Best Three out of Four? (Lmr)

[Ghostie]

The morning after Getting a Reboot
____________________________________________________


Sirius wandered the corridors of the Jedi Temple, in a section of the Temple just for the Jedi Master’s quarters. He had made up his mind last night on whether or not to accept Master Teer Ka’s offer of apprenticeship. He decided to accept. He wanted to fight the darkside, and she seemed like the person to learn from to do so. Not to mention no other master or knight had offered, and the Council hadn’t assigned him a new master yet. But accepting now lead to another predicament. Sirius decided to seek out Master Ka and tell her, but he was now lost in a part of the Jedi Temple he was rarely ever in. He didn’t even know how he got to where he was, he just walked a general direction.

To be honest, Sirius had known the answer to Master Ka’s offer the minute she asked. He just wasn’t sure if he should accept at the time because he barely knew her. He didn’t know if she was kind or harsh, gentle or not. What lightsaber forms did she like? But he figured last night that he would have plenty to time get to know her when he was learning under her. Sirius knew that Master Ka was being completely honest when she said she was going to break and make him. But he knew she was being completely honest when she said she was also going to make a warrior out of him. A warrior is what Sirius wanted to be.

As Sirius came to a three was intersection in the hallway, he yawned and stretched his arms over his head. It was still early in the morning, and Sirius didn’t even stop to get breakfast before seeking Master Ka out. He was too excited. Sunlight beamed in from the huge windows, illuminating the hallway Sirius was in. It was bright enough that it made the lights that were on anyways have no effect.

Sirius didn’t usually care about his appearance before breakfast, he wasn’t a morning person. And usually Sirius was able to wake up looking good; he just assumed it was natural. But since he was going to visit a Jedi Master, his soon-to-be Master, Sirius decided it might be a nice idea to look even better. His old master constantly asked him, “Why settle for second best when first is within reach?” Sirius liked this saying. His black hair was combed, which was still a little wet from his shower, and his padawan braid hung over his right shoulder. His glasses were clean and he got all the dust off from yesterday, when he dived in the archives networking system. Sirius also had on his most freshly laundered padawan robes, he was surprised that he had any, considering his room was such a mess.

Sirius looked both right and left down the intersecting hallway, having no idea where to go. He yawned again, covering his mouth with his hand. He hadn’t been up this early for awhile. Just as Sirius was about to turn back and hope he saw Master Ka at breakfast, a Bothan Jedi walked past, and Sirius decided that he should ask him for directions. Sirius ran up the Bothan, who turned around when Sirius approached him.

“Excuse me,” Sirius asked, “do you know the direction to Master Teer Ka’s quarters? I have to tell her something.”

“To your right, the last door before the next intersection.” The bothan said in a sleepy voice.

Sirius took off in a sprint, finally having an answer. “Thank you!” He yelled over his shoulder as he ran. His padawans braid trailed behind him and his robe flapped around his legs. Sirius made sure not to trip on it. He was seconds away from having a new master. As he ran, Sirius thought of all the missions they might get sent on, the different stuff he would learn under Master Ka, and when they would fight their first dark jedi together.

Last one before the next intersection, last one before the next intersection, last one… Sirius finally reached it. He took a few seconds before knocking to regain his breath. But has his hand raised to knock on Master Ka’s door, he couldn’t contain his excitement. Sirius grinned wide and knocked.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Teer Ka sat cross-legged on the floor of her room, meditating in the dark hours of the morning. It was her preference, and her need. If she meditated at the beginning of her day, she was able to stay rather cool and collected, with her own darkness locked away securely in her heart.

But if she didn't, she wound up impatient, brooding, and far harsher than normal. She became impossible to please. All in all, the Teer Ka without meditating was not a pleasant woman to be around. Though to be fair, the Teer Ka with meditating still wasn't exactly a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.

Her own turmoil was still present as it always was, its subtle undercurrents resisting banishment for the day. She wanted to attack, to fight, to win. Aggression was her vice, what she always struggled to control. In battle it could be an asset, and she used it as such. But outside of battle it was a liability. She needed to learn more of kindness and understanding, and to have a gentle touch.

Luckily with the proper meditation she was extremely patient. That helped a great deal.

The Togruta Master's eyelids fluttered open at the sound of a knock on her door. Her hearing was quite acute, and even in deep meditation she retained awareness of her surroundings.

Her senses flared into action, focusing in on the presence just outside her door. Every signature in the Force was unique, and with the right finely honed skills, they could be distinguished and remembered the same way as a voice or a face would be logged into memory. This one was familiar despite having only been encountered once the day before.

Sirius Kelrune.

The young human she'd extended the invitation to train as her Padawan. An honor, also a challenge if there ever was one. If he was arriving to accept her offer, he'd become her latest Padawan, joining an increasing list that contained two deaths. One by her own hand.

