The Student Becomes the Master

[Fyston]

The hum of the hyperdrive gave Xene a sense of calm that he usually only found while fixing machines or otherwise working with his hands. The Peacekeeper was Xene's second home, the Knight always finding some project to undertake in order to improve the vessel. Plus, it had a sentimental value in that this is where he had met his own Master, then-General Valen Pelora. Xene remembered the meeting fondly and subconsciously placed his hand on the hilt of his lightsaber.

Xenefious was attempting to find one such project when he turned a corner and bumped into another Jedi. As he apologized, Xene noticed a group of Knights overseeing a larger group of younger Jedi, presumably to choose an apprentice. "My apologies, I trust you are here to find a learner," began the unknown Jedi, causing Xene to tilt his head in slight confusion. "Err, I was actually on my-" began Xene before being interrupted by the presumed leader of the group of Jedi. "The Force has brought you here for a reason, let's continue. Keep in mind that we're short one, we cannot find her."

Before the leader could continue, Xene caught a flash of motion across the hall, the form appearing for just a moment before disappearing. "I think I found the missing student," began Xene as he took off at a full sprint, hoping to catch up to whoever had piqued his interest. Unluckily for his target, Xenefious knew almost every inch and passage of the Peacekeeper and used this knowledge to gain ground wherever possible. "Wait," he yelled as he ran, hoping to find out why this person was running around the Jedi ship.

@Esther Nyx

 

[Pam0wl]

Nyx chuckled absently as the sprinted down the Peacekeeper's hallways, her lungs heaving with excitement; she'd never seen a vessel this size before. It was HUGE! So much to explore, so many things to see, especially in the hangers. All kinds of space crafts and star ships; with any luck, maybe she could scavenge a few 'spare' pieces for a couple of projects she'd be working on. That was the only real reason she agreed to come on the 'little outing', truth be told, she had no interest in being chosen by a master. True enough, she was getting older than most initiates; the Kiffar just simply wasn't settling into the Jedi lifestyle, at least, not the temple life. Nyx thought she'd be cruising through space on adventures, battling Sith and exploring new worlds. But it seems all she ever did at the temple was attend lessons and lectures. Yes, the overseers were supportive and nurturing, but that simply wasn't what Nyx needed. She survived just fine on her own, in Nar Shaddaa's scummiest slums; dodging slavers and all sorts of nasty people. It's how she developed her nimble agility.

"Come on, IDDY!" She laughed, skidded round one of the corners, vaulting over a service droid as it bleeped in alarm, "Keep up!"

IDDY, as she affectionately called him, was a modified seeker droid. Her first successful salvage project; sure, he wasn't much to look at, he hovered lopsided and his optic glass was cracked, but IDDY was a tough, scrappy little droid. Her partner in crime. Even if he did slow her down at time; he wasn't exactly the speediest droid. If she was lucky, maybe she could scavenge a new battery cell for him.

"Wait,"

Nyx skidded to an abrupt halt, curiously glancing over her shoulder at the source of the voice. She didn't recognise him, whoever he was. Definitely not one of the temple knights. Ever the wild child, Nyx grinned cheekily, "Make me," and then vaulted over the edge of the walk way, landing down into the hanger bays. One had to admit, the girl was agile. She was even showed off a little, somersaulting in the air before landing squarely on a pile of crates. Once again, she looked over her shoulder at her pursuer, seeming rather smug with herself. With a cocky salute, she dashed off again - slamming right into one of the temple overseers.

"Kriff... " She grumbled, "Busted."
@Fyston

 

[Fyston]

The Knight enjoyed the chase and enjoyed the feeling of air filling his lungs. It was likely the biggest reason he had a running regimen, the second biggest being to make him a more well-rounded Jedi. Still, he knew his running alone would not win him this race as, while he was not slow, he was no Usainus Boltidan, the galaxy's fastest being.

He watched as the girl stopped, uttered two words, and leapt. As she turned away, Xene took a side hallway that was reserved for technicians and allowed quicker access into the hangar and leapt down the access shaft that separated the upper and lower levels. The Jedi didn't lose much time as he entered the hangar, mere feet from where the girl had attempted to go before running into the man Xene had been talking with earlier. He began lecturing her on the important of attending class, how she was too old to be an Initiate without a Master, and generally just laying into the girl. "Stop, stop, it's not worth all that, now. The Force has a plan for her and you risk messing with that if you try to force her into a path that doesn't fit her. Besides, an Akk dog has more finesse than you."

