Training Kadell

[SeekerAfterTruth]

Kadell leafed through the book, not really looking at the words. Perhaps there is some kind of jinx, He thought. I've never been able to really get to this book.

He leaned his head against the metal wall of the ship, feeling the shuttle's engines vibrate slightly agains him. All around were various people, all taking the shuttle down to Ossus. He'd registered with the Jedi already, or at least, Knight Kw'tula had registered him there. He was to be assigned to a Master, and trained, and when that happened, he'd become that Master's apprentice, or Padawan. That was what Kw'tula had said.

He wondered who his Master was. The shuttle would arrive at the landing pad of the Temple at Ossus soon, and he felt a trickle of worry. What if his Master wasn't there? What if a mistake had been made?

He forced himself to stop worrying. If a problem happened...well, he'd deal with it. The speakers crackled. "This is your pilot speaking. We are approaching the Jedi Temple right now. Passengers are reminded to remain in their seats and strap in..."

 

[Octavian Black]

Octavian could sense his new Padawan. He was standing at the Temple entrance, awaiting the arrival of his new student. Octavian loved to spread the Force. It made the Jedi numbers stronger. Octavian stood erect, his robe flowing in the breeze. He titled his head up a bit and then closed his eyes. He then felt a big breeze. The Force running through him like a body of water.

"Today will be a good day," Octavian said with a smile. Seeing his Padawan among the crowd.

 

[SeekerAfterTruth]

Kadell got off the shuttle with the rest of the passengers that streamed out, taking in the Temple with his eyes. It was a clear day, clear and beautiful and the Temple had an air of majestic mystery to it, as if it had been home to some of the greatest Jedi philosophers in history. There was a clear sense of prescence, where he was beginning to follow the footsteps of the giants that had gone before.

He took a deep breath, and scanned the crowd for whoever his Master might be. He considered standing and waving and yelling, "Kadell Akxender here, which poor sod is my Master?" and decided quite immediately against it. He wanted to make a good impression. But quite honestly, he didn't know who his Master was.

He decided the most logical step was to get clear of the crowd which was dispersing in various directions from the landing pad. So he moved, upwards towards the Temple, where several Jedi awaited on the steps of the entrance. Perhaps one of them was his Master.

 

[Octavian Black]

Octavian put his hand to his forehead and shook his head shamefully. And to think, that is my Padawan. Octavian remained where he was at. He wanted his Padawan to find him through the Force. He knew he could do it. But did he know he could do it? This would be his first test. Once he found Octavian, the training would start. Octavian started to call out to his Padawan through the Force. Not necessarily saying anything. Just making his presence more noticeable.

 

[SeekerAfterTruth]

Right. So maybe that Jedi Master wasn't one of them. Or maybe he was. Kadell suspected that maybe it was some kind of test or something. But how was he to tell which Jedi it was?

Just ask, idiot He groaned as he realised the answer was that simple. But then, as quickly as the thought come, it melted away. There were many Jedi around. And how did he know if his Master was even there? He'd probably have to ask one of them for some administration center or something, and then find out what to do next.

He paused. There was some small, slight insistent tugging. He wouldn't have noticed it, except in the silence, when he felt it, more pronounced. Was it his imagination? It was like a Hey, there tap on his shoulder although no-one was there.

And he was an idiot for following that feeling, but he did anyway, because he had no other recourse. He turned, and picked out one Jedi from the crowd. A pretty tall Jedi, with blond hair, blue eyes, slightly tanned... Eh, why not?

He made his way towards the Jedi. "Excuse me, Master Jedi" He asked, politely, "Do you know if there's any administration center I need to report to to find my Master?"

 

[Octavian Black]

Octavian watched as he Padawan got closer and closer. Octavian didn't give any physical evidence away that he was indeed his Master. He looked into his bright green eyes and gave him a friendly smile, "There is no need to go looking for your Master," said Octavian. "I'm Octavian Black. I'll be your Jedi instructor for the course of your training. Please follow me," Octavian said as he turned on his heels and started to walk inside Ossus.

 

[SeekerAfterTruth]

Kadell followed his new instructor into the building. The man certainly seemed open enough, and he hoped he would learn much from him. He watched the Jedi walk past in the corridors, some with their own students.

"Master Black?" He asked, uncertainly. "How should I refer to you? And oh, um, if you don't mind too many questions...what will we be doing?"

 

[Octavian Black]

While they were walking Octavian couldn't help but grin. He was never the one for formalities. Not unless he had to use them. "Kadell, you may call me what you think is appropriate. I only use formalities when I have to use them. For say when I greet the Grandmaster, or a Master. Because I'm still a Knight in my right. And asking questions is not bad. You like to know what you're getting into. You like to be on top of things. That's not necessarily bad Kadell. And our first course of subject will be the Force," Octavian said while walking down the corridors. He then stopped in front of a door and it then slid open. He entered.