"Come in Sirius," she called through the material of the door in a voice calculated to just barely pass through it.

[Ghostie]

"Come in Sirius," He heard through the door. He stopped for a few seconds. This was it, the last few moments of being master less. Sirius wouldn’t miss it at all. He pushed the door open just a crack and peered inside. It was dark, and with what little light there was shining through the window, he could see Master Ka meditating on the floor.

Sirius felt bad for interrupting her meditation, but he couldn’t wait to tell her. He felt as if he was going to burst with excitement. Sirius opened the door wide enough to move into the room and he closed it behind him. The room grew darker after the door closed, but he could still see around the room. Sirius stood with his back against the door, unsure of what he should do. So he simply stood there with his hands behind his back.

“Good morning Master Ka,” Sirius began, not taking his eyes off of Teer Ka, who was still meditating on the floor. “I’m sorry for interrupting your meditation, but I wanted to tell you something.” Sirius grinned again. “I accept your offer, to become your padawan I mean.” He was still grinning.Sirius felt he should make sure Master Ka knew he was sure about this though. Sirius moved forward and sat on the floor in front of Master Ka. She was still meditating, but Sirius continued to talk anyways.

“I know last night you said you were going to break me and make me, and that it would be very challenging. But you also said you would make a warrior out me, and that what I want to be. A warrior.”

Sirius sat there cross-legged, studying Master Ka. She seemed very calm, and Sirius was sure she wouldn’t even know he was there if she hadn’t told him to come in. He knew he made the right decision, becoming Master Ka's padawan. He hope she didnt suspect he became her padawan just to stay out of the Coprs though. Sirius was looking forward to learning all he could from her. And he definitely wanted to fight the darkside.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

"You've made the right decision. Now join me, we have some things to discuss."

Teer smiled. She was pleased with the young human's choice. Now it was up to her to provide him with instruction, to hone whatever skills he had. To build him up better than she'd received him. To turn him into a Jedi Knight, to help him be the very best he could be. A warrior. A sword for the Jedi Order to wield against evil. A shining light in the darkness.

But even the longest journey started with a few small steps. It was time to gauge what she had to work with, to figure out precisely what she needed to hone and what she needed to build off of. And what, if anything, she had to discourage.

Ideally he'd have a solid foundation in Shii Cho and Shien, with developed sense abilities and a solid grasp on body and telekinetic powers. If she was unlucky, he'd be a gifted telepath with the saber skills of an underdeveloped womp rat. She fervently hoped it would be more heavily towards the ideal.

Her previous Padawans had been blank canvasses, void of prior training to color them. She'd formed them like a sculptor with a block of marble. But now she had the added bonus, or difficulty, of having a half-trained Padawan. She'd always emphasized strict adherence to her own particular ways of doing things. Swordsmanship, discipline, conduct, and above all loyalty. She had no idea how Sirius had been trained.

Most of those factors would only become clear with time and training, but some could be determined through simply talking. That was her objective for the day.

"To begin with, I need to know what your master taught you. What areas of the Force are you strong in and weak in? Which forms of lightsaber combat have you studied? I need to know all these things so I can tell which areas to concentrate in, so I can tailor your instruction to you personally."

Already though, she was beginning to formulate a plan. There was one area that, even more so than the Jedi Temple, was the perfect setting for intensive one-on-one training. Shili. Her own homeworld, that of the Togruta species. Wide expanses of scrub and grasslands mixed with mountains, oceans, and canopy-forest valleys. The perfect place for isolation, away from the distractions of the Jedi Temple. A place for quiet training.

And she had to admit she'd been wanting to return there anyway. It would be a refreshing change of pace from the usual schedules she'd developed in the Temple.

But the first task of all was to listen.

[Ghostie]

Sirius had fallen into his own thoughts while waiting on Master Ka. He had almost fallen asleep where he sat. When she started speaking he shook himself awake. Sirius definitely wasn’t used to being up this early yet.

"To begin with, I need to know what your master taught you. What areas of the Force are you strong in and weak in? Which forms of lightsaber combat have you studied? I need to know all these things so I can tell which areas to concentrate in, so I can tailor your instruction to you personally."

Which forms of lightsaber combat had he studied? That was easy; Master Wolf had only taught him two, Shii-Cho and Soresu. But Sirius had a good feeling that at the time Wolf taught him Soresu it was more to keep him alive then keep him in control of the battle.

“My previous master continued my Shii-Cho of course, but he also taught me some Soresu. But I think that was more to keep me alive on dangerous missions.” Sirius thought for a moment about all the missions he ever went on with Wolf, and he decided he was rather attached to Soresu, since he used it quite a bit. “And thinking back on it now, I think I’m lucky he did teach me some Soresu.”

