There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

[Sangga]

View attachment 4509

Spoiler: Participants

@Soverin Any other Initiates, consider it open if you hold that rank.

Jedha
Coordinates: I-10
Several hundred miles from the Jedi Temple.
​

Such intense heat, not a cloud in the sky. The strands of long fur that were not covered in robe were drying, some had bleached in the sun. The students had a location and a time. If they wanted a lesson they would need to find him. By the Force, he remembered times his Master would disappear on some frontier world, just to hone his senses; without a map! Now, he could sense a ripple moving across the sand. The Knight stretched out, and then formedthe opening of the Resilience form, no saber. His arms swung around, then the opening was returned to, his open palm facing the sorce of the ripples.

The memories of his Master caused as sense of loss to permeate him. It had been a while since Tython. So many had joined the stream, so early. But they would be remembered, and therefore go on. He could find comfort in that fact, so many had been turned at the death of a close friend in the Order. The Cerean that had taught him right from wrong, the one that nutured his ability. He still thought on his teachings. Such a rogue, they travelled the galaxy when Jakpo was a Padawan. Life out on the Outer Rim, was rough; good training. How would Sasfus find the state of the Jedi. Hopefully, Jakpo's teachings would save a few, save their lives and stop them from being turned. His ear twitched, his snout turned, and his eyes narrowed.

Something was coming, someone was coming. He reached out, and sensed a young stream. Bright, vibrant... but something was different. There in the baking sunlight he waited. "What does the flow bring? Who, or what is coming?" He would wait, only the speeder that he'd used was the other noticeable feature.

 

[Pam0wl]

A dust cloud in the distance was fast approaching from the East; at the rate it was covering ground, one could assume it was another speeder. Single rider. They carved up the sand dunes, wave and weaving across the wide vast barren lands. Finally they made a daring dive down one of the mounds, almost vertical in their descent before finally making their way over to the waiting instructor. Yet even as they grew in, their speed never waned. Closer and closer and closer the speeder came and until finally it skidded to a stop, forming an additional screen of dust and sand. The rider waited for it to settle for dismounting; discarding their goggles and hood to reveal a blue eyed Kiffar girl. The cyan markings across her cheeks were a give away. The daughter of Devuli Vos had apparently come for a lesson.

Nyx was already infamous at the temple; stubborn, undisciplined and -much like her father- unorthodox. It was no wonder one of the overseers had suggested she seek out this strange Jedi known as 'Jakpo As'kin'. It was either that or receive yet another verbal lecture from the irate Master Loocca; though nothing amused Nyx more than mockingly arguing with the Wookie master, her interest was none the less peaked. Go in search of some kind of sage, get out and explore more of the land. Sounded like an adventure, however small. It wasn't a hand decision, allowed her to get away from the stuffy confines of the temple; at worst, she guessed this Jedi Knight was just going to instruct her on the same dogma she had heard before. Peace. Harmony. Use the force to defend the balance of the galaxy. Blah, blah, blah.

Forever the defiant one, Nyx did not introduce herself right away. She stretched and rubbed her aching muscles; the journey had taken much longer than she had originally planned. Who knew it was so easy to get lost in a desert. The force had finally given her direction, after an hour or two of aimless wandering.

Finally, with a cantering of her head, the girl spoke, "Knight As'kin? I'm Esther Nyx, from the temple." Her gaze travelled elsewhere, apparently drinking in their surroundings, "A bit of a strange place for a lesson, don't ya think?"

 

[Sangga]

As she arrived, the Knight dropped his medatative stance and placed his hands together in his robe. As the young female moved up and greeted him something took him aback. Formality? From one that he sensed was so... unused, to formality. He waited for her attention to return to him, the landscape of Jedha could be described in such a way for certain. "The Jedi roam the galaxy, strangeness should be an intricate part of their life." He unclasped his hands and panned around them. Encompassing the mountains in the distance, the open wastelands around them. "Even in a remote location as this, there is the Force... so why not have a lesson here?" He lowered one of his arms and a wry smirk gifted his features, as the unlowered hand moved to fiddled with one of the dangling, woded, tendrils of hair from his muzzle.

"So Esther Nyx, from the temple..." he took a deep breath and paused. Reaching out to view the ripples of the force around this one. Her make-up beamed brightly, her connection to the flow from behind her. Her saber linked her to her future, was this why she asked for help. Exhaling the deep breath, coming out from the moments of perception, his orange, slit-pupil eyes went from being glazed to almost sparkling with excitement. "... why do you come out into this strange place, to meet the strange Jedi 'Jakpo As'kin'?" he began pacing in a slow, solid pace around her.