As he finished speaking, Xenefious felt the glare of the Overseer as he began lecturing the Knight. Xene did not hesitate to cut him off, though kept a smile on his face as he did so. "My Padawan and I are on assignment from Grandmaster Pelora. If you would like, we can go give him a call explaining why we were delayed on an extremely time-sensitive matter or you can go back to the other students." Xene made an elaborate show of reaching into his pocket and withdrawing what appeared, to the untrained eye, to be a long-distance secure holotransmitter. In reality, it was a simple holoprojector that Xene had modified to use voice commands and make training easier. The Overseer said a few short words and left, leaving the two Jedi standing in the mostly empty hangar.

"Some people take themselves too seriously. Are you okay?" Giving the younger Jedi a moment to answer, Xenefious continued. "Not a fan of traditional classes? Neither was I. I'm Xenefious Krandar, might I ask who you are?"

 

[Pam0wl]

Nyx rolled her eyes as the overseer droned on -once again-. What was this, the fifth time this week? Every lecture started to sound the same; blah, blah, blah, lack of discipline, blah, blah, blah, no respect for authority, blah, blah, blah. By now, Nyx learnt if she just stared blankly and nodded, she'd get on with it quicker. Unless it was Master Loocca; arguing with the Wookie mentor was always fun. She purposefully misinterpreted his hollering, making comical and misleading translations, even though she knew full well what he was saying.

Yet Nyx was snapped out of her bored trance, especially when she heard the interjection of a familiar voice. "Hey," She chirped, "Don't I know you from somewhere? I swear, I've seen you before." Nyx chuckled at her own humour, though the glare from the overseer soon silenced her. There was pushing your luck and then there was asking for it.

Just when she thought the mysterious stranger was ready to add his two credits worth of opinion, Xene surprised her. It wasn't everyday someone defended the rebellious Kiffar, especially when they openly challenged a temple overseer with a bluff. Innocently smiling as the overseer took his leave, Nyx turned on her heels to face Xene. "You lied." She seemed confident in her accusation, pointing to his pocket, "That's a holoprojector. Woah, a modified one too. Sweet." She nodded approvingly before finally offering her name. "Nyx, Esther Nyx. Scourge of overseers everywhere."

A rapid succession of beeping came from above them; the spherical droid had finally caught up. "This hunk of junk is IDDY." It beeped at her, hovering unevenly as it's optical lenses focused and refocused on Xene. "What do you mean 'what happened'? What do you think? You slowed me down, AGAIN, you bucket of bolts."

A series of expletive beeps followed,

"Hey, don't take that tone with me. I put you together, I can take you apart."
@Fyston

 

[Fyston]

When the Initiate determined that he was lying, Xenefious simply smiled. "It's not fair to you that he continuously lies into you like that. Given the speed with which he began lecturing you, it's obviously not his first time. Lies themselves aren't bad so long as the purpose is good. Jedi are supposed to be open minded, after all, and some learn better after having gone for a run. It's why I hated most classes. That and he was a bit of a-" The sound of a nearby crate crashing to the ground covered up Xene's next word. "-to me when I was under him. Authority doesn't suit him."

Xenefious glanced around, trying to and quickly finding the source of a series of beeps. The language from the droid caused Xene to laugh and he made a mental note to copy the list of swears that the droid knew in order to upload the list in other seemingly polite droids. Xene noted that the droid hovered a tad lopsided and reached into the Force. The Knight felt the ebbs and flows of the energy as it flowed through the droid and felt the imperfections, as well as hidden or concealed features. "Quite the droid you have here, Nyx. I'd be interested in fixing him, or helping you fix him, at least. I was born on Bandomeer and spent my early life in the factories fixing droids and other machinery. I normally fix stuff aboard the Peacekeeper, especially stuff that's a tad more dangerous for the normal technicians."