But as to what Force abilities he was strong and weak in, Sirius was more stumped. He had always assumed that the understand the Force better was to understand all of its abilities better. Sirius thought for a moment, closing his eyes so he wasn’t distracted. He definitely used telekinetic abilities a lot, Sirius had to admit those were fun. And he thought for a little while longer. Sirius had used quite a lot of protection abilities to go with his Soresu. Again, he was pretty sure Wolf taught him those to keep him alive.

“Well,” Sirius said after awhile. He opened his eyes and looked back at Master Ka. “I’m pretty strong when it comes to telekinetic and protection Force abilities. In fact, my previous master taught me how to combine my Soresu and protection abilities. It was pretty effective.” Sirius sat there for a moment in silence. “So, um… are we going to go to a training room somewhere in the Temple here and practice?”

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Teer fell silent as she contemplated what she had to work with. Soresu was easier a transition into Shien than many of the other forms. And Shien was what she insisted on teaching alongside Shii Cho. With enough practice and skill, its versatility matched Niman, and its effectiveness surpassed it easily. It remained potent that way, not diluted.

Of course Shii Cho was for Younglings. She no longer used it, but she had to admit it served as a bridge for learning other forms. It taught the building blocks of lightsaber combat. And she had to build that foundation up if she wanted him to successfully learn Shien.

His protection abilities were something she would have to leave for him to develop. She had all the talent in them of a rather dim Youngling in that particular field. However, her telekinetic abilities would be adequate. She'd also have to teach him to use the Force to enhance his body's abilities, and to attune his senses. Awareness, in her experience, was vital to winning a fight.

And her experience was going to be needed to instruct her new student. There would come a time where she would lead him into battle. And she needed to know if he could handle it.

She directed her thoughts to the human boy's question. Would they go to a training room and practice. The short answer was yes. But there was no rush. She'd much prefer to learn a little about the human first, to get an idea of who she was dealing with.

"We will. In a while. But first, tell me about yourself. I need to know more than just your name."

[Ghostie]

In a while? Sirius didn’t see a point in waiting. But he guessed there was no harm in Master Ka wanting to know him better. He was going to be her apprentice anyways. But what was he going to say?

“Um, well… I’m not sure what to say Master Ka. I mean, one of the main things I guess would be that I’m pretty good with electronics.” That was an understatement. Technology was Sirius’s life. He could take apart, repair, and manage almost any sort of technology. He lived and breathed it. Sirius found he was at peace when working and fixing things. And when fixing something, Sirius found he was able to think and figure out how to fix his own problems.

“Fixing and tinkering with technology helps me think. Mainly because nobody bothers me when I’m busy I guess. When out of missions with Master Wolf, my old master, we would often rely on my skills to get past locked doors, computers that didn’t want to work, and similar things. So I have a lot of experience in the field.” Sirius was looking the whole time at Master Ka while he spoke. He didn’t know what else to say though. “Other than that, I don’t know. I don’t really have many friends other than Xell. I like to make jokes, and Master Wolf would often comment about how much trouble my jokes could get me into.” He knew that he learned that lesson all to well the other day. Sirius hadn’t talked to Xell since. Sirius then thought about Xell, and Master Wolf, and then he decided to tell Master Ka something he had not anyone else yet.

“When my old master died, something inside me changed. I never wanted to be a warrior until now. I actually wanted to take the teaching path. But ever since then I’ve felt a need to look every dark jedi I’ll ever come across in the eye and ask them if their little bit of power was really worth all the destruction and hurt they caused, because I don’t think it is at all.” Then Sirius realized just how much he changed when Wolf died. “Please don’t think I became your padawan just to fight dark jedi though, Master Ka.” Although, he wasn’t sure if he believed that statement himself.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

"I wouldn't mind if you did. Someone has to fight them. Who will do it? The healers? No, they're needed here at the Temple to mend injuries rather than cause them. The teachers? No, someone has to instruct the next generation of Jedi. The diplomats? Of course not. Its the warriors who have to do battle for the Order."

And I'm going to make one out of you. Her eyes seemed to say.

Of course her question had been in the expectation of personal information. Where he was from, how he'd met his master, and all the various bits of 'get to know you' that were important for a relationship. Of course she'd get to know them sooner or later anyway.

Teer raised herself up off the floor and walked the few steps to her rather spartan bed, the soft carpet of the room enveloping the sides of her bare red feet. Feet that she swiftly encased in the brown leather of her boots. Once she was done pulling them on, she reached over to her nightstand and grasped a piece of beautiful ornamentation that she wore daily. It was the teeth of an akul, a predator she'd killed on Shili, held together by leather and fine chain, and when attached in just the right way around her montrals, it framed her exotic red and white face quite perfectly.

Her hands deftly tied the headdress in place and she motioned Sirius to rise to his feet as she crossed the room again, pulling her outer robe on over her shoulders.

