Expecting the Unexpected [Xaoji]

[Mara]

[... from Council Chambers]

Xierra Zalq, Jedi Knight Guardian, had just returned from a meeting with the Council. She knew she had performed well on the mission to rescue Tas Bey on Metellos, but rewarding her with an assignment to train her first padawan? The Falleen was confused as she walked through the hallway outside the chambers to the nearest turbolift to take her back down to the common areas. She knew it was expected of Knights to continue on with the circle, training younglings into padawans and then into knights, but she still didn't feel ready. Xierra felt so new to everything herself.

She had been plunged on the fast-track to knighthood, she knew. Though she did believe her former master had believed her just about ready, her trials almost completed during their ten years together, Xierra thought Master Revisc had had some personal bias towards her. But after he died and she returned to the Temple, the Masters of the Council deemed her ready; she just had to go to Ilum and complete her lightsaber before becoming a full Knight. And she had, meeting up with Master Beleren and slowly fashioning her first lightsaber, using the crystal that her old master had put in the saber he had given her to use until she created her own. It had been a tumultuous experience for her, seeing the vision of her dead master, him showing her the way to the crystal.

Then she had returned and was knighted, completely in awe of everything that had happen in the last few weeks. The young Falleen had barely begun to register hew new title when she was assigned to a mission with other fellow Guardians: to go to Metellos, find out about Templar Forge and rescue Tas Bey and his padawan. The Knight had gone himself to investigate but had gone missing. Though it was tough at times and they had their share of mishaps, Xierra and the other Jedi had completed the mission successfully.

The Falleen had fully expected to be assigned another mission... but not this. Not her own padawan. She had seen how Val had interacted with her new padawan, Rein. Xierra didn't want to be awkward around hers. She didn't know what to teach a young Jedi. She was still young herself, at age 23. Not that she wasn't against taking a padawan. No, she would have, later, when she actually felt ready for one. But the Council had spoken, and she must obey. They often could see farther into the future than those of younger ranks. What had started out as a good day, was not shaping out to be one she wanted to live out the rest of.

So she found herself now wandering through the various teaching rooms of the bottom levels of the Temple, looking for the padawan that was assigned to her. Rakna Brux was his name, a Weequay. Xierra was unsure as to why she was assigned this particular youngling. From what the Council had told her and what she had looked up on her datapad on the way down in the 'lift, he was a very outspoken one. Prone to action. She had thought they would assign her someone shy, someone, well, opposite to Xierra's personality. Not someone who was similar to how she was while a youngling.

Entering an area where a couple dozen younglings were practicing under the guidance of a teaching master, Xierra lightly coughed into her hand, announcing herself. The master held up his hand, telling the young Jedi to continue as he walked to the back of the room to meet with the Guardian Knight. They spoke quietly for a while, Xierra explaining her presence there. The master nodded--he was used to younglings being taken out of his classes, something all teachers aspired to happen to them--and walked over to the young Weequay, quickly whispering to him and motioning to the door where Xierra was standing.

Xierra moved out into the hallway to wait for her padawan. And the next step in her life as a Jedi. She took a deep calming breath. The Falleen's life would never be the same, ever again. And it was up to her whether it would be to the better, or to the worse.

[Xaojii]

Rakna stood there stunned as his instructor informed him of what had just transpired. Was this really happening to him? He had watched for a couple of years now as some other students were taken away and he knew it was only a matter of time before it happened to himself but that time seemed to pass by ever so slowly almost to the point where he though it would never come and he'd be sent to the Service Corps. - the proverbial 'oops' pile of The Jedi Order.

But now one of his long awaited dreams had finally come true. He had his very own master! His master was a Jedi! A she! She even looked like a Jedi! Rakna caught that last thought; he's a Jedi, too, though. He never really thought of himself as a Jedi. For some reason he was always just himself, officially a trainee or youngling, but outside the walls of the Temple he was more Jedi than just about everyone. Was he a Jedi, really?

He tried to hide his excitement as much as possible, though he was bursting at the seams with energy at this point. Rakna didn't want to give a bad first impression on his master, he knew she could feel it though and didn't want her to think he was going to be a handful. He turned to corner to find her standing there. "Hey, so I guess you're my new instructor? He didn't tell me your name.", He said, focusing less on what he was saying and more on trying to retain the grin he was sporting at this point.