Xene looked the Initiate over when a thought popped into his head. He remembered what the Overseer had to say, as well as what his Master taught him during their first meeting, and realized that the Force had brought him here for a reason. Changing gears, the Knight took off his robe to reveal his dark brown tunic and, equally as importantly, his lightsaber. "Want to spar, Nyx? Since we have the space, we might as well see what that speed and agility can do, right?"

 

[Pam0wl]

Nyx cantered her head aside, regarding Xene with an appraising gaze, “You’re not like others, I’ll give you that.”

Once more she regarded the sorry state of her droid. In his original state, IDDY would have been a sweet piece of machinery; modelled after a Viper probe droid, IDDY’s body consists of a half-hemisphere dome with a red photoreceptor. Attached to that dome were four articulated, tentacle-like limbs that ended in pincers. Nyx had outfitted the droid with an improvised recording system, allowing to mimic the sounds of other droid models as well as visually record; the feed it self could be broadcasted to the crude handheld Nyx currently had strapped to her melt. When living on the streets of Nar Shaddaa, IDDY was Nyx’s eyes and ears, even assisting during her bouts of crime; infiltrating the marked locations, using its abilities to sabotage security features and distract the guards. Good times, good times. IDDY certainly saved her butt more than once

“Don’t let IDDY fool you; he’s got spunk. And well, you know, and electro shock prods. Everyone forgets about that those, haha.”

Though Nyx did admit, she would probably need some help fixing IDDY up; the damage it had previously suffered was just too extensive to keep repairing with cheap, inferior materials. “All I need are the parts; you should have seen him when I first found. Busted up real good”

She watched as IDDY hovered over to one of the crates, before clumsily stumbling onto its limbs where it proceeded to claw its way about. Like watching a majestic metal spider -the size of jawa- crawl about. Nyx chuckled, shaking her head, “Most of his programming and memory is still corrupted, never had time getting round to fixing it. Took me ages just to get his systems online again. I’m surprised his original owner ever discarded him like he did.”

Yet Xene’s next statement caught her by surprise; initiates rarely got to spar with actual Jedi Knights. Usually that sort of stuff was done at the temple, under strict supervision. “Spar?” She started she grin, “As in, I get to kick your butt and NOT get into trouble? I warn you now, I won’t go easy on you. Plus…” She suddenly flung herself at Xene, gloved fist aimed straight for his throat, “I fight dirty!”

It was a disabling move Nyx picked up quickly; in a fist fight, go for the soft, vulnerable areas. That meant the knees, gut, throat and eyes. Even with her saber within reach, Nyx still favoured the questionable thrill of hand to hand combat; her’s wasn’t so much a formal style, more like an unpredictable improvisation.
@Fyston

 

[Fyston]

When Nyx mentioned that all she needed were parts, Xene chuckled. He had spent more than enough time fixing droids, ships, and whatever else the Jedi needed and that endeared him to most, if not all, of the quartermasters and logicians. He'd be able to get the parts or, if they were short on supply, could requisition parts from disabled droids. While those parts might not be brand new, they'd be more effective than what IDDY had currently.

Xene could almost see the surprise on Nyx's face when she asked about sparring, though he was more interested in the smile that had crossed her face. Given how she worded her sentence and how she had acted previously, Xene didn't need to be a rocket scientist to know she wasn't going to play by the rules. As such, when she launched herself at him, the Knight waited until she was too close to stop and pivoted to the side, ensuring that her fist would fly harmlessly by his throat. The Knight also stuck out his foot, hoping to trip the Initiate and wordlessly communicate that he didn't quite fight fair, either. Given her momentum, it would be difficult to suddenly stop but, either way, Xene would give himself some space and unclip his lightsaber before activating it in the lower-powered training mode.

 

[Pam0wl]

“Kriff-“ She tumbled -rather comically- to the ground. But, to her credit, the kiffar rolled into it and recovered well, crouching into her counter stance like a lothal cat with its heckles up.

Her eyes narrowed at Xene but her grinned never faded, “Oh, it’s on now.”