The very last touch was attaching her double-bladed lightsaber to her belt, the weight of the silver hilt not bending the thick leather of the belt.

"Now we are going to become very, very busy today." Teer held open the door to her room and motioned Sirius to exit before her.

[Ghostie]

I wouldn't mind if you did. Someone has to fight them. Who will do it? Master Ka’s comment made Sirius feel better about becoming her padawan. He stopped thinking about it. He was still uncomfortable about how much Master Wolf’s death had changed him though. Sirius didn’t want to fight dark jedi just because of him. He decided to try and find a reason.

Sirius stood up and turned around towards the door. He watched her put on her headdress; he had never seen anything like it. It was made out of chains and leather, and was decorated with teeth of a predator. When she put it on the headdress outlined her red and white face. Sirius made a mental note to ask her about the headdress later.

Sirius almost studied her lightsaber as she attached it to her belt. It was a double-bladed saber, and its casing was shining silver. It had little marks on it, like tallies. Sirius was able to count more than fifteen before Master Ka attached it to her belt. He then followed her out into the hallway. Going directly from the dark room to the bright light was an uncomfortable transaction for his eyes.

"Now we are going to become very, very busy today."

Sirius almost groaned, instead he made what sounded like an irritated sigh. He wasn’t a morning person. But then again what was the point of waiting? “How busy Master Ka? Lightsaber sparring? Meditation?” Despite being tired, Sirius was eager to start. He yawned, covering his mouth with his hand. “And if you don’t mind me asking, what are the marks on your saber hilt? They looked like tallies.”

Sirius followed Master Ka down the hallway for awhile in silence. More jedi were getting up, and they started flooding the halls, either going to breakfast or to early classes. Sirius made sure to stay close to Master Ka so he didn’t lose her.

Sirius continued his investigation. He wanted to learn as much as possible. “So what are the best forms for taking down an opponent who uses a lightsaber? I know that Soresu isn’t aggressive at all and Shii-Cho is basics, so anything I learn will be completely new. And what type of Force abilities do you use in a battle? Telekinetic? Protection?” Sirius hoped he wasn’t bothering Master Ka with so many questions, but he was very curious. “And is there anything you don’t mind telling me about yourself?”

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

"How busy Master Ka? Lightsaber sparring? Meditation?”

"Both. And physical training. You must balance your mind and your body if you want to grow." Teer answered honestly as her brisk pace carried them down the halls of the Jedi Temple and towards one of the practice rooms that was available.

“And if you don’t mind me asking, what are the marks on your saber hilt? They looked like tallies.”

"Each one represents a Dark Jedi I killed, most of them with this exact lightsaber. So yes, they are tallies of a sort."

“So what are the best forms for taking down an opponent who uses a lightsaber? I know that Soresu isn’t aggressive at all and Shii-Cho is basics, so anything I learn will be completely new. And what type of Force abilities do you use in a battle? Telekinetic? Protection?”

Sirius certainly was a curious young man. But then again, who wasn't at his age? Teer certainly wasn't about to stifle that trait in him, it was essential to learning. And she was going to nurture it for the sake of aiding his growth.

"In my experience, Shien is the most versatile form for a duelist, especially for a young Jedi. I'm going to be teaching you it. It has a few similarities with Soresu, which you may find useful for the sake of familiarity. As to myself, I use sense and body abilities. I'm a master in several forms, including Shien and Ataru. I've been studying the ability of 'Force Valor' for many years, and I'm currently working to master Juyo."

“And is there anything you don’t mind telling me about yourself?”

The sound of her footsteps on the stone floor were the only punctuation to the silence that lasted for long seconds. He was asking about her. She hadn't quite expected that curiosity, but perhaps she shouldn't have been surprised, it was a natural question to ask. And she could provide a few basic details.

"I am 58 standard years old. I was born on Shili and raised there until I was taken into the Jedi Order as a young girl and I was trained at the enclave on Dantooine. You are my fourth Padawan. Regrettably two of my past Padawans died."

Silence fell again as they neared the training room Master Ka had been heading to. it was still early enough in the Temple that it was unoccupied.

Stepping inside, Teer laid down her billowing brown outer robe down on the floor next to the doorway. Then she moved to the center of the room and simply stood there.

"Take whatever time you need to warm up, and when you are ready, attack me to the best of your ability."

[Ghostie]

Regrettably two of my past padawans have died. These words resounded inside Sirius head. Two out of four of her padawans have died? Sirius started to doubt whether or not it was a good decision to become Master Ka’s apprentice. But who else was going to teach him to be a warrior?

Sirius stepped inside the training room right after Master Ka. She dropped her robe and moved to the center of the room. Sirius also removed his outer robe and dropped it right next to hers.

"Take whatever time you need to warm up, and when you are ready, attack me to the best of your ability."