 

[Pam0wl]

Many often found Nyx to be challenging at times; growing up with no family also meant growing up without discipline or even real socialisation. But through patience and constant interaction, Nyx was slowly adapting. Though rough around the edges, there was a certain 'charm' to her. More often than most, she was pleasant, both with her peers and with the temple instructors. She was just frustrated at times, and it showed - especially at times like this. The Kiffar's eyes rolled her eyes, in obvious disagreement. Roam? She joined the Jedi for a life of adventure and excitement; but the only roaming she'd done was from Nar Shaddaa to Jedha. Since then, she remained confined to the temple, trading one desolate planet for another. The overseers said it was for their protection; the galaxy was tittering a fine line between harmonious chaos and unbridled discord. But Nyx was not some sheltered flower; she had seen the depths of the galaxy's depravity. She did not frighten ease.

She was ready to fight, to beat back the evil in cosmos, even more so after learning of her father's identity (and later disappearance). The Jedi had told her that he was a great man, both respected and praised. His disappearance is something which still haunts the Order. Pushing those thoughts aside, Nyx made a guarded attempt at humour, playing on As'kin's own words, "Maybe because I'm a bit strange myself. That a problem?"

She continued to eye the Bothan, his slow pacing somewhat putting her on edge. She followed his movements, blue eyes trained on his own peculiar pair. Though never once to turned down a bit of fun, Nyx ultimately lacked the virtue of patience. Finally, after an awkward moment of silence, she relented a far more thoughtful answer, "And I suppose I'm here to learn too." Though she was quick to amend it, "I want to learn. It's just...I'm not really sure what is it I'm meant to be learning."
@Sangga

 

[Sangga]

The slow pacing would fluctuate as thoughts moved through his mind. Eventually he would stop. "If strangeness is going to be a part of your life, whether it is a problem is not the question you should be asking. Its part of your life." he sat down before her in a medatative position. The ground was very warm, he almost felt as if his robes would ignite. He became the picture of calmness, and serenity. "If you do not know that which you wish to learn, then some time to reflect is what you gain by being here." To be young again, he felt tired just thinking about it. The heat was something that permeated them both, just like the Force.

The Knight would rest for moments, which would then develop into minutes. He thought on his friends and their methods, how they would try and force their teachings onto students. What this student needed was to find their own way, to embrace the lifestyle and to find what they wanted. What did they already know, what could Jakpo teach them? What oppurtunity coud he provide? He opened his eyes and looked to Esther. "What is the Force, Esther Nyx from the Temple?" He rose and then positioned himself into the opening of Soresu, once more not weilding his lightsaber; with one open palm facing forward.

@Esther Nyx

 

[Pam0wl]

Nyx groaned openly at the Bothan’s riddle like words; already she was pinching the bridge of her nose, as if expecting an imminent headache. Watching Jak’po’s next actions only added more vexation. “I’m not meditating…” She grumbled, stubbornly crossing her arms in blatant defiance, “If I wanted to mediate, I could’ve just stayed at the temple.”

Of all the exercises the Jedi practiced, Nyx despised the reflective arts the most. She just couldn’t cope with that degree of consciousness, being so open and exposed to everything around her. After one particular session, the Kiffar obstinately refused any other further attempts, unwilling to discuss with anyone what it was that seemed to disturb her. One instructor suggested that a Kiffar’s psychometry often made them more sensitive to such vast experiences.

Staring mediating Jedi, Nyx shook her head and turned to leave, “Maybe this was a mistake…”

But, to the Bothan’s credit, his question halted her departure. For a moment, she contemplated it, reciting one of the overseer’s own introductory words. “The Force is a cosmic energy that connects all living things; it is the spirit of the galaxy.” She then turned to face Jak’po once more, “But I don’t think that’s right. When I ‘see’ the force, it looks like water. Strange, I know, but I see how passes through people, the trails it leaves. How it can engulf a singular place like an ocean”- she gestured to their surroundings-“or be as significant as a dirt puddle” like on Nar Shaddaa.
@Sangga

 

[Sangga]

A literally wolfish grin spread across his face. He moved gently from the opening, as if he was guiding the air to orbit around him, to flow past her; a small amount of Force usage stretched out to drag the air. He then returned to a resting position. "Good, some Jedi are concerned with reflection. Some are lost in the strength of arms..." almost too swiftly, for what seemed like a slow individual, his saber was in his hands and ignited. "... perfecting as many different ways to protect the innocent..." he formed a guard and then turned the blade into a ready position. "... defeat evil..." he then extinguished his saber and returned to his hnad glasped in the sleeves of his robes. "... and genuinely causing more conflict. You may hate meditation, but that is a Jedi's closest way of teaching you to find what you want to focus on."

