Best Three out of Four? (Lmr)

[Ghostie]

The difference was in his mind? He wasn’t focusing? Sirius was becoming very annoyed with some of the things Master Ka was saying. It might’ve been from his repeated failures also, but Sirius was not developing a good attitude. He had honestly tried his best, and he was focusing as much as he could. Sirius spent more than ten minutes just trying to lift Master Ka hadn’t he? If he wasn’t focused he probably would’ve given up much sooner.

Sirius stood up and faced Master Ka. He assumed she wanted him to try again after he had caught his breath, and he was eager to show Master Ka that he was focused. But she was switching gears once again.

"Right now you're going to learn a lesson about unarmed combat.” Seriously? Sirius thought. He had his lightsaber and the Force, what would he ever need unarmed combat for? And what use would unarmed combat be against a dark jedi, who would simply just chop of your arms and legs with their saber? Sirius wanted to learn to hunt dark jedi, not fight drunkards in some cantina. It didn’t help that Master Ka didn’t stay with one exercise either. Sirius felt like he had gone from entering the small gym, to lying on floor beat in a lightsaber spar, and now preparing to fight Master Ka in unarmed combat in a matter of minutes. He knew it had been longer, but He was doing so many different things it didn’t feel like it.

It was just then that Sirius’s stomach had something to say. A slight rumbling had escaped from it, and he just remembered that he forgot to have breakfast before going to see Master Ka Just something else to add to my bad mood. Granted, it was his own fault for being in such a rush to start. And now he felt like he was only rushing to start failing, on an empty stomach no less.

Sirius dropped into a basic unarmed guard, fist infront of his face with his left slightly higher and out more when his right, and prominent, was lower and closer. The most Sirius knew about unarmed combat was that it involved punching and kicking. His last master hadn’t taught him much at all about it. Focus for a minute, look at where you would strike first. The first thoughts that popped into Sirius’s head was to go for the weakest points. Now what were these points? Joints would be good, like her knees. The neck would be a good place to go after too.

Sirius wasn’t quite sure how he would go about striking at these places though. Sirius thought for a few more seconds, and then formulated a plan. Remember what Master Ka said, slow soft strikes. This isn’t real combat. With Master Ka facing him, Sirius used his left foot to stomp, softly of course, onto Master Ka’s right knee. As her weight shifted, Sirius used his right fist to strike at an open spot on her neck.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

The expression on Sirius' face revealed his doubts. Something unsurprising. Teer had encountered many Jedi who thought physical combat was not needed or somehow beneath them. But they were doubly wrong. Physicality gave her an edge in lightsaber combat, and even away from her two sky blue blades she was still potent in a fight. She'd have to pass on that lesson to him.

Her Padawan's stomach growled. Just another thing to address when they were done with the real work.

Sirius made a good combination attack in slow motion, definitely something acceptable for a beginner. But it was easily countered, and she had to show that. She didn't resist the pressure to her knee, instead leaning forward to compensate for it. Then her left arm came up from the inside, impacting on Sirius' forearm and driving his fist away from her exposed neck. At the same time, she drove her fist towards his stomach.

She'd had no expectation for him to do something she couldn't counter. He was just a Padawan after all, and she was a Master. But seeing it done slowly would give him more perspective. He could learn from that. And learning was both his goal and her goal for him. Their wishes both coincided, for the moment at least.

However he probably had different ideas over what was useful. Of course she was the Master and he was the Apprentice. That meant she could set the agenda at whatever pace she deemed necessary. And she wanted their first day to be a 'sampler' of all the things she'd instruct him in.

"Good for your first strike. In time you'll learn to strike without exposing yourself to a counter-attack, and how to defend yourself. But..." Teer paused and narrowed an eye as she stared at him. "I can tell you don't think this is useful. You want to fight enemies with lightsabers. Well let me tell you this. A well-placed kick or punch in a duel can let you gain the upper hand. There is more to crossing sabers than your thrusts, your parries, and your footwork. You have to use your whole body. The lightsaber becomes an extension of yourself. In order to know how to use it, you need to know how to use your own body."