Attack Master Ka? With what? Soresu was anything but aggressive, and Shii-Cho was just the basics. Was he supposed to attack her with just the basics? That would end the sparring real quick, and Sirius didn’t want to look incompetent. He had a better idea.

Sirius stretched his arms above his head, interlocking his fingers. Thrusting his palms upwards towards the ceiling he cracked his knuckles as he stretched. Sirius grabbed his silver, but rather plain, lightsaber hilt from his belt and held it in his right hand.

Sirius walked within lightsaber range of Master Ka. He ignited the bronze blade, a very unique blade, and it illuminated the floor under him. Sirius had no intention of attacking Master Ka; in fact, he was going to do just the opposite.

Sirius dropped into the Soresu opening stance. He held the bronze blade back horizontally in his right hand. Sirius’s left hand was extended forward in front of him, parallel to the blade. His right foot was back, supporting a good majority of his weight with his left foot out in front of him.

“You see Master Ka, I told you I know Soresu and Shii-Cho, so I’m more defense oriented. I’m afraid you’ll have to make the first move.” Sirius sat in the Soresu opening stance, waiting patiently for Master Ka to attack him. Sirius hoped he didn’t make a fool of himself in front of his brand new master.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Teer's eyes narrowed. Not even an hour into his training and he was already doing other than what he was told. Was this going to be a repeat of her first Padawan? She hoped not. Oresa had been a fine young woman in many ways, but she'd been painfully headstrong and always liked to do other than what she was told.

Master Ka had told her about akuls, the apex predators of her homeworld, and explicitly told her to never go near one. But she had. And she'd picked one of the strongest and meanest ones possible. She'd been torn to shreds before Teer could save her. Of course she'd killed the akul herself, but it had been a tough fight. Now she wore its teeth daily. The same teeth that had killed her very first Padawan.

She stroked one of them, remembering the Zabrak girl one last time. But her mind was quickly drawn away from the past and onto the present. To Sirius. She was quite surprised he'd done other than instructed. She'd told him to attack for a reason, to evaluate his Shii Cho and the level of refinement he had with it.

But since he refused, things were going to get serious. She'd take up the heat and crack through his fledgling Soresu, just to prove a point.

In silence, she activated both sky blue blades of her lightsaber. The sound of their activation cut through the air, and the humming provided a relaxing tone to focus on.

For a few seconds she simply stood there, with her eyes closed and a strangely relaxed expression etched into her red and white face. And then, with a sharp exhale of air she sprang into action.

Her very first move was an acrobatic Ataru leap, carrying her over Sirius and onto the ground behind him. She dipped one blade during the movement, aiming it towards her new Padawan's head. It guaranteed he'd be required to move or block it. And when her feet touched the ground, she immediately took a swipe at Sirius' right leg.

It all happened in the blink of an eye. Literally. Force Valor sped her movements up greatly, and she operated with immense speed and strength.

[Ghostie]

I’m so screwed, I’m so screwed, I’m so screwed… Where the last words to go through Sirius’s head. Master Ka didn’t look to happy with what he had said. But does she ever look happy? And if she had killed fifteen plus dark jedi, Sirius could only guess at how good of a swordsman she was. And he had a good feeling this would be over real quick, no matter how hard he tried.

Sirius watched Master Ka activate both blades of her double bladed lightsaber, they shined blue for a second or two and then next thing he knew Master Ka was over his head. She took a swipe at his head while she was in mid-air, but Sirius stood his ground. He raised his saber and held with both hands horizontally, deflecting the slash to his head.

Master Ka landed behind him, and despite having quicker reflexes than most padawans his age, it didn’t matter. Sirius spun around as quickly as he could but he couldn’t get his bronze blade down in time to block the swipe at his leg. His right leg was swept out from underneath him, and since it was supporting a majority of his weight the next thing he knew he was on the floor.

Sirius shut off his saber in mid-fall so he didn’t injure himself on the way down. He laid there on his back, arms out at his sides and feet shoulder width apart. It would’ve looked like Sirius was making a snow angel if he was in the middle of the Jedi Temple with a Jedi Master and blue lightsaber standing over top of him.

Sirius just laid there for a minute or two, with his eyes shut. It didn’t matter how hard he tried. What a perfect way to start my apprenticeship, to look like I don’t know anything. Sirius thought to himself. Master Ka successfully made him look like a youngling fumbling with their first lightsaber. Master Wolf taught me better than that, didn’t he? So far, Sirius had a good feeling he hadn’t made any good impressions with Master Ka yet. But he wasn’t ready to give up.

“Do you want me to try again Master Ka? I’m not ready to give up yet.” Sirius said, still lying on the ground and eyes closed. He doubted Master Ka would let him give up even if he wanted to anyways.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

"I admire your spirit child, but there is a reason I asked you to attack me." Teer's rich accent laid special emphasis on reason. She did have them, but Sirius had to learn to trust them. She needed his loyalty to train him, which meant when she told him something he needed to obey it.