The grin had not dissipated. He reached out with the Force, viewing the flow pass from him to her, watching the slivers of light ripple between them. Jakpo would appear to be standing quiet again, just staring at the space between them. "So many have never opened their eyes to see the Flow... it does me good to hear that someone sees it as well." Once more there was a pause, as if Jakpo was in deep contemplation, his grin slowly metled away to a neutral visage. "So you think meditation is a mistake... fine. Is that because its just sitting down, or more accurately you've been told it is?" He paced backwards and dropped his arms to his side. "So what have you come here for?"

@Esther Nyx

 

[Pam0wl]

Nyx watched Bothan's movements, some what transfixed by the fluidity in which he moved. Admittedly, she was drawn in by the tranquillity radiating off of him, he seemed so peaceful and controlled, even when using his saber. The Kiffar silently envied him, even when she was huffing in apparent frustrations, "It's not a mistake, it's just not right for me."

She struggled to find the right words, letting her frustration ripple outwards through the force; thought she wouldn't admit, Nyx found it hard at times to interact with others, especially when trying to get others to understand her struggles -not that she made it easy for herself. Yet she closed her eyes, sensing the Force as it flowed and lingered around them, like a gentle current. When she opened her eyes, she stared at the Bohan's neutral expression, drinking in the details of his features, "I see things through the force, I feel everything; sights, sounds, emotions, thoughts. How can I focus with so many distractions?"

It was an understandable dilemma. Nyx had come to the Jedi much older than most younglings; she had no problem opening herself to the Force, but trying to funnel into a manageable flow was proving to be more challenging task. How can you wade through the water when torrential waves keep flooding you back?
@Sangga

 

[Sangga]

"Exactly. Now you see the path laid out to you, you opened yourself to the Flow... observed it, and it has brought you here. Masters in the Temple would try and teach you what they observe, place you in classes that they want you in... but you came here. You found me, the Force made you find me." he paced toward her and held out a palm to her shoulder. Concentrating hard, he opened himself to the Flow, but harder still he opened to her. They were now surrounded not only by the Flow of the Living Force that flowed between them and all living things, but the Cosmic or Unifying Force. For the first time the Bothan's face showed a grimace. He could see some of her Life in the ripples of the Flow. Images of countless, frustrated tutors. The streets on Nar Shadaa that he had only briefly seen for a few days with his master; another strand that united these two beings.

He strained so hard, to keep this open between her and him. But alas, this task was too grand for him to maintain for more than a few minutes. He dropped his hand and the link broke. "The Force is always there, it is always flowing, and it is always distracting. You must keep yourself disciplined... or more accurately occupied. Give yourself some relief and bask in the Flow shortly but often, that wil allow you focus on the difference between the two, and then embrace your more... immediate distractions." He entered the Soresu opening once more. "Have you, your own sabre?" his hung at his belt. One hand was the typical open palm, the hand that normally held the sabre was merely open near the side of his head.

@Esther Nyx

 

[Pam0wl]

Nyx did not hide her discomfort from Jakpo; it was after all an incredibly intimate -and awkward- experience they were sharing. The Bothan was able to see more about Nyx than she had previously revealed to anyone, and yet, she was able to gleam information in return as well. She saw Jakpo's own experiences; she shared in the triumph of his trials, as well as his grief in the fall of Tython. It was quite a profound sensation to comprehend at first. Not only did Nyx envision Jakpo's memories but also his emotions of tranquillity and harmony; she almost envied him, being so fluid in spirit that the force just flowed without obstacle or resistance. The Kiffar almost missed the sensation when the connection was finally broken. For a moment, she felt a degree of peace she had never achieved on her own before.

Looking at the Bothan once more, Nyx eyed him with a slightly altered perspective; perhaps the strange Jedi instruction did know what he was preaching after all. Not that she would openly admit such admiration just yet. Instead, she casually nodded, and drew her own blue saber. Surprisingly, Nyx fell into an Ataru stance; knees bent, grip firm with the blade itself erect and cantered just slightly off centre. Not many initiates opted for the fevered and faceted style, but the again it was the most edgy and aggressive of the saber fighting styles; ideal for the hot headed Kiffar.
@Sangga

 

[Sangga]

Jakpo nodded. "Very good, you've moved from not knowing what you want, to a lesson in saber fighting; all with one meditative experience... imagine if you could figure out a method with which to reflect more." He rolled through a loop of meditative stances, and began to move in an arc, never moving away, nor toward. He'd softly extend his sight to catch any intended moves from the Initiate. No sense in being shocked by the acrobatics of Ataru. Many a turn, a spiralling flip or swoop of a Bat, what ever manner of creature the Form used now overlay ed his sight of Esther. As he rotated around her, some overlays faded; while new ones arose. Some of the options were very interesting.