Teer folded her arms and contemplated the next course of action. More physical training, then a break for the breakfast Sirius had likely missed. Weights? No, that was something that hardly required her supervision. But to be honest, neither did his running. She'd settle for a happy medium, namely the old staple of pushups.

"Now, pushups. Forty of them and we go eat. At that point, you are free to ask any questions you might have. Any at all."

[Ghostie]

Forty pushups? You have to be kidding me… Sirius was already tired from running and his telekinetic exercise. He felt that fort pushups would just about kill him. Surely Master Ka had realized by now that Sirius wasn’t very physical? Sirius was a techie; he doubted he could do twenty pushups let alone forty.

Then a little voice started to go off in Sirius’s head. Just remember, do everything Master Ka says even if you think she’s crazy. You don’t want her to think you’re disobedient again.

Sirius made an audible sigh and dropped to the floor. He adjusted himself so he was perpendicular to Master Ka, and he got into the push up position. There were very few times Sirius had done pushups willingly. His last master made him work out, but so much in one session. Instead, Master Wolf had focused on Sirius’s strengths.

Sirius started pushups, and he got to ten with no problem. Around seventeen Sirius started to get tired and breath heavy. By the time Sirius reached twenty-five, he was ready to give up. He stopped for a second, he didn’t want to go on. Between his bad mood from all his failures so far that had not made the best impression on Master Ka, Master Ka’s belief he hadn’t tried hard enough, and his empty stomach Sirius was ready to give up. What was the point of continuing if he couldn’t at least get one “good job”?

That voice came back though. You’re more than halfway done, fifteen more and you get to eat. Food was always good motivator for Sirius. He enjoyed his grub. Sirius pushed on. It seemed like his body wanted to quit, as if it refused to go on. But Sirius had to overpower his body, which wasn’t an easy thing. He finally made it to thirty-nine, and with one last triumphant push, forty. Sirius collapsed on the ground gasping for air.

“So Master Ka, about that food…”

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

“So Master Ka, about that food…”

Teer couldn't resist a thin smile. She'd learned one great motivating factor about her Padawan, and that was truly excellent. She could work with that, it gave her a means to offer incentives in the form of food. Work hard at a task, receive food. And possibly, excel at some task and receive special food.

Maybe she could even introduce him to the food of Shili, a possible prelude to taking him there for training? That was still very much in her hopes. Her native soil always held a special place in her heart, and like so many of her own people, nothing appealed quite more than walking barefoot through the undergrowth, under the soft moonlight.

But Shili also made for an excellent place to train. There was peace and quiet to meditate in, plenty of space to practice in, good company to spend spare time with, and it had the potential to teach such skills as moving quietly and unseen. Yes, she'd take him there. As a reward for proving his loyalty.

In the meantime, food.

Master Ka reached down, and with a very surprising strength pulled him up to his feet. Despite leaving her youth behind her and having a rather slender build, the Togruta Jedi Master was strong.

"Yes, food. Lead on to the kitchens."

[Ghostie]

“Yes, food. Lead on to the kitchens.” Sirius didn’t need to be told a second time. But he was so tired it almost took a second or two to register. Oh yeah, food. Food sounds good. After being helped up by Master Ka, he grabbed his brown outer robe off the floor and simply carried it. Sirius was too hot from his workout to put it back on just right now.

Sirius walked out of the training room with Master Ka not far behind him. It was about mid-morning now, so the younglings were in classes and the Jedi that weren’t on missions were busy in meetings. The hallways were fairly deserted, with only a Jedi here or there running off to some prior engagement. Sirius adjusted his glasses with his free hand and continued on.

He was walking on when he just remembered something. Master Ka said that after their workout he could ask all the questions he wanted. He intended to put that to good use. Sirius slowed down a bit so he was walking side by side with Master Ka. Then he started his interrogation.