 

[SeekerAfterTruth]

"Yes, Master." Kadell paused. He thought through his next question carefully before asking. He'd heard enough about the Jedi Force to know he was sensitive to it. He didn't know what it was though, except that it dominated Jedi ethics and philosophy greatly. "What is the Force, Master?"

 

[Octavian Black]

Octavian made his way to the center of the room then turned to face Kadell. "The Force is what binds the Jedi, and the Sith, to the world. Drawing off its powers. The Jedi use the Force for good. For say when they want to stun someone or disarm someone. The Sith however, use the Force to inflict pain, cause suffering, and ultimately, death. With the Force you become a stronger being. You have the ability to increase your natural abilities. But to an extent. You also just can't use the Force every time. It will drain you mentally and physically if you are not well trained," Octavian said as he stopped for a bit. Letting it sink in.

"If the Jedi or Sith didn't have the Force, we'd be regular fighters. Some of us would already be dead if it wasn't for the Force. Without the Force, there are no Jedi or Sith. The Force chooses who it wants. And that Kadell, is what the Force is," Octavian said with a smile. "Is there anything else you would like to know before we move on?" Octavian asked.

 

[SeekerAfterTruth]

Kadell paused as he thought, considering this. "So the Force is sentient, then?" He asked, carefully. "I have read of it being described as a field of energy that could possibly be directed by concentrated thought waves. Arkanian scientists suggested sentience was...a metaphor. Master," He added, quite vaguely aware he was possibly crossing some boundary. Was he?

 

[Octavian Black]

Octavian gave Kadell a smile. "Kadell, there are many interpretations of the Force. I myself am still a Knight. I still don't know the full meaning of the Force. Now. Do you know the Jedi Code Kadell? Please recite it for me," Octavian instructed Kadell.

 

[SeekerAfterTruth]

He thought quickly. He'd read of it when he'd read up on the Order...yes. "Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force."

 

[Octavian Black]

When Kadell recited the Jedi Code Octavian felt a tug in the Force. "Good. Good. Now Kadell, if you could, break down each sentence and tell me what they mean to you," Octavian instructed.

 

[SeekerAfterTruth]

Kadell felt a thrill of excitement. Now this was what he liked- breaking down sentences of thought, looking through them, and deciding what each of them meant, and how they related.

"I think the Jedi Code is filled with the juxtaposition of contradictory states, because that is what happens in existence." He responded. "Emotion, yet peace. This characterises life as something felt, in order to be lived. And yet emotion itself is not conflict. Our emotions should interact, but should not conflict gravely within us or drive us to conflict. Ignorance, yet knowledge. There is a sage who said that it is only when we admit ignorance that we gain knowledge. Knowledge can only exist when one admits the limits of understanding and knowledge and thus opens one's self."

He paused, stumbling over the next. It had puzzled him, and it did, somewhat, even now. "Passion, yet serenity. There may be great depths of emotion- we may feel strongly, and yet, even in them all, we ultimately remain centered and unstirred. They are moments of colorful verse in the great play of life. Chaos, yet harmony. In chaos itself, there is nothing that is random- everything has a purpose, and nature knows its own patterns, and even chaos fits in place within this pattern. Everything has a place within a great unity. Death, yet the Force-"

He hesitated. This was the one he had the greatest problems with. "I do not quite understand the last, Master." He admitted. "It seems to present the Force as a part of life and a part of death itself. I suppose energy is present in both states, but still..."

 

[Octavian Black]

"You are a smart one. Knowledge will take you far within the Jedi Kadell," Octavian said with a smile. "Now. What can you do within the Force? Have you tried to do anything yet?" Octavian asked Kadell.

 

[SeekerAfterTruth]

Kadell tried not to let Master Black's praise get to his head. It was his greatest weakness- wanting to be intelligent. "Well, I won a little too many coin tosses back at the University." He said, half-jokingly. "Sometimes, I can make things twitch, or I know just before something happens. I don't know if that counts though."

 

[Octavian Black]

"But you can't do this," Octavian said as he began to float of the ground. "Or how about this," he said as he lifted a pillar slowly off the ground. "I will train you to the best of my ability in the Force Kadell. I will teach you everything my Master taught me. You will learn to be balanced in the Force. Equal in the Force and combat. Are you ready, Kadell? The road wont be easy," Octavian said as he came back down. Both feet resting softly on the stone.

 

[SeekerAfterTruth]

Stars, Kadell thought, stunned, as he watched his Master levitate, and he felt a strange...ripple, was the best he could describe it. As if someone had tossed a large rock onto the surface of a lake, and the lake's waters had rippled. "Yes." He said, immediately. In that moment, he had been acutely aware of what he didn't know. Not everything could be explained through physics. There had always been...something he couldn't explain. And maybe he was finding it now. "I'm ready, Master."

 

[Octavian Black]

"Then we shall begin my Padawan. First we will start with the basics. I will teach you how to levitate items. Pick any item in this room. Then concentrate. Some Force users use their hand acting like a guide to guide the Force to the object. Some can just use their head and or just mind. Telling it what to do. We will find out which one is yours. Go ahead Padawan," Octavian said as he stepped aside.