"Some find sabre drills the most relaxing, and centering. Then letting their minds flow in the practice. Come on then, Esther Nyx of the Temple.." As he set a firm stance again, his arms swung in canon passed his belt. The left, open palmed now had its hand pouting at her. The right took his sabre, ignited the blade behind him, it then arced over hus head and the tip now pointed at her; a slight decline in the almost horizontal, orange, humming blade.

@Esther Nyx

 

[J-Wash]

Karen tucked the map under the cargo net and threw the dust-sheet over the bike she'd borrowed from the temple garage, just in case, and heaved herself up over the brow of the dune. Seshi had been busy, and recommended Karen spend some time with a Jedi who, as far as she could tell, tended towards the kind of meditation and philosophising of Karen's first teachers, and she'd seen no reason not to comply. She had a certain fondness for the business of circular arguments about the force and reinterpretations of scripture, even if it seemed a little indulgent when there was a war for the heart and soul of the galaxy on. But if she was being kept in the corner for the time being, there was no reason not to indulge herself.

She crested the hill, and recognised Askin from Seshi's description, and near-human initiate from the temple who looked vaguely familiar (but then again, it was hard to tell them apart sometimes). They looked in the middle of something, both having drawn sabres, so Karen gave them space and took a seat on the hot sand. To her irritation, she saw that the initiate had a full-blown pukka sabre, rather than the half-power training stick she'd been laden with.

 

[Pam0wl]

Nyx eyed the Bothan wearily for a moment; in the presence of her overzealous Ataru display, many opponents faltered and hesitated. The Kiffar would often then use this to her advantage and push forward, keeping her rival on the back foot; yet Jakpo was frustratingly unfazed, tranquil even. And for that, Nyx envied him. He was like a river, well carved and seated firmly in the earth, gentling cutting its way through seasoned existence. She was like a battling brook, still noisy and unfocused; by no means did she dislike the Bothan - but the thought of sparring with him now sparked mischievous delight. Clearly the Kiffar was looking to count some sort of coup. The desire to centre her self was lost; instead, she now focused the prolonging moment of attack.

Truth be told, Nyx found dancing with sabers to be invigorating, as oppose to centring and calming. She was still young, hot blooded even (much like her father). The thought of testing her prowess against a knight was indeed an interesting prospect. To her credit, Nyx drowned out the minor distractions which surrounded her. Like the prey of a Nexu, Jakpo became Nyx's sole focus. Coiling her grasp around the balanced two-handed guard, Nyx raised the her saber vertically upwards, favouring her left side as oppose to her right. Muscles tensed, grip tightened, all whilst her eyes began to narrow ever so slightly.

Upon the thump of her own heart beat, Nyx launched herself forward, throwing herself at the Bothan in yet another flurry of strikes. Everything else was forgotten; there was only Jakpo, Nyx and the force...
@Sangga

 

[Sangga]

Their audience caught his eye. Another student, and he was here sparring with an Initiate. He jolted back into the fight, as the rapid oncoming presence of Nyx dominated his attention. Strike after strike could be countered with a series of short, energy saving motions. One, two, three, back to one and then four. Horizontal blocks, diagonal and vertical. He inverted the blade for a vertical block and then levered the hilt down for a thrust. He refrained from commiting fully at the student, then thought to cease the activity, he waited for another seires of blows to block and then thrust his unarmed hand forward and pushed out with the Force; extinguishing his blade to end the bout.

He took a few steps back and bowed to Nyx. "Good, good. Hapiness in that which you do, comfort in an adverse environment." He panned an arm around, ending at the new arrival. "That sort of focus is what you would need to study the Force, Esther Nyx of the Temple." Slowly the Knight paced a few steps toward the new initiate. "So... what brings you out into the desert, what has brought you here?"

 

[J-Wash]

Karen stood and skidded down the dune to meet Askin, head lowered as she faced him and tried not to be put off by the other initiate. She was tall and dark, and her ease with a sabre made her look competent and dangerous in a way that made Karen feel short, dull, and ordinary. She tried to put it out of her mind.

"Master Ado Seshi thought it would be good for me to meet you," she said, arms behind her back, head tilted up to look him in the eyes. "That is, if you have the time."