Ask Takodana Tutelage between Padawans

[Kaedan]

Training Halls || Takodana​

When it came to training, Kaedan took that way too seriously. So seriously that he neglected his need to make friends. Sure, he was an extrovert but the galaxy was something beyond him and If he was going to be a Jedi protecting the galaxy then he needed to be ready. He also wanted to be promoted from the rank of padawan to Jedi Knight as quickly as he could. It wasn't that he was rushing it for rushing sake but more so he believed that he could do more good for the galaxy as a knight than a padawan considering the limits and restrictions. There was more to it but that was the on the surface explanation.

Surely, some of the instructors believed that the boy needed to lighten up a bit. This wasn't the Jedi Order of ancient times that were against attachment. That was very true seeing that he was able to speak with his parents whenever they could over the holo. He missed them a lot. Not a day went by that he wished he could travel home and spend some time with them. His studies as a padawan learner were more important at the time though so that would have to wait.

Due to the concerns that instructors had, they had devised a plan to get the young man to lighten up and to interact more with his peers. There was a newer padawan who hadn't had much lightsaber training and they wanted him to help her out. Having someone close to your age tutoring you could be very effective and that was the idea. It killed 2 porgs with 1 blaster bolt. With that in mind, they informed Kaedan that he would have to assist the padawan which he had no problem with. There was supposed to be a set time for this to happen which was communicated to both padawans.

On the day, Kaedan had did his meditation and force studies earlier than normal. He arrived at the training halls earlier than the agreed time as he wanted to settle himself before meeting this other padawan. He didn't know what level they were at or how he could be of much assistance to them. All he had was the training he knew which all he could do was hope that it would be enough.

@Charndley

 

[Alienor Pom Blodau]

It had been commented on, by a few of her instructors, that Alienor's abilities were rather one-sided. With her background and heritage, she had eased into Force instruction rather easily. Annfyn all had a special connection with nature, one that she had nurtured throughout her childhood. To try and feel the Force and ease yourself into it, to listen and feel the currents and eddies of it came easily to her.

The more physical side of training, however, was not as natural to her. Though there were many great knights and masters that did not use weapons, it was important to train all padawans in their use. The results so far had been, well... poor. She was an ideal candidate to receive extra training from a more experienced padawan.

They had told her to attend the training halls at a certain time, after her meditations. She made her way there apprehensively, quite nervous about the person she was going to meet. If they were instructing her in combat, they must already be quite formidable. It seemed, however, that her instructor had arrived early.

"Padawan Javik?" she asked, stepping into the hall. She held her hands behind her back, fingers knotting with anxiousness. Her long hair was tied back and she wore a simple tabard over plain robes and boots. As she approached, her ears twitched as she awaited his greeting. "I think you're expecting me? I'm Alienor."

She eyed the rest of the room, reliving memories of poor training sessions with a wince. "I'm here for some more practice." She tried to hide it, but she just couldn't. She'd rather be anywhere but here right now.

@StephDLegend

 

[Kaedan]

Kaedan stood in the training hall with his eyes closed. His fingers traced the side of his lightsaber as he thought back to the first set of physical training he had received. He was a quick learner when it came to combat. His first set of lessons were given to him before he had been brought to the temple. His parents were his first tutors before he was found out as force sensitive. He cherished that memory. After arriving at the temple, he quickly picked up learning with the training blade and became really great with it. Now, he had his lightsaber, there was no difference. One of the only thing he needed to figure out was what his main form was going to be. Even though he was pretty skilled, he still had tons of room for growth especially with deflecting and reflecting blaster bolts.

Hearing his name, he opened his eyes and turned around. He knew he was going to be helping out a padawan but he wasn't expecting someone so close to his age. He felt her nervousness or anxiousness; he wasn't sure which was it. He gave her a light friendly smile. "Yes. I am Kaedan Javik and I was expecting you. It's nice to meet you Alienor." He took his hand from lightsaber hilt that sat on his belt and extended his hand to shake hers should she accept. She spoke of needing more practice which he nodded at. "I will be happy to assist. Most teacher would tell you what they will teach you but I will take a different approach. Maybe that will help you not only feel more comfortable but learn quicker in a way that suits you."