She'd only bothered fighting him to show him just how outclassed he was if they'd been in a real fight. Which hadn't been the purpose of her instruction at all.

The Togruta Jedi could, and in fact did, crack his Soresu open like a nut. That proved nothing at all, even if it could serve as a lesson in humility. That was always something she could enforce. In addition, losing with grace was an interesting sign. It was something she'd never quite gotten the hang of, but something her Padawans seemed to use to learn better. They'd have to get used to it anyway, Teer didn't lose fights to youths. If she ever did that would be her indicator to hang up her spurs and retire.

"I asked you to attack me so I could evaluate your Shii Cho. I do things for a reason Sirius. When I asked for your loyalty I meant it. That also means I need your trust. There may come a time in the field where I give you an order on a matter of life and death, and you must be prepared to follow it without question or delay. I also need to trust you to do as you've been told. Now let's try this again shall we?"

Teer helped Sirius up with one arm, pulling him up to his feet with a surprising strength given her build and her age. Then she walked back a few paces and stood with her saber outstretched in her hand, arm extended fully and blades parallel to the ground.

"Now I want you to make two quick strikes at each blade, to the best of your ability. Try not to broadcast your intention and try not to leave yourself open for a potential counterattack."

[Ghostie]

"I asked you to attack me so I could evaluate your Shii Cho. I do things for a reason Sirius. When I asked for your loyalty I meant it. That also means I need your trust. There may come a time in the field where I give you an order on a matter of life and death, and you must be prepared to follow it without question or delay. I also need to trust you to do as you've been told. Now let's try this again shall we?"

Sirius could’ve kicked himself. He had thought at the moment that by using Soresu he was doing what Master Ka wanted. Even if the spar last only a few seconds it was still a spar. Sirius didn’t try to disobey Master Ka. It was a simple misunderstanding. And now because of Sirius’s misunderstanding, Master Ka thought him disloyal. It wasn’t as if he had tried to be. Oh, this apprenticeship is starting off great… Sirius sarcastically thought. But like he said, he wasn’t ready to give up quite yet.

Sirius grabbed Master Ka’s arm that she offered to help him off the ground, and he stood up next to her. As Master Ka walked across the room, Sirius reached down and picked up his lightsaber, he had let go of it while he was lying down. Sirius ignited the bronze blade once again, and simply held it at his side for a moment.

"Now I want you to make two quick strikes at each blade, to the best of your ability. Try not to broadcast your intention and try not to leave yourself open for a potential counterattack."

“Master Ka, I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful. I just simply misunderstood your instructions. I thought you meant attack and spar as the same thing. Next time if I need clarification, I’ll be sure to ask.”

With that, Sirius raised his saber in the simple Shii-Cho opening stance. With his lightsaber held vertically on his right side in a two handed grip, and his legs spread just shoulder width apart, Sirius waited a few seconds before attacking again. He tried to clear his mind and act on instinct and the Force alone, and not over think how he was going to attack.

Sirius rushed Master Ka and swung his saber down on the left blade on her double saber. As soon as the blade made contact Sirius disengaged and spun around, swinging his saber Master Ka’s right blade, now with an uppercut.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

“Master Ka, I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful. I just simply misunderstood your instructions. I thought you meant attack and spar as the same thing. Next time if I need clarification, I’ll be sure to ask.”

"Rest assured Padawan, there is a difference between sparring and when I ask you to attack. Everything I do in our training is going to be for your benefit."

It was true. At the end of the day her concern was going to be his development. Not personal pride. Not in some desire to atone for her past failures in training her Padawans. It was going to be about how Sirius could improve.

She watched his strikes with that goal in mind.

He started with a straight-forward downward swing against one blade, then spun around and drove his saber up into the other shimmering sky blue blade. It was an interesting choice, to spin. It was a move that built up power. He didn't particularly need it in this situation, but it did offer her a point to elaborate off of.

"When you go into a spin, there are several ways you can vary your attack to catch your enemy off his guard. Consider going into a crouch as you spin, you can hit below the guard and cut out your enemy's legs from under him with the right timing."

She returned to the topic of his Shii Cho execution. It had been good, but...

"You broadcast your movement. Just because this is training doesn't mean you shouldn't hit hard and fast. Now we'll come back to this later."

Teer deactivated her saber and returned it to its place at her side. One red hand stroked it, feeling the reassuring presence and the indented bars she'd placed there for each kill she'd made. Now it was time for another aspect of a Jedi's training.

The room itself was like a small gym, windowless and wide. And she intended to have it used with that purpose in mind.

