Training Kadell

[SeekerAfterTruth]

Kadell hesitated. Then, Eh, why not?, he reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the simple, light round metal coins they'd played with back at the University. He placed it on his palm, uncertain what to do. Was he just supposed to stare at it?

"Move?" He asked it. Feeling stupid, he moved his other hand upwards, trying to show the direction it was supposed to move in. The coin lay on his palm, stubborn, staring at him impudently.

That didn't work then. He frowned. How had it been?

Jak flipped the coin, and they watched it spin in the air. He knew what it would be before it came down- the face with the torch. He tried to capture that same feeling, of the coin spinning, up in the air, moving- a part of everything...

He hadn't been aware he'd closed his eyes, and he opened them- and stared. The coin hovered a respectable distance from his palm- and then dropped. The expletive just popped out of him in shock.

 

[Octavian Black]

Octavian watched. He could see the disappointment in Kadell's face. "Padawan, its okay. Everyone, even I, didn't have humble beginnings like you," Octavian said walking up to Kadell. "Free your mind," he said while touching his head, "And free your body. Let the Force come into you. Accept it," he said while walking back.

 

[SeekerAfterTruth]

Here was the problem. Let the Force in, his Master had said. But what was the Force? Could he let it in? Was he keeping it out? Did he even want the Force to come in?

Didn't he? Hadn't he wanted to become a Jedi? Didn't that involve opening himself to the Force? To Master Black's teachings?

He took a deep breath. What kept the Force out?

Nothing, He realised. The only thing that could stop it was him never knowing it was there, within him- and naturally, without him. He closed his eyes once more, intensely conscious of the action. In his mind, the illusory coin rose once more- and now, he knew, so did the other coin, outside.

He opened them. The coin wavered, nearly dropped, and he sweated while struggling to hold the mental picture of the floating coin in his mind. He waited for further instructions.

 

[Octavian Black]

"You are showing progress Padawan," Octavian said while walking over and putting a hand on Kadell's shoulder. "We'll move on to the next area of the Force. Disarming an opponent. There will be a time when you have to act quickly without using lethal force," Octavian said as he used the Force to bring over a dummy from the other side of the room. "This dummy has a blaster in his hand. He's about to shoot an innocent civilian. Disarm him," Octavian said.

 

[SeekerAfterTruth]

Kadell nodded, to show he'd heard and understood the instruction. He let the coin drop into his palm with a sigh of relief, and stuck it back into his pocket. He faced the dummy, thinking. This would probably be tougher than the coin.

He tried to keep his eyes open this time. The blaster would move. It would. It had to move. He reached out towards it, conscious his hand was moving as well, and pulled-

The blaster twitched, gripped by the dummy. Resistance. Did he need to pull the blaster over? He remembered the construction of a blaster-

He visualised the securing pin in his mind, and slipped it off. He heard the sound as the power pack of the blaster dropped to the ground.

"I think I've done it, Master." The blaster couldn't fire without a power pack. This had been slightly easier than the coin. Did it get easier to use the Force each time?

 

[Octavian Black]

Octavian watched Kadell operate. He was intending him to pull the blaster out of the dummy's hand. However he took another route, which in turn, was a good choice. "You manged to find a different route then I would of expected you to take. Your choice saved a life. Well done Padawan," Octavian said with a praising tone. "As you use the Force simple tasks like levitating a coin, chair, small objects in particular will get easy. This is the first time you're using the Force. Its not just going to come to you. For some it does. For others, it takes a while. Now we move on to enhancing your natural abilities. There will be a time when you need more strength, extra speed, more flexibility. All these can be achieved through the Force. And through you. To use one of these categories you must be in tuned with the Force. Go ahead and try one of them Padawan," Octavian said as he used the Force to enhance his speed and popped up behind Kadell.

 

[SeekerAfterTruth]

Well, that was a whole new tub of fluffkits. Kadell considered that carefully. He was beginning to get a feel of what the Force was like- the state he moved into when he considered, and thought- a moment contracted, suspended-

And in that moment, he needed to move.