He walked over to the side of the room where 2 training sabers rested. He picked them up and walked back over to Alienor. "When it comes to combat, the basics are fundamental. That being said, trying to drill it into someone may not always be the best way to learn." He handed Alienor one of the training sabers. "Don't stress too much about trying to learn a lightsaber form. Listen to the force, let it guide you and let it help you in your movements. Remember, the blade is an extension of you so treat it as such." He smiled and activated his training saber. "My lightsaber have a training mode but I think it would be better if we both use the standard training sabers provided. Try to strike me with the saber and we will see where your training is at and then from there I will do my best to help you improve."
@Charndley

 

[Alienor Pom Blodau]

Linny took his hand and shook it gently, not wanting to be impolite. She listened to his words, finding them a little more soothing than she expected. At least he seemed nice. Some of the instructors seemed to think you were next to useless if you weren't a prodigy with a lightsaber. Her slim fingers wrapped around the hilt of the training saber as she took it from him, offering him a smile.

Linny knew very little about the saber forms, other than that they existed at all. Strange names and weird stances flitted through her mind as she nodded. Holding the hilt with both hands, it took her a moment to find the switch. Pressing it down, the training saber came to life. She knew it was perfectly safe, that it'd do little but give a bruise if she hit hard enough... but something about it still unnerved her.

Linny looked over at Kaedan, watching him stand there. Time to try it. She thought back to her previous training and the lessons that they had imparted on her. Lots of mystic phrases came to mind, about letting the Force flow through her, that she should shape and guide the Force through her actions and movements... but it seemed so difficult to put it into practise. She closed her eyes for a second, to help better centre herself.

Then she attempted an attack. Holding the hilt in front of her with both hands, she stepped forwards quickly, raising the saber and attempting to swipe it across and down. It was a clumsy, half-diagonal cut from shoulder downwards, as her hands shook with uncertainty.

"Oh. Oh dear. That wasn't good, was it?" she said quietly afterwards, pale cheeks flush with nerves.

@StephDLegend

 

[Kaedan]

The other padawan, Alienor, shook Kaedan's hand gently. He wasn't accustomed to shaking many people's hands but he knew it was polite when meeting new people. He handed over the training saber to her and she smiled. Maybe it was due to how nice he was being. Either way, she needed to be comfortable and not tense so that was one of the reasons. The other reason was Kaedan was naturally friendly. The problem was he never had the time to use that side of himself.

Now they stood apart with training blades at the ready, Kaedan gave her a few tips. She shouldn't focus so much on the movements and put her mind to letting the force assist with that. He watched her activate the training saber and he did the same. She moved in, attacking with both hands on the saber. She swiped at him in a cutting motion which Kaedan had no problem blocking. He could feel how uncertain she was by the way she attacked. Further evidence to this was her hands shaking.

She spoke, questioning how good it was. It wasn't in a way that exuded confidence however to her response, Kaedan gave her an encouraging smile. "It's a good start. I can feel why you are struggling. Some would say you lack conviction but judging by how you attacked, it's more of a confidence issue. Quiet the mind, stand firm. Stop trying to prove to yourself that you can do it while doubting it would be any good or that you're bad at this. Lightsaber combat is more than weapons striking an object or something else. Your emotions and beliefs are also at play. They are a part of you and a part of the clash between blades and each strike, cut, stab or any attack you make." He stated as he got back in the ready position.

"Trust in yourself and in the force. If you remain closed off to the possibilities and to others then you will limit yourself. It would fighting a losing battle against yourself." He took a breath and held his training saber in an attacking way but with only one hand. "Try again but this time put your everything in it and don't question if it will be good or if you will be good or anything. Quiet the mind and let yourself and your emotions be channeled through your blade and through your attack."
@Charndley

 

[Alienor Pom Blodau]

Her assessment seemed quite correct. Kaeden had easily blocked her first attempt at a cut, though it wasn't like she was expecting any different. The instructors had sent her to Kaeden for a very good reason.

The words he spoke seemed to make sense, but putting them into action was another. She nodded, though her face betrayed her uncertainty. It was all very well to say that she should quiet her mind and stand firm, quite another to actually do it. "Okay. I'll give it a try," she finally said, thought without much conviction.

Holding the training saber, she stepped back a little. Still, the thoughts raged on in her head. How silly she must look. How much of a fool she was making of herself. How the instructors would probably keep her training until she was an old lady, stuck forever in the training halls...