“Master Ka,” Sirius began. “you said I could ask you any questions I wanted to after we were done. Well since we’re done now can I start?” Sirius didn’t wait for an answer “What was the point for jumping from one exercise to another? I barely got an work put into one thing, but used all my energy in multiple exercises. Isn’t it better to be the master of one skill than be horrible at them all? Also, you said you do everything for a reason. Why teach me unarmed fighting? If we’re fighting a dark jedi and I lose my saber somehow, what good will my fists be against a lightsaber?”

Sirius waited for a reply as they walked. He slipped his over robe back on in mid-stride and adjusted his padawan braid so it didn’t get caught under the robe. He looked at the braid for a moment. It finally had some meaning again. He had grown to despise the braid over the past few weeks since Wolf had died, but now, with Master Ka has his new mentor, he started to treasure it again. He could not wait to learn more, but he wasn't looking forward to more workouts anytime soon.

The kitchens neared, Sirius could smell the breakfast still being served and it made him even more hungry.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

“Master Ka, you said I could ask you any questions I wanted to after we were done. Well since we’re done now can I start? What was the point for jumping from one exercise to another? I barely got any work put into one thing, but used all my energy in multiple exercises. Isn’t it better to be the master of one skill than be horrible at them all? Also, you said you do everything for a reason. Why teach me unarmed fighting? If we’re fighting a dark jedi and I lose my saber somehow, what good will my fists be against a lightsaber?”

The half-smile on Teer's face faded away. Had he not been paying attention when she explained precisely why she was teaching him unarmed skills? She'd already addressed that, and the prospect of repeating her words wasn't something she relished. Not in the tiniest bit.

She lifted her wider third lekku, draping it over the outer robe she'd pulled on again. It was a rather chill morning, and she was glad for once she was wearing boots. Normally it was just a 'chore,' something unpleasant but rather needed. However it did have its up-sides.

As they entered the large cafeteria, Teer started in on her explanation. Again.

"As I told you before, you won't always have your lightsaber, and even when you do, a well-placed kick or punch can give you the advantage. And if you don't know how to attack with your body not holding a lightsaber, you won't know how to do so with a lightsaber. As to why I had you try so many things, I was showing you an overview of what you can expect to learn from me."

Teer eyed the display of breakfast foods being served, and did her best to gauge what she needed in terms of nutrition. She'd have her daily thimiar in the early afternoon and have a more conventional breakfast by human standards. Sausage, bacon, eggs. Plenty of protein and not a lot of carbs. No empty calories. It was everything a carnivorous species needed. Of course there were the occasional supplementary bits of greenery her system needed, but that was something she didn't have regularly. The same was true of bread. It had essentially no nutritional value for her.

With her plate adequately loaded, Master Ka looked to Sirius again waiting on his own selections to be finished so they could find a table together.

"Do you have any other questions for me?"

[Ghostie]

Sirius was overwhelmed with all the smells in the cafeteria. It smelled great. Waffles, pancakes, sausage, bacon, toast, and cereal, it was all there. The Jedi may live peculiar lives to some, but they did eat great. Sirius grabbed a plate of his own and followed Master Ka has they both made their selections. He piled waffles and sausage onto his plate in particular. They were his favorite. Luckily most of the Jedi had already eaten, so Sirius could take as much as he wanted. And he was hungry after that workout.

"As I told you before, you won't always have your lightsaber, and even when you do, a well-placed kick or punch can give you the advantage. And if you don't know how to attack with your body not holding a lightsaber, you won't know how to do so with a lightsaber. “

Sirius got the impression he wasn’t being clear. Hopefully Master Ka would be able to understand him in time and he would be able to understand her in time as well. Sirius could see that this was already going to be difficult if that didn’t happen. He wanted to know how to fight a specific type of enemy with unarmed combat, not why he should.

“Master Ka, let me be clearer.” Sirius began as the hunted for a table. “I can see how kicks and punches would be good during a lightsaber battle, and I know that a Jedi won’t always have their saber. But I mean, say I was fighting a dark jedi. My lightsaber gets destroyed and all I have left is the Force. What use would unarmed combat be against someone who could simply chop off my arms and legs with their lightsaber?”