"Wielding the Force doesn't mean control of your own body is less important. They are both vital, and with practice you can blend them both together. Run laps around this gym for as long as you can, then come back to me."

Teer took a few steps further to the center of the room, then lowered herself to the floor, crossing her legs and placing her hands in her lap. Her eyes closed, and she let her breathing take on a clear quality. She focused on the rhythm of it, and let her heartbeat serve as a cadence to meditate on.

She looked like a strange island rising up out of a sea of grey flooring, with exotic lines and colors. On her face was a look of determination, even in peaceful meditation.

While her appearance might have been relaxed, she was really practicing the use of her senses, 'feeling' all the nearby lifeforms and gauging their movements and their distances. It was her own form of training.

[Ghostie]

"When you go into a spin, there are several ways you can vary your attack to catch your enemy off his guard. Consider going into a crouch as you spin, you can hit below the guard and cut out your enemy's legs from under him with the right timing."

Sirius listened with curiosity. He was definitely going to have to try that one. He was going to learn a lot under Master Ka.

“… Run laps around this gym for as long as you can, then come back to me." Sirius didn't want to make the same mistakes, and lose is life because of it.

Run laps? Seriously? Sirius thought privately. He had never been big on exercise, much less running. Sure he was quick and had quick reflexes also, but he just assumed these came naturally. The closest Sirius had ever come to a workout was a computer that was tough to crack, and the closest he ever came to a sunburn was the glow from a screen. But still, he had to do as Master Ka told him. She was his Master now after all.

Sirius hooked his silver lightsaber hilt back into his belt. He stretched his arms over his head once again, and walked towards the door. There he stopped and turned towards the right, and just took off running.

Sirius had to watch out for some weightlifting equipment that was stacked around the walls, but other than that he just kept running. He made a few laps in a few minutes, and somewhere around lap five, he kept running but got lost in his own thoughts.

Master Ka had mentioned she had previous padawans who had died. Who were they? What were they like? How did they die? Sirius sincerely hoped that they didn’t by a dark jedi. And what was it like to fight a dark jedi? What was it like to kill one? Sirius was usually numb to combat, it didn’t effect him much. But after the death of his previous Master, it gave him a new perspective.

It had been several minutes, and quite a few laps until Sirius came back to the present. He had lost himself in his thoughts and therefore, lost count of how many laps he had done. Sirius did three more laps and started to breathe heavily and slow down. He did two more laps and he slowed to a walk.

Sirius walked back towards Master Ka and feel into a cross-legged sitting position in front of her. He was slightly leaned over and breathing heavy. He wasn't up to that much physical activity at once. Master Ka hadn’t said anything yet, so Sirius thought he would ask some questions he was thinking about.

“Master Ka?” Sirius began between breaths “What were your padawans like? How did they die?”

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

What were her Padawans like? How did they die? Teer didn't open her eyes as she contemplated the questions. It wasn't surprising Sirius wanted to know. He was a curious youth. And if they were going to be close...

She really had to tell him. Painful as it was to talk about it. She'd come to peace with those deaths a long time ago, but it still stung, like a small cut. A persistent yet minimal pain. It was hardly as if she couldn't go on, but at the same time it was rough.

"My Padawans..." Master Ka repeated quietly, eyes still shut. Her tone was even and level, but her hands had tightened in her lap a little.

"My first Padawan was a Zabrak girl named Oresa. She was headstrong and confident. Sure of herself and her abilities. She had great potential, potential that I tried to hone. Perhaps I was too critical of her, or I didn't recognize her achievements, because she took unsafe efforts to impress me."

Teer's voice had tightened to match the tense quality of her hands. But with a deep breath she regained a complete calm. She was the very picture of serenity now, as if she was speaking out of a meditative state. She was half-in one. Certainly her body was as relaxed as if she was.

"We were on my home planet, and I warned her about a fearsome predator known as the akul. She snuck away from the village in the middle of the night to fight one. I chased after her, but was too late. She was dead. I killed the akul, and now I wear its teeth every day. They serve to remind me of Oresa."

One down, two to go.

This wasn't an easy topic of conversation. And Sirius might very well be frightened by the odds he seemed to be facing. Two of the past three dead? No one could deny that didn't look good. Teer considered it a very personal failure.

But Sirius would have learned about her Padawans eventually anyway. It was better for him to hear firsthand, she had no idea what rumors or gossip accompanied the fates of her apprentices.

"My second Padawan was a human named Keln. I trusted him deeply, and I thought he had a good heart. I taught him to the best of my ability, and I raised him to Knighthood. He was loyal to me, and I trusted he would be loyal to the Order as well. I was wrong. His own Padawan was found dead, and we all assumed a Dark Jedi had captured him. I tracked the Dark Jedi to Vendaxa, only to find out it was Keln fallen to the Dark Side. He tried to recruit me. He promised me power. We fought, and he died by my own hand."