No. Stop it. Listen to what he said, Linny told herself, caught between her nerves and her anger at her own self-doubt.

She couldn't rid her mind of everything, not straight away. There were still the thoughts bubbling behind her actions, but dulled. She closed her eyes in front of Kaeden and took a few seconds, breathing deep. Slow, rhythmic, as her ears stopped twitching and her shoulders relaxed a little. Through those breaths, she could feel it. Flowing towards her. Flowing through her.

The Force.

She moved again, training saber in both hands. Eyes opened as she made a firmer, bolder slice with the saber. Her movement was quicker, making a fairly wide slash from the side. Her hands weren't quite shaking anymore... though it was still untrained and a little amateur.

After that cut, she looked at him curiously. "That felt better. Was it better?" Linny asked, blinking quickly.

Please say it's better.

@StephDLegend

 

[Kaedan]

After Alienor's first attempt to cut at Kaedan, he gave her advice on her approach. At first, he wondered how he would tutor the girl and how he'd be able to help but now he could see just how he could. He would have to be patient with her and be kind. He could see already that she was not confident and probably had many insecurities which he was not going to add to.

After giving his advice, she nodded even though she looked very uncertain. She even sounded unsure with her words. That didn't matter though. He was confident that she would eventually get it. Whether it took one try or a thousand, he was going to help her out.

His philosophy and dedication for mastering the things he was practicing was also a good way thing to channel in this instance. He never gave up during training and tried until he could accomplish his goal. It would be different for her. That was why he couldn't give up on her and do his best until she felt comfortable enough to continue on her own. And then it clicked. This was the reason he was paired up with her. He was extremely persistent and had the patience for it while she was in need of someone who had the patience and kindness that she needed to open up to herself.

Standing at the ready position, he watched her. She closed her eyes and relaxed. This was it, this was what she was holding in. She was now ready to listen; not to him but to the force. A small smile flashed on Kaedan's lips as he watched her start to move towards him with both hands on the training saber's hilt. She looked more centered and her movements seemed more confident. She cut at him again which he blocked again. She looked at him and told him it felt better. She then asked if it was better. "Yes, much better. I can see you are still worried about it even if it's slight but now you know you can do it. Now, do it again."

Kaedan spent time helping her with her cuts against him, giving feedback. Fifteen minutes had passed and Kaedan smiled. "You're doing good so far. I think you're ready for the next part. This time, I will be the one attacking. Remember, trust yourself and the force. Let me know when you are ready."

@Charndley

 

[Alienor Pom Blodau]

Linny smiled in relief as Kaedan confirmed that yes, she had actually improved. Her fists clenched together in a momentary expression of delight, her big eyes twinkling brightly with happiness. Finally, progress! Kaedan had managed something that several instructors and many bruise-raising training sessions hadn't: making Linny believe she could do it.

Over the next several minutes, Linny attempted several more cuts and slashes towards Kaedan. They were mixed, haphazard and messy, but Linny felt a little more assured each time. With every clack and hiss of training saber against training saber, she felt herself grow just that little bit more.

When Kaedan stopped them, Linny stepped back and mopped her forehead with the back of her hand. Over their short session, she'd worked up a little bit of a sweat. Running her fingers through her hair, she listened to him and nodded. Giving him a quick smile, Linny thought about how to stand. At least she knew that he wouldn't deliberately try and hurt her, which was enough to keep her calm.

Carefully, she raised the saber hilt again in both hands, holding the blade angled in front of her. Her feet shifted a little, one in front of the other, ready. Her eyes flicked from Kaeden's blade to his eyes, then back to her own. This was as good as it was going to get.

"Ready," she confirmed, nodding.

@StephDLegend

 

[Kaedan]

Now that Kaedan had gotten the girl to feel more confident, she started to improve with each attempt that she did. He could see the joy from her and he was glad that she could experience the joy. Now, it was time for the next segment. A strong offense was a great asset to have but only having it would be a detriment. This was why Kaedan believed that she should now be on the defense. He knew that his expertise in lightsaber combat was something but that also meant that if he was going to help her improve then he would need to use restraint.

