flooded her nose. She could sense the world around her easily, but this was not what Loogo meant and she knew it. She frowned after a heartbeat or two and took a deep breath. You're too excited, she remembered being chastened. Calm, serenity will allow you to open yourself more freely. The age-old words did much to allay the wonder that was still fresh on her mind. Another deep breath and Riin tried anew.

The feel of the grass faded away vaguely...and then it was there. She could feel several creatures soaring overhead, their own connections to the Force more limited, but nonetheless present. The trees seemed to be stretching out with the Force themselves in a sort of intent to feel the Force as much as they could feel the sunlight. As Riin focused, it became easier to stretch out and feel and sense the life around them. Burrowbugs squirmed in the ground beneath the grass which swayed in the breeze which lifted the birds who watched the hounds who were watching...

And suddenly, with another startled gasp, she felt Loogo.

It was as if someone was holding an especially bright glowstick in the middle of the day. She'd felt her mother and her fellow students in a similar way, but Loogo was positively...she couldn't not notice him now. So this is what a Jedi must feel like, the girl pondered. She opened her eyes at last and sighed. "Everything is connected," she said, trying hard not to recite words she learned but to mean it. "I can feel how the birds watch the ground for bugs..." she frowned and trailed off.

Putting to words what she could feel with the Force made her feel like her tongue was stupid or that she hadn't learned enough to properly express herself. "I can feel the animals around me," she tried again, "without seeing them or hearing them." She tilted her head a bit and gazed at Loogo curiously. "I could feel you, too. You were...were really, really there," she said with a blush. "I mean, you were...bigger." She rolled her eyes at her own lack of creativity. Finally, she shrugged.

"I could feel," she finished lamely.

 

[Just Matt Now]

Loogo watched as she concentrated. Her eyes closed, yet saying more than she could tell. Yet despite her determination, he could not sense her understanding of the Force around her. Though as time progressed, he could sense her contemplation, despite him not knowing any specifics. And suddenly he sensed her knowledge, her realization of the force connecting them all together. He was happy to see her learn so easily, or perhaps this was something she had already learned. Regardless, it was impressive for her age.

He listened to Riin explain what she saw, to explain what she felt through the Force. It was amusing, though Loogo tried not to smile. She was correct in so many ways, though her innocence had put a delightful spin on the teaching of it. Although, this was one of the first times Loogo was the teacher instead of the learner. Though he did not feel it as such. He was confident in what he was teaching, and he was confident that Riin would pick it up quick.

"Ex-sselent!" He said with his lisp. "What an inssightful way to put it!" Loogo said referring to how she felt the birds watch the ground, though her whole speech was interesting. "Now you see how everything is connected! I want you to concentrate this vision onto ssomething ssmaller. I want you to contentrate it on yoursself. Your bones, your muscles. How they expand and contract, how they work and how your whole body is connected like a sysstem. Feel where you are weak, where you are strong. Undersstand your whole sself as you saw and understood the animals around you. Concentrate young one, but remember to keep your mind at peace."

 

[Riin Morisani]

Riin grinned as Loogo understood what she was trying to say.

She took a deep breath and listened intently to his direction, all too eager to try more of what he was trying to teach. She could feel precisely what he meant about losing herself in the Force; she felt almost as if she were swaying in some deep, vast ocean, moving in and with currents she could only perceive with her mind. The stretching she did with her mind--feeling the way life illuminated and was illuminated by the Force--made it a little easier to concentrate now. Still, that spark of excitement was a little distracting. Nonetheless, she honed in on every word Loogo spoke.

"Okay," she said quietly, fidgeting until she stood with her hands clenched into fists at her sides. Once more, she closed her eyes. Seeing isn't going to help you, she remembered. She extended with her mind as she had moments ago, once more feeling the wildlife, feeling Loogo...with an effort, she turned that sensation inward.

It was a bit of a shock at first; the girl opened her mouth in surprise, but closed it when she began to try what Loogo had said.

Tendrils of energy...electricity? There was current racing in her muscles. She could feel pulses shoot from her mind to her fingertips, which curled and uncurled with the observation. She could almost see how sinuous muscle adhered to strong bone, how joints delicately cushioned interconnecting tissues. She couldn't quite name or fully understand what it was she was experiencing, but it began to make sense. She could feel how if she stretched this muscle, it would move that leg.

The Force felt sort of...tingly as she poked and prodded her own biological mechanisms. Risking a brief lapse in concentration, she cleared her throat. "I think I know what you mean," she said calmly, trying with almost comical seriousness not to lose her focus. "I can see muscles and...and stuff," she continued. Curious, she nudged her hand with the Force, a simple sort of pressing that made the hand jump out before her, eliciting a giggle. She almost lost the hold she had then, but quickly composed herself.

"Okay Mister Loogo," she murmured, eyes still closed, "what should I do?"