[Mara]

She stood there, waiting, trying to look the part of a professional Jedi, her arms stuffed in the opposite sleeves of her robe, her posture straight and unmoving. Xierra had decided to forego wearing her hood, however and it was hanging down against her back, showing her striking black hair. She wore it loose again now; it felt a lot better to her after having it tied tightly behind her during the duration of her mission. The Falleen also thought it would make her look more approachable, if she didn't have half her face hidden within the dark confines of the hood. No use scaring her padawan right off. She knew that her species and her height could sometimes be overwhelming even to other Knights. It wouldn't due to make it worse.

However, Xierra didn't think that would be a problem. Ever since drawing herself back into the hallway, she had refocused her grasp of the Force. Instead of an over-reaching position, she had brought it back down, centering it on the Weequay boy, trying to get a feel for his emotions. And almost immediately she was flooded with a burst of excitement from Rakna. She had to smile at it, remember how she had felt when Master Revisc had found her and requested to be her master. Xierra had been overjoyed at being able to study with the human Master.

Though, she would have to be quick to rid him of those feelings. Some happiness was allowed, yes, but she didn't want him being so overexcited that he wouldn't learn anything or worse, get himself into trouble. Again, she thought of her own past experience being on the opposite end of the padawan/master relationship. Xierra figured that until she got used to this boy as her padawan, she would probably be feeding him a lot of the same knowledge Master Revisc had taught her.

When Rakna finally came to a stop in front of her, she nodded at him and smiled. Best to get off on the right foot with her new padawan. She had thought about adding a more reddish tint to her skin, without emitting pheromones, to help her padawan feel more comfortable. But after feeling his loud and energetic presence in the Force, Xierra decided it would be a waste. "Yes, the Council has granted you to me." Granted? She wanted to smack herself for her wordage. So much for getting off to a good start.

"My name is Xierra Zalq, Jedi Knight Guardian." Xierra held out her hand, not knowing what else to do. "It'll be my pleasure to serve as your Master," she added with another smile. And again, she had stuck her foot in her mouth. Where was Master Revisc when she needed him? Why wouldn't he stop by now as he had done on Ilum when she was searching for her crystal? Xierra could really use a pep talk from her late master.

Not wanting to stand in the hall forever, the tall humanoid turned and started walking, nowhere in particular. She just wanted to get to know this Weequay who would most likely be spending the next decade with her as she trained him until he had faced all his Trials and could be knighted. As he fell in step with her, she remained lost in her thoughts, grasping for an appropriate question to ask him. For lack of a better one, she just asked, "Do you have any questions for me?"

[Xaojii]

He puttered down the soft carpeted halls of the Jedi Temple close by his new instructor. "Nope." Rakna said calmly. There were a million questions he really did have to ask, but he was pretty certain what the answers would be anyway. Or he would find out soon enough, so he just kept them to himself and followed his master not sure exactly where they were going but he was certain that she knew just what the next step was supposed to be.

Rakna didn't know anything about Xierra, but if she was granted a padawan then she must be worthy of the title 'Master' in the eyes of the council. All great Jedi he knew had at least one apprentice, it was a law or something. And those padawans always became great jedi too, so if Xierra had a padawan, she was a great jedi? That meant Rakna would be a great jedi! "She is probably so in tune with the force she can travel time or move planets or something!"[/i] With that thought, a huge smile grew across his face. He could hardly wait to see just how much she could teach him.

[Mara]

Blast, she thought. He had no questions. So it would be up to her to guide the conversation, it seemed, as the young being walked quietly beside her. She glanced down at him a couple days, silent, lost in her own thoughts as well. Xierra wasn't sure if he was just nervous or content. With a subtle touch within the Force to his aura, she decided he was just content and excited. There didn't seem to be a touch of fear or anything within the Weequay. She wanted to sigh but kept it to herself. How someone could be so content at such a young age was beyond her. The Falleen Guardian Knight was far from being so, especially with another life for her to look after and train in the ways of the Jedi.

As they walked along the hallway, she eventually guiding them towards a doorway that lead away from the classroom area of this Temple level. Perhaps it would be a good idea to question the boy on what he had learned so far, so she could get a grasp of what would be best to start teaching him. Teaching... something she had never thought she would have to be doing. At least not at this stage in her life. She was still learning herself, as she fleetingly thought of her two lightsabers.

She stopped in front of a door to a large room where older younglings were being taught the basics of Shii-Cho with training sabers. Xierra looked down at her young charge after observing the students for a brief moment. "What classes have you taken so far? Do you have a favorite?" The Falleen thought the best way to figure out what the boy was most proficient at would be to ask what his favorite skills were. Generally, one's best skills were also one's favorite. Xierra smiled to herself at the thought. It had been true for herself.