He watched her wipe the sweat from her forehead before he told her she was going to be on the defense. She nodded and even gave him a smile. She stood with the saber being held in both hands again. She was more firm in her stance than when she had first started which was great. It would seem like his words had gotten through to her, at least enough for her to internalize it.

She looked at his blade then his eyes then her own before declaring that she was ready. Kaedan nodded and got closer to her while ready to strike. "The key is to watch your opponent and not the weapon; see the weapon is an extension of the wielder so all of the intentions are in the wielder not the weapon." He swung at her side in a diagonal slashing motion. He was ready to see how she would fare against him in this part of the session.

@Charndley

 

[Alienor Pom Blodau]

It may have been a firmer stance, but Linny was still nervous. Uncentered. Unprepared. Kaedan's words turned in her head, as she tried to watch him. Not the weapon, him. A hard thing to do though, when you had an actual weapon moving towards you. She tried to keep focusing on him as he moved.

She turned towards his swing, shifting her saber to the side to meet the slash and put it between Kaeden and her body. When the practice sabers clashed into each other, she felt the hilt jarr and shift in her palms. She gripped harder, trying to keep a hold of it as it threatened to wrench out of her hands.

Her boots squeaked on the floor as she shifted, trying to position herself a little better. Trying to put a little of her weight behind her defence, but it just made her slip back. Not the best move for a tiny Annfyn. Scuffing her soles on the floor, Linny tried to centre herself again to hold on, but felt the disadvantage grow. If this was a real fight, she'd probably have been cut in half by now.

She bit her bottom lip as her ears quivered, trying to hold the block.

@StephDLegend

 

[Kaedan]

Switching to the attacking side, Kaedan had moved to attack. He spoke to Alienor, giving her advice on how to defend herself. Sure, it would have been hard to watch a person and not their weapon however the best way to defend against the other person would be to watch them, to see their intentions. If she could get this right then Zatoichi wouldn't seem so impossible. Zatoichi was the art of defending yourself while blinded that many padawans and Jedi alike use as training. Even Kaedan had his problems with it.

As he swung his training blade, she brought hers to meet his while planting her body. Her strength was evident to him with the clash. He could feel how much she pushed against him, even her body being shifted as she put her all into it. Their clash was actually pretty good in his view especially for someone who was practically a beginner. Kaedan shifted his blade off of hers which would have caused her to be pushing against no weight. So that she wouldn't fall, he caught her in his arms and then helped her to stand firm again. "That was pretty good."

He stepped off a bit and got back into position. "You not only defended well against me but you pushed against me with all of your weight. The thing about going up against a stronger opponent like myself is you have a tool that can help and that's the force. Considering that, I think you could benefit from learning Ataru, the acrobatic form. Just a bit of a side note really." He smiled as he got back in position. "Instead of clashing, I want you to parry and then go for either a slash or a lunge."

Moving a bit faster than he did before, Kaedan swung the training saber to the right side of Alienor, followed by a downward left to right horizontal slash.

@Charndley

 

[Alienor Pom Blodau]

Linny felt Kaedan pull himself out of the clash, falling forwards into his arms. She pulled herself back up with his help, letting the training saber go slack in her grip. "Oh!" she announced with a little surprise at his compliment, blushing slightly at it and having had to be caught by him. "Thank you."

She nodded as the older padawan spoke, suggesting a saber form for her to try and learn. Such things were spoken about often among the padawans she knew, as they all took their first steps into training. Linny had struggled at even the most rudimentary sparring until now, so the instructors hadn't even attempted to broach the idea of a form with her. She'd try and remember that for later.

Putting herself back into position, Linny held the training saber's hilt with both hands. Parrying? Did she even know how to parry? Thoughts of what to do and how to move filled her mind as she watched him swing. This time, she moved her saber to meet his swing, perpendicular to his blade. When they hit and she felt the hilt clatter in her sweaty hands, she moved in and tried to wrench it across, to slash it over Kaedan as he attemped his slash. Unfortunately, she did not move as quick as he did, nor was prepared as his training saber swished down on the second strike.

@StephDLegend

 

[Kaedan]

After catching the younger padawan and helping her back up, he told her that she had clashed against him pretty good which she thanked him for. She was blushing but Kaedan didn't exactly know why. Maybe she was embarrassed? Well, even so, she didn't run out or hide away. He gave her a bit of advice for when she was going up against stronger opponents. He even suggested a lightsaber forms for her to consider looking into. He believed that with her smaller stature, she would be able to outspeed her enemies.