 

[Just Matt Now]

Loogo smiled, larger now that he knew Riin could not see him, the name she had given him identifying him as "mister" was adorably similar to "master" of which he was one in the same. He enjoyed Riin's presence, and he enjoyed her character. She was also an easy apprentice to train. Her knack for picking these abilities up were magnificent, although they could have already been taught to her. Though he knew one thing was not, and that would be the next step in their lesson. Loogo reached out with the Force, tapping into her mind and trying to get a vague sense of what she was feeling. She was performing tremendously, feeling every muscle in her system and understanding what and why they were there. Loogo's anatomy was clearly different, although he understood the nuances were similar enough to pass them onto the hybrid girl.

"You are doing ex-sselent. Although now comes the tricky parrt. I want you to focuss your energy through the Force, onto your leg musscles. Almost as if you are pushing the Force into your own body, into your legss. Feel them vibrate, feel them radiate a sstrong enerrgy. This is what you want to achieve. This is you sstrengthening yoursself, sstrengthening your legss, in order to move fasster and become sstronger."

Loogo waited until he saw whether or not she was succeeding or failing at the task. He understood that this step might require a more delicate type of concentration. As it seemed, Riin had never used the Force on her own physical attributes, this would be the first step, the door that would open to a wide array of more abilities, those of which will help her become the Jedi she so wishes to be.

"Now, I want you to run...jusst run and at the ssame time concentrate on the Force. Run with the Force aiding you, your legs will do the resst." Loogo said as he took a motion back and waited for her to open her eyes.

 

[Riin Morisani]

Riin frowned; this sounded easier than it probably was.

How was she to concentrate on the Force, her running and mix the two at the same time without being overwhelmed? Slightly intimidated, she nonetheless prepared to try her absolute hardest. She kept her mind focused on the Force, feeling its cooling-like flow course over bone, through muscle tissue, slip among joints...and, as her friend said, she began to run. Her Mirialan biochemistry and musculature meant she could run quite fast, so she felt zero improvement at first. She darted across the field, lean legs pumping like the pistons in an ore hauler. She was tempted to do what she'd been taught to do when running; focus on breathing, plant each step in your mind and then with your foot.

But no, like Loogo said, she kept her mind honed on the feel of the Force within her own body. It was difficult, at first, and her steps faltered a little; she was trying to focus on her footing, her breathing and her hold upon the Force all at once. In a few moments however, to her surprise, it did become easier than she'd anticipated; once she was able to set the physical aspect of the running to the back of her mind--like breathing, she realized--it was liberating to simply feel the Force swaying and weaving, or so her mind interpreted it that way. Run with the Force aiding you, Loogo had said.

Licking her lips, Riin inhaled and pushed the Force down into her legs.

In the childish way of her thought, she imagined pushing a watery sort of fog into muscle, coated bone with it. This was all mental projection, of course, but it did in fact help the girl in what she was attempting. That tingly-like sensation prickled her green skin...and suddenly she felt it. She felt the field whisking by beneath her feet at a pace she'd never, ever attained before. In moments, she was long meters from where Loogo stood. She curved her run, dangerously approaching the crest of their particular field, and proceeded to return to Loogo.

Her grip on the Force was feeble, but steady for now; she would need more practice to attain better speed. But with what she could handle, she was green and red lightning streaking across a pleasant meadow. She closed the gap between herself and Loogo in--for her--astonishing swiftness. She tried to slow herself as she neared and succeeded. Succeeded, that is, in bowling head over heels and rolling the last few feet to land on her rear in front of Loogo, a most comical expression plastered on her face. Her legs burned, her chest heaved with each breath and her heart hammered like a Tanaabian drum...but she felt good. The proper word would probably have been accomplished, even if her success had been a minor one.

She sat there, hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath in front of Loogo.

 

[Just Matt Now]

Where she now sat was not where Loogo had stayed. While she was focusing and concentrating on the ability and lesson, he had been tempting the greysor who were scouring the land for prey, persuading them to take him and overcome him with their superior numbers. Leaving Shorty with the speeder, he knew that Riin would get the hang of it soon, he trusted her to in fact. And it was his plan all along, though her new found ability would now be put to the test.

As Riin sat down to catch her breath, Loogo had led the small pack of three greysor right for her. If not too overwhelmed by her newfound skill, she would hear the beasts bark and snarl as they sped their way towards the smaller prey. The Sluissi was a short distance away, slipping from the pursuit of the canines before leaving them to attack Riin. He hoped that she would not try to fight them, though suspected hat it could have been a possibility. They were directed to test her skill, despite her just learning it. Had she not have, it would have forced her to, though this was not the case fortunately.

Loogo was proud to see her learn it so quickly, he saw such greatness in her and knew that she would prosper as a Jedi. This was only the beginning. Only a few meters away from Riin, he had her protected the whole time, although still behind the greysor pack and thus out of sight, it would seem as such to the young Padawan. This added effect was also intended to see what Riin was made of and to see how she would act. Loogo stood at a ready to intercept at any moment.

 

[Riin Morisani]

The girl looked up sharply when she finally stopped rolling.