Teer's black eyes fluttered open again, and she managed a feeble smile.

"But you'll be pleased to know my last Padawan survived and became a skilled young Knight. I have hopes you will become the same."

Teer rose to her feet and clapped her hands together loudly.

"Now, time to practice your mind as well as your body. Your first challenge will be to lift me telekinetically."

[Ghostie]

It took Sirius a minute or so to come back out of his thoughts. One padawan dead by a predator, one turned to the dark side and killed by Master Ka herself, and only one made it to Knighthood. How will I fare? Sirius privately thought to himself. Master Ka didn’t have to worry about him falling to the dark side, and he hoped he didn’t run afoul of any predators. Master Ka’s smile when she mentioned her only successful padawan didn’t do anything to calm Sirius’s own worries about his chances. But he certainly wasn’t going to turn tail and run because of a bad record. He didn’t want to die though. If I just keep my head down and follow all of Master Ka’s instructions I’ll be okay. Hopefully.

Lift Master Ka telekinetically? It seemed as if Master Ka’s training exercises kept getting impossible. Sure, Sirius was good with telekinetic abilities for someone his age, but he had never lifted something so big before, let alone another person. Master Ka stood up, but Sirius remained seated. He looked at her with a slight gap in is mouth. He thought she was slightly insane for a few seconds. Asking a padawan to lift something that big? But remember; follow all of Master Ka’s instructions.

Sirius shut his mouth and closed his eyes. He stretched his senses through the Force and felt the empty room around him. Sirius could only sense Master Ka, besides himself, inside the room of course. She felt very calm, which didn’t surprise Sirius so much. Master Ka seemed to control her emotions like someone controls their breathing. Even when she was talking about her failed padawans Master Ka was at peace. Sirius hoped to learn not only combat, but this too, under her tutelage.

Sirius focused on Master Ka and reached out through the Force. Sirius felt her calm, yet commanding presence, focusing on it for a few seconds. He reached out with his telekinetic abilities and gripped Master Ka, gently of course, just enough to try and lift her. Try being the key word here. Sirius’s thoughts slipped. He focused on Master Ka and returned to his assignment.

Sirius attempted to lift Master Ka through the Force. Nothing happened for the first five minutes. He redoubled his efforts. Still nothing. After a few more minutes of struggling Sirius felt Master Ka lift slightly, but not enough for her feet to completely leave the floor. Sirius started to sweat; it was more work than he thought. After a few more minutes Sirius gave up. Sirius opened his eyes and breathed heavily. It was more taxing than he had thought it would be. His many attempts wore him out. Sirius fell forward and used his arms to catch himself. He gasped for air for a few seconds.

“Master Ka, I can’t… I can’t do it.” Sirius said between breaths. “I’ve never lifted something so big before, let alone another person.”

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

So close, and yet so far to go. It wasn't his telekinetic abilities that were at fault, it was his mentality. If what Teer had heard was right, then her Padawan's telekinetic gifts were almost on par with her own, and she could lift another person quite easily. It had much more to do with the way he viewed his abilities. He needed confidence in proportion to his abilities in order to use them to the fullest. And he didn't seem to have that confidence. Yet anyway.

He was also letting his physical activity dull his mental edge. That was a dangerous problem to have. Something she'd have to break. Lack of confidence could be every bit as dangerous as overconfidence.

Teer's feet returned firmly to the ground once more, and the attempt was over. Her facial expression was carefully neutral, but it was obvious from her folded arms and her posture that she was disappointed. Her standards were quite high, but she knew they were reachable. She wouldn't ever request something that couldn't be done.

“Master Ka, I can’t… I can’t do it... I’ve never lifted something so big before, let alone another person.”

He could do it. She knew he could. He just had to realize that for himself. Perhaps a demonstration...

Teer reached out with the Force and grasped a firm hold on Sirius, her outstretched hand holding him telekinetically. Then she raised her arm and lifted Sirius off the ground and into the air. He hovered roughly six feet over her heard, secure in her able grasp. After a few long seconds, she lowered him to the ground again.

Time for the explanation.

"The difference is only in your mind. If you refuse to focus, if you don't believe you can do it, then you will meet your low expectations every time. My telekinetic skills are average, and yours could easily surpass them with training and dedication. You need to build confidence in your abilities, and to do that you need to find your limits. Trust me, I will push you to them."

Time for another challenge. She could check to see how well he did without his lightsaber. After all, a Jedi wouldn't always have that weapon available. It would also help hone the young human's body, and quite possibly his mind.

"Right now you're going to learn a lesson about unarmed combat. You won't always have your lightsaber in hand when you face an enemy, on those occasions you need to be prepared. If I asked you to attack me, what would your first instinct be? Think carefully and make your strike slowly. This isn't real sparring."