Getting back into the action, Kaedan told Alienor that he wanted her to parry his attacks and then counterattack. After all, the best defense was a swift and decisive offense. Moving into attack, he swung the training saber and Alienor brought hers to meet his, successfully parrying the attack. The second attack came just as fast as the first and she wasn't fast enough to stop the hit. Kaedan looked at her apologetically and turned off his training saber. He extended a hand out and helped her back to her feet. "Sorry, I thought you'd be able to keep up at that pace. If you need me to slow down, just say the word. If you want to take a break or try again, you can also let me know. After all, I am here to help you grow at your pace."

Once she was back on her feet, he waited for her to decide what she wanted to do. He held the deactivated training saber in his hand and had a light smile on his face. He was impressed with her progress. From what he saw earlier and heard, she was not good at physical combat but now he could see how much better she was. Even though she wasn't on the level of fighting many yet, she could now stand firm and strike. He could see just how much potential lied beneath the walls. She just needed to believe in herself and to stop being so self-conscious about it and she would be great. She already started that process so it was a matter of time before she got it all down.

@Charndley

 

[Alienor Pom Blodau]

Linny gasped in shock as Kaedan's saber slipped round and sliced her other side. She realised what was happening when it was too late to stop, when she saw him slash it down to her other side whilst her own training saber was over-extended, trying to get a hit on him. It was enough to throw her off balance and, embarrassingly, ended up with her butt getting knocked back on the floor.

She huffed slightly, blowing up enough air to make her hair flutter slightly. She was a little red cheeked from the exertion, with some sweat shimmering in her long hair. She'd done plenty this session already and, whilst she knew she'd probably never be truly comfortable with a saber in any form, at least she'd had some good practice at using one. Nevertheless, she stood up again and nodded at him.

"Don't slow down. I've got to keep trying, haven't I?" she asked, giving him a more enthusiastic smile. "Besides, I want to leave later knowing I managed to get you, at least once." Might be asking for a little too much, but Linny knew she'd feel so much better if she managed to get a touch on him. She held out her hand to her side and felt the saber hilt flick back to her palm. She stepped into a ready stance before lighting up the training saber and going for him again, with a quick slash from his top left across to his bottom right.

@StephDLegend

 

[Kaedan]

Kaedan had struck the tiny padawan and apologized to her. He could see the exertion in her face; the sweat that had built up during their little training session. He helped her back on her feet and gave her the option to take a break or continue. Opting to continue, she told him not to slow down, even going a step further to mention how she had to keep up. He smiled when she declared her wanting to land a hit on him. “Then you got to put all of this confident energy you’re channeling into your combat. I believe you can do it. Let’s see how long it would take you to.”

She had gotten into a ready stance, reactivating her training saber and Kaedan did the same. He dashed forward and parried her attack before spinning and swinging his lightsaber horizontally. “Good, show me what you’re made of.”

---

The two spent a half hour honing her skills in combat. She was improving at a really fast rate considering the fact that she was as bad as she was. Now she was keeping up with him more. This was good.

Sweat dripped down Kaedan’s face and a smile appeared on his lips. “You’re doing well. Good job. How about we do one more set of attacks before calling it a day?” He asked as he moved into a combo of lightsaber attacks. The first attack of the combo was a horizontal left to right power swing, followed by him spinning and him slashing diagonally downward left to right and the final movement him stepping forward and vertically bringing his lightsaber down.
@Charndley

 

[Alienor Pom Blodau]

The next half hour passed in a flurry of parries, attempts and lunges with Kaedan. They clattered and clashed, their sabers meeting and swishing together. Whilst Linny never really managed to get the upper hand on Kaedan, her perfomance and confidence continued to improve. By the last few sparring attempts, she began to feel a level of understanding over her actions, if not comfort.

By the final point, Linny was equally as sweat-dappled. Her skin shone with exertion as she nodded, stepping back to prepare herself. "Sounds good!" she told him, though the effort clearly showed in her voice. She stepped back and held her practice saber ready, awaiting his attack. As he moved, Linny raised her saber to meet his, attempting to block the horizontal slash. Both hands on the hilt to hold the blade firmly. She stepped back, rooting herself with her back leg as she attempted to block and deflect the second slash.