He came up on the other side of his Master, letting go, feeling time slowly expand once more, and flow past. Had he done it? Or had it been an internal perception?

-

OOC: Am I taking too long? >.< -clarification: have I set my character's learning speed as too slow?

 

[Octavian Black]

OCC: Nah. Training can be as long or as short.

Octavian felt the breeze as Kadell flashed by. He was starting to catch on. "Very good Padawan. That is all for the Force training today. Now we move onto combat," Octavian said as he used the Force to bring over two training sabers. "These won't kill. But you will feel the pain as if you got hit by a real lightsaber," Octavian said as he tossed one to Kadell. Octavian then took up the Soresu form.

 

[SeekerAfterTruth]

Kadell fumbled, caught the training lightsaber. He knew there was supposed to be an activation button somewhere, and he pressed it, watching the white blade spring to life.

He swished it, once, twice, listening to the hum, getting the feel of it. When he was ready, he turned to his Master. "What do I do, Master?" he asked. He had a sinking feeling he was supposed to get past that quite impenetrable defense.

 

[Octavian Black]

Octavian looked at Kadell. "Show me your combat experience Padawan. I want to see how much I have to train you in this field," Octavian said as he did a couple of flashy movies with the lightsaber then took up the Soresu form again.

 

[SeekerAfterTruth]

Oh. He was in for it. Really in for it.

"Yes, Master." He said. Feint and strike then, it was. He gripped the lightsaber with both hands- the lack of weight of the blade might through him off slightly- and moved forward, slashing it in a horizontal cut. At the last moment, he fully intended to pull back and use the reversed momentum for a backhand slash.

If he was doomed, he may as well do his best.

 

[Octavian Black]

At the last second Octavian parried Kadell's attack. He then attacked. He slashed going towards Kadell's right shoulder ending at his waist. If Kadell didn't block or parry Octavian's attack, he would feel nothing but pain.

 

[SeekerAfterTruth]

Kadell watched the lightsaber blade came, and threw himself backwards and out of range, quickly. He stumbled, nearly fell over backwards, and haplessly threw up the lightsaber to ward off another blow, knowing it was a bad idea, but he couldn't and shouldn't attack until he regained his footing.

 

[Octavian Black]

"In battle you should always be aware of your surroundings. The Force helps with this Padawan. And you shouldn't make sudden moves like that. It would be your life in a real battle," Octavian said as he let Kadell get to his feet. He then took the Sii-Cho form.

 

[SeekerAfterTruth]

"Yes, Master." He said. That had been bad, but he'd never touched a weapon in his life, and this was one.

He tried to come in more measured this time, shifting his feet until he was comfortable. He wondered if it was possible to integrate the lessons he'd learned, and figured he should try. He reached out again, to that frozen state of time and suspension and moved- his aim was to flash behind his Master, as his Master had done with him, and then ignite the training lightsaber for a strike.

 

[Octavian Black]

When Kadell disappeared Octavian knew what he was doing. He turned right at the right time to class sabers with Kadell. He stared into his eyes. He could see the fury. "You have to be more tactical Padawan," Octavian said as he used the Force to push Kadell just slightly.

 

[SeekerAfterTruth]

"Yes, Master." Kadell said, as he was shoved backwards once more. He needed to think, and to stop reacting and acting mindlessly. That was the whole point.

He was outmatched, he knew. So if he was outmatched, with an infamiliar weapon, then he should react conservatively. And he needed to watch his Master's tendencies to pick up how to handle the weapon- and where to strike. He needed to be unexpected. To be quick.

He gripped the lightsaber in two hands once more, before coming in with a quick diagonal slice, downwards to upwards, and then quickly reversed direction, to bring the lightsaber back along its original path. He brought the lightsaber down with more force because of the reversal in momentum, aiming for his Master's lower shin.