She drew her own saber, one of bright cyan, and rounded on him once more. Surprisingly, Nyx adopted an Ataru style stance; not a typical style for a young initiate to adopt. Though instructed more on in the Niman form, it was evident Nyx was intent on straying from her temple instruction; she dashed at Xene, immediately going on the offensive, attacking with wide, fast, and powerful swings. Speed allowed her to create more strength than what she would achieve in mere static engagement.

But it was clear Nyx was only a novice in this form; more than likely she was only mimicking the limited demonstrations she had seen at the temple. She did not call upon the force as fluidly to aid her in the form’s daring acrobatics. None the less, she used the surroundings to her advantage, bounding off one of the crates before hurling it at Xene in a -rather raw- force throw. She laughed in delight, not really caring if she truly damaged anything; she was just focused on defeating Xene.
@Fyston

 

[Fyston]

A skilled Soresu user, Xene had no difficulty dropping into a defensive stance. The Initiate descended on him with a grin and Xenefious couldn't help but return the smile. Her raw power met controlled defense, the Knight using tight bladework and minor redirections to keep up an effective, essentially impenetrable, shield of blue plasma while conserving energy and countering the raw power of Nyx's attacks. Xene hoped that these movements would provoke the Initiate into using more energy and getting sloppy, a mainstay of the Soresu fighting style.

As he blocked the Initiate's strikes, he glanced at her form. It seemed imperfect, though in a way different from most Initiates. While most learners stuck to a style that they preferred while being taught, Xene couldn't help but think that Nyx had not chosen this style or, if she had, had not had much practice. Either way, her body movements and relatively sloppy use of the Force helped Xene to understand where she would probably strike next.

It was after one particularly forceful deflection, more akin to Djem So than Soresu, that Nyx took to the air. Given her path through the air, Xene could see that she was going for the stack of crates she had bounced off of earlier. The Knight used the Force to topple the crates, ensuring that Nyx wasn't hurt but also ensuring that she wasn't able to bounce off of them. Had he waited a second or two longer, the Initiate would have been unable to adjust and likely would have fallen directly onto a crate, resulting in injury. Still, though, Xene watched as Nyx hurled a crate at him with more raw power than refined application. Rather than expend more energy to deflect it, Xene waited for it to get closer and, again, simply sidestepped. "You have to have more than that unless you always skipped lightsaber training." Xene wasn't trying to insult the young Jedi, instead trying to bait her into further wasting her energy.

 

[Pam0wl]

Throughout the exchanging of blows, Nyx swore repeatedly and in a number of alien languages; routinely listening to star pilots had unfortunately allowed her to develop a rather varied selection of curses, many of which she was now directing at Xene. His effective defence was starting to vex her, prominently because he was showing no sign of faltering. During temple sparring sessions, most initiates buckled under Nyx’s raw power and aggression, caught off guard by her impromptu Ataru. But Xene was steadfast, he would not be surprised so easily; she would have to change tactics.

“Don’t insult me. I’m just getting warmed up.” She laughed,

Her stance reluctantly shifted into the more practical Niman - though Nyx favoured Ataru, it was tiring to maintain. Though Niman's style blade work was simplistic, there were no major drawbacks. Instead, it allowed the combatant more freedom to use both force and martial support. When Nyx’s blade clashed with Xene’s she made a daring kick for his solar plexus; predicting Xene would then make a grab for her leg, she followed through with a shove through the shove. It wouldn’t be enough to send him flying, or cause injury, but it would be enough to put distance between them once more. Rolling her shoulders once more, Nyx readied herself. She could be strategic in battle -when she wanted to be- but more often than not, she would get bored if the mundane style. So, every now and then, she chanced it with some unorthodox manoeuvres – She charged Xene again and at the last minute, made a dive for the floor, slashing her saber for his knees. Knowing now that she would be at a disadvantage on the ground, she then quickly tried to find her feet.
@Fyston

 

[Fyston]

Every time Nyx swore, Xene named the language. While he wasn't fluent in most of them, he was familiar enough with the swears of various species and could accurately identify the languages. What caught him off guard, however, was Nyx's sudden change in form. While most Initiates tended to switch to Shii-Cho, she fell back to Niman. While there were no particular weaknesses, there were no particular strengths and Xene wondered why Nyx might have chosen it.