When the final attack came, Linny held her saber up with one hand to meet it. She knew it wouldn't be enough to hold him, but it didn't need to be. As her saber met his, slowing the movement of his saber, her other arm pulled back with her palm open. With a quick gathering pull of the energy around the room, Linny attemped to shove him with the Force, aiming for his body as the saber came from above.

@StephDLegend

 

[Kaedan]

One final stand. Kaedan suggested that they have one final set in this face off and she agreed. As he approached, she parried with the saber. Just like the first, she blocked the 2nd strike successfully. As he brought his lightsaber down vertically, she held the saber up with one hand, holding it in place. She seemed even stronger than the first time they clashed. That was more than likely due to the confidence she gained. Before Kaedan could apply more pressure and add another attack to his combo, Alienor raised her arm and pushed him away with the force.

Kaedan was sent flying and he ended up hitting the wall before hitting the floor. With a huge smile on his face, he got up and deactivated the training saber. "Nice move. You're strong in the force, much stronger than I am if I am being honest." He said with a smile. He walked over to where she was and bowed in respect. "So, Alienor, how did you find your first tutoring session with me? Do you think you're able to continue physical training on your own until the next time we have to do a tutoring session?"

After the time concluded, Kaedan smiled. "By the way, we should be friends. I think that's the lesson the masters are trying to teach me. That is if you want to be friends. If so, here's my EZPhone number." Kaedan waited for her answer and if she did choose to be friends he would exchange his number with her.
@Charndley

 

[Alienor Pom Blodau]

Linny watched as Kaedan flew across the room. She gasped as his body hit the wall, dropping her saber and running over to help. Her feet padded across the floor quickly, face wracked with concern, before she saw him get up with a smile.

"I thought you were... you looked like... oh!" Her face regained some colour as she slowly realised that yes, he was in fact okay and no, she hadn't broken him against the wall. She hadn't expected him to go that far, truthfully, but she supposed she had caught him off-guard. Feeling a little surprised about his bow, she smiled with pride.

"I think I'll be fine to continue practising, thank you. It was... better than I thought it could be!" she told him, genuinely meaning that. She was grinning from ear to ear, eyes lit up. For once, she felt like she'd made some real progress in training one of her weakest aspects and hey, she'd made a friend too! With a nod, she held up her hand. "Give me one minute!" she asked, before quickly scuttling off back to the side of the room, where she'd placed her stuff.

With her phone in hand, she returned and took his number, tapping it into the screen quickly. "Thank you so much! I can't believe you actually made sparring kind of... fun!" she admitted, even though she felt quite tired and sore. Without thinking, she threw her arms around him to hug him, beaming with happiness.

@StephDLegend

 

[Kaedan]

Kaedan saw the way Alienor worried about him from the way she moved over and helped him up. He assured her that he was fine before asking her if she would be able to continue her own training or if she would need to wait until their next meet up. She let him know that she would be fine to continue on her own before thanking him. She expressed that it was better than she had imagined which made him smile.

The idea of becoming friends was presented and Alienor seemed to be on board with the idea. She quickly went for her EZPhone and they exchanged numbers. After they had each others' number, Kaedan put away his EZPhone and before he knew it, he felt arms around him hugging him. Alienor was hugging him! He hugged her back and smiled. "I guess this marks the beginning of our friendship. Guess you're stuck with me now, Alienor."

After they left the training area, Kaedan had a smile on his face. He knew that the masters saw the longterm vision and knew he needed a friend and now he had one.

/exit
@Charndley

 

[Alienor Pom Blodau]

Linny smiled up at him as Kaedan hugged her back. Letting go, she nodded and rolled her eyes a little bit. "Don't be so dramatic," she told him, the irony completely lost on her. It didn't matter though, because she'd managed to actually feel a little bit more confident with a blade. All with Kaedan's help, of course.

Though Linny doubted she'd be amongst the Order's finest duellists, she had a better rudimentary understanding now. Enough that she could face more sparring in the training yards again, if she was called to do so. And she wouldn't forget the fellow padawan who gave his time to help.

And she'd made a friend too!

/end thread.

@StephDLegend