Instead of Loogo waiting for her with a compliment or friendly encouragement, she was greeted by the predators she'd watched only moments ago. Her heart froze...and then began pounding anew. The animals sniffed, snarled, crouched low. Could they smell fear? Could they hear her heart threatening to burst clean from her chest? She slowly got to her feet which seemed to enrage the beasts. Perhaps they knew on some basic level that she was a youngling, separated from her adult--no time! The largest of the hounds darted forward, jaws agape and drool already collecting around its teeth.

Riin choked out a word--"L-Loogo!"--but wasted little time. She whirled around, her feet struggling to find purchase for a moment, and began to run. The pack was faster; she knew they'd be on her, biting, clawing...instead of continuing that horrific thought, she ran for her life, her Mirialan physique straining to its limits to achieve her top speed in the span of seconds. Logic had abandoned her; she was unaware of Loogo watching, unaware he would step in if things got out of control. Instead, pure fight or flight instinct flooded her veins with adrenaline in a cocktail that made her feel downright electrified.

The Force, the girl thought.

There was no way she could outrun predators nature designed to run down prey. She focused as quickly as she could, the Force rising to a crescendo in the whole of her being, and shoved. Her legs, still burning from the impromptu excersize she'd undertaken mere breaths before, became far tinglier than they'd been then. The Force was a strong current, an undeniable rush as if floodgates within her mind had been blown open. Survival instinct coupled with fear and mixed with determination and focus allowed her to grip the Force with more intent and precision than she'd ever done before. She was in more--and yet, less--danger than she was in even during her flight from her ruined home and this resonated with that invisible energy, reverberated within her heart and mind.

The pack at her heels, the girl ran. And then she was running. Her legs were sheer blur; ground flew beneath her every step, wind shrieked and pulled at her ears and her hair. Riin did not even notice the pack fall behind her, fall further back and then stop their useless pursuit all together as she tore full burst across the grassy plain. The feeling of the Force surging in her muscles, in her tendons and bone structure was exhilarating! Her unique alien physiology and the intense influence the Force was exerting on her--as she exerted similar influence upon it--had turned her into something that neared imperceptible. At last, the girl risked a glance over her shoulder at her pursuers.

And came to an even more abrupt stop than the first.

She had covered so much ground that she could not even spot the speeder, Loogo or his droid anywhere! The hounds were long gone and the surrounding hills were at a different angle than when she'd started running. She had no idea how long she'd run nor how fast, but she did suspect she had been moving almost the way Loogo had when he'd demonstrated the breathtaking ability to her. Positively gasping for each breath, she pawed the sweat from her brow with the back of one hand and bent over, hands planted on her knees. The Force still sang within her, but, whether consciously or not, she gradually released it, the amassing of strength siphoning off and returning to calmness that remained omnipresent within.

Her lungs ached, her body was sore and that exhaustion was creeping back into her...but the girl felt like cheering. She'd blazed across the area in a way she'd never considered she could. Had Loogo seen her, what would he say? She looked up sharply and felt her jaw drop. "Loogo!" What if the hounds were attacking him now instead!? Had she abandoned him? She fought to keep calm, but her recent application of the Force left her nerves ajangle. She wanted to run right back to him, help him and Shorty fight off the wolves...but what could she do? He had a lightsaber, the droid probably didn't taste very good and...no. She shook her head; the right thing to do would be to go back and help him. She took another few deep lungfuls of air and prepared to run back the way she'd run here, body trembling or not.

In her naivete, she never suspected Loogo's clever training ruse.

 

[Just Matt Now]

She has lost the greysor's in her sprint, their speed unable to match or even come close to hers. She had mastered the ability under pressure, and this is what Loogo wanted to see. Her ability to use the skill she had learned for her own benefit. And once she ran back, her worry only for the safety of Loogo and Shorty. She would find him waiting for her, next to the speeder along with Shorty and both perfectly safe. Her muscles would have been sore, she pushed herself far enough that learning another ability today would not be wise. Though that did not mean the lesson was over. There was still philosophy to learn. Though he would let her catch her breath, he would let her recuperate before they started that.

"You have learned well Padawan. I am very proud of you. Not many can firsst learn this ability and apply it in the way that you did. As I ssaid before, I taught you this ability firsst so that you may use it to your benefit. Primarily, a lasst resort in the case where you musst flee from any impending attacks. Riin, I need you to undersstand this. If you are ever in danger, and I am not there to help you...you musst run. And know that this is not a cowardly act, but an essential one. Essential to the future of a greater cause, essential to life for all future Jedi."

Loogo cared for Riin despite their short time together so far. Every second they spent with each other, Loogo felt their connection grow. He was happy to see her eagerness to train, and quick talent to learn the skills, though he hoped that she would understand that she was more important than she could imagine, especially in times like these. Where the future of the Jedi was in constant danger, where the Sith had eradicated their homes and destroyed what they loved, killing off so many Jedi and innocents merely to cripple us into submission.