The Knight made a mental note to be on the lookout for further unorthodox attacks and spotted Nyx's foot coming for him. Keeping his guard up with his lightsaber, Xene grabbed Nyx's foot with his left hand only to feel a shove. Rather than fight it, the Knight hopped back with the force of the shove and took a few extra steps backwards for added room. The Knight looked the Initiate up and down, working to find the best angle with which to attack her. A subtle change in his grip indicated his change to his second form, Djem So.

At about the same time, he watched Nyx run at him and suddenly dive, her blade aimed at his knees. With the benefit of gravity and leverage, the Knight knocked her blade to the side and stepped towards her, aiming to put one boot gently on her wrists and preventing further use of her lightsaber. At the same time, he would point his lightsaber down towards her. Had she been a Sith, he would have been a lot more forceful with his foot and the Knight would have likely tried to break the small, relatively weak bones present in the humanoid wrist while forcing submission with his lightsaber. Still, he kept his guard up and was ready to leap away at any time.

 

[Pam0wl]

Nyx did little to hide her growing frustrations, especially in the face of Xene’s taunting. As much as she hated to admit it, Nyx knew she would more than likely lose this sparring match. Nothing she had done seemed to catch Xene by surprise. He was far too experienced to fall for her usual tricks and wiles; she was fast running out of options, especially when he managed to pin her to the ground.

Cyan blue eyes narrowed for a brief moment, a dangerous glint present in their shine.

Letting out a yell of frustration, Nyx lashed out, making one last desperate strike at Xene; in an unpresodented move, Nyx swept one leg aside, ensuring it collided straight against Xene’s saber. She cried out in apparent pain, the low setting of the saber was still strong enough to deliver a debilitating jolt. Had the saber been on its usual setting, Nyx would have most definitely lost her limb. But she knew it would not be the case (this time). Her other leg shot upwards, squarely aimed for Xene’s exposed underbelly. The awkward angle of her body would hinder the power behind the strike, but for now it seemed Nyx just wanted to hit Xene out of pure spite.
@Fyston

 

[Fyston]

The Knight figured the duel was over and was about to let Nyx up when he saw her eyes narrow and heard her yell. Her move took him by surprise, mainly because it wasn't something that most people would even consider. He was watching her leg connect with his lightsaber when the Force warned him a second too late about the kick coming from Nyx's other leg. He felt her foot intrude into his lower abdomen and tightened his abdominal muscles, protecting his organs from the attack. Xene leapt into the air away from Nyx, keeping his guard up the entire time.

As he landed, the Knight ensured that Nyx wasn't going to attack him and deactivated his lightsaber, though would have entered a defensive posture if there was any indication that she would press the attack. If she followed his lead, he would regard her with a questioning glance. "What made you decide to do that," he would begin, no judgement in his voice but rather a genuine sense of curiosity. "What advantage would you have gained in using that move in a life-or-death situation? You would have lost your leg for a temporary respite and your opponent may be bruised for a few days." The Knight was not attempting to irritate the Initiate, merely to help her understand that costs and benefits must be weighed at all times and especially when your life is on the line.

 

[Pam0wl]

Admitting defeat with a belated sigh, Nyx deactivated her lightsaber but remained on the ground for some time, still rubbing her leg till the soreness finally began to fade. "I wanted to kick you, don't need any better reason than that." Her answer was so simplistic, childish even. It was easy to see why the temple instructors became frustrated with the initiate from time to time. Nyx did not always make good choices, and in the face of consequence, she was often unrepentant. Just like now, as she regarded Xene is a stubborn leer.

Gingerly, she stood, testing her weight on her wounded leg before dusting herself off. "We were just sparring, right? I knew I wasn't in any real danger."
With little interest in admitting her mistake, Nyx instead turned her attention on the coming and goings of the star ships and astrodroids. "What's life without a bit of risk?" She mumbled, more to herself than Xene. If living on the streets had taught her anything, it was that if you're desperate enough, if you're hungry enough, you'd risk anything and everything. Steal from Hutts, pickpocket a Mandalorian. Sometimes the reward was worth the risk; and kicking Xene was apparently worth the pain of a saber strike.
@Fyston

 

[Fyston]

As much as Xene wanted to chuckle at Nyx's initial response, he managed to keep a straight face and regarded the Initiate with a curious look, his head tilted ever so slightly to the side. The Knight understood, or at least he thought he did, though such risky and impulsive behavior were far from what was considered ideal for a Jedi. The stubborn, defiant look that he received confirmed his suspicion that she acted on frustration and was unapologetic at best.

He watched as she stood, testing her leg to ensure that it was able to bear her weight. Subconsciously, the Knight both returned his hilt to its place on his belt and opened a pouch, grabbing a small red vial. Tossing it to Nyx, the Knight let her finish speaking before taking his turn. "That is a low dose NSAID that will help with the pain." Xene took a breath, thinking of the best response to Nyx's second statement. "Life without a bit of risk likely means that we both wouldn't be here. I was born on Bandomeer, as I said before, but I took on the jobs that killed other people. Other kids. See, kids can reach into parts of a machine that adults can't and, without the Force, most kids had no hope of doing certain jobs. I took that risk, damn near died more times than I can remember. To me, at least, it's all about calculating what each risk is worth. Do I risk my life to avoid the wrath of our 'employers' and to, inevitably, save the lives and limbs of children?"

The Knight paused for a second, not sure what to say to continue making his point. He knew she wasn't about to apologize for choosing the move that she chose, though Xene didn't think of it as a mistake, simply a bad choice. He glanced around at the mess they had made and the labour droids picking up the crates and cleaning up their mess. "From the way you act, you had at least a few years on your own before you became a Jedi. Tell me a bit about it, if you don't mind me asking."

 

[Pam0wl]

Nyx caught the dainty vial, curious as to its contents till Xene explained its purpose. After a moment of hesitance, she shrugged and drank it. She waited for a moment, feeling the pain slowly fade until it became completely mute. She nodded in silent thanks before hoisting herself up onto one of the crates. Staring down at Xene, Nyx listened as he alluded to his past; child labour was not unheard of in the slums of Nar Shaddaa. Children were amongst the countless victims of slavers and predators, often ending up dead when they were no long of any use. Nyx had dodged such a fate before. Barely.

When Xene voiced his speculations, Nyx remained silent for a moment, as if contemplating whether or not to reveal anything. After all, Xene was still a stranger to her. Opening up to anyone was difficult for Nyx. Growing up as she did, you only survived by keeping her head low and your mouth shut. Careless chattered sometimes invited unwanted attention. After silent dliberation, Nyx finally nodded, confirming Xene’s conjecture, “The Jedi found me on Nar Shaddaa, living in the slums. Nothing more to it than that; I never knew my mother, never knew my father. I scavenged, I stole, I survived.”

She shrugged casually, trying to write it off as nothing. Some days were better than others. Some nights she went hungry. Some nights she would have to hide, avoiding scumbags and slavers. She had to learn fast in order to stay alive. When the Jedi finally found, the offer of a better life seemed too good to be true. They gave her food, shelter, even taught her how to read and treat the various parasites that riddled her starved body.

“When the Jedi did their initial medical checks, they tested my blood. It matched another in their system; a Kiffar by the name of Devuli Vos.” She trailed off for a moment, her thoughts growing distant as she recalled that “Did you know him? No one talks to me about him."

Devuli was once well known amongst the Jedi; though boisterous in nature, the Kiffar was an honourable man, one who actively fought in numerous battles. Not one for temple life, Devuli made numerous voyages across the galaxy, using only the force to guide him. During these travels, he’d still keep some form of contact with various outposts. Then one day, the Kiffar simply vanished without a trace. Some feared the worst, that he’d fallen foul of some nefarious foes. There was even talk of his capture at the hands of Sith. But nothing was ever confirmed. With his whereabouts still unknown, the Jedi debate whether Vos is even alive anymore. However, one thing was clear, he never mentioned anything about a daughter. Chances are, Devuli didn’t even know about Nyx’s existence; this troubled the youth greatly. Why didn’t she know anything about her father? Why didn’t her father know anything about her?

Sighing in growing frustration, Nyx shook her head, feigning disinterest, “Doesn’t matter. Didn’t need him growing up, don’t need him now. Probably just some cosmic Casanova.”
@Fyston