Sirius wanted to know how to fight dark jedi, can he could see a way to do so with a lightsaber. He had heard of lightsaber resistant materials before but didn’t know what they were called or if there were weapons made out of them. He supposed he could rely on the Force alone once he became stronger, but he still felt safe with a tangible weapon.

They came up to an empty table next to a window. A service droid had just finished wiping off the table as Master Ka and Sirius sat down. Sirius looked out the window and saw the morning traffic of Coruscant out in the distance and the sun hanging low in the sky. It felt like a long day already, but it wasn’t even noon yet. Sirius enjoyed the sunshine as he started on his waffles.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

“Master Ka, let me be clearer. I can see how kicks and punches would be good during a lightsaber battle, and I know that a Jedi won’t always have their saber. But I mean, say I was fighting a dark jedi. My lightsaber gets destroyed and all I have left is the Force. What use would unarmed combat be against someone who could simply chop off my arms and legs with their lightsaber?”

"This is why we learn to use speed and agility. Bind the Force to your body, and you can evade those blows from a lightsaber. Then you can reach out and restrain that saber arm. If you work correctly, you can disarm an opponent, or you can buy time to retrieve your own saber if you've lost it." Teer answered as she speared a bite of sausage and scrambled eggs, raising it to her lips and taking a bite. Her fangs made very short work of the meat. She could handle it raw quite easily, but cooked was a special treat. The delicacy, the falling apart and melting in the mouth... It was special.

Of course it didn't have quite the same flavors she was used to, part of the reason she had Togruta cuisine more regularly. Still, food at the Jedi Temple was specifically prepared to be edible by many species. That just happened to coincide with more human foods.

She finished chewing and swallowed the bite before continuing to speak.

"The only limit in combat is your creativity. You have to see every opportunity and find ways to seize it for your advantage. Even if your skills aren't on par with your opponent, seeing new options can help you gain victory." Teer's subtly accented voice had an interesting quality to it, something not quite gravelly and not quite hoarse. It was very unique, and her tone always commanded attention.

The large scar on her left cheek also commanded attention as her free hand traced it's path along her face. It was a very nasty experience, having a lightsaber slice into such a delicate area. She'd also worried for years it made her ugly or unsightly. Of course her one lover had begged to differ, and said it made her all the more beautiful. But he was dead and gone, and her transgression was buried with him.

No one knew except her. That was her own secret shame to bear.

Her mind returned to the breakfast before her, and she speared another bite of egg and sausage and deposited it into her mouth. She chewed carefully and slowly, planning out her next statement.

"The other key element in combat is unpredictability. Don't let your adversary know what you're thinking. Let your actions be rapid and without warning, make sure your foe is reacting rather than acting. Don't give them time to regroup or counterattack. Always maintain the initiative."

Teer knew combat. Of course sometimes it seemed that was all she knew. She had so much experience in that single area, it was almost as if she'd put her life into that one basket. Was she missing out on something more? Perhaps. She'd sacrificed her life to the Jedi Order in a way. Could she change that? Maybe. Should she? She didn't know.

She took another bite of her food.

[Ghostie]

"This is why we learn to use speed and agility. Bind the Force to your body, and you can evade those blows from a lightsaber.”

Avoiding blows from a lightsaber that was wielded by another force-user seemed almost impossible to Sirius. Master Ka was the best swordsman he had seen yet, and if they encountered a dark jedi with even just a fraction of her skill, Sirius hoped that Master Ka would be with him.

Although Sirius knew nothing was impossible with the Force. That was one of the first lessons Master Wolf had taught him. Sirius had seen his previous master move with which speed and grace during combat that it would be impossible for someone who wasn’t a force-user to match him. Sirius decided maybe it wasn’t a waste learning how to do that same after all.

Sirius sat next to the open window and glance outside again for a second or two. He liked watching the endless streams of traffic move through the morning sky. It was like watching a screensaver on a computer. The traffic never ended. He turned back around and finished the last few bites of his sausage. It had gotten covered by the syrup from the waffles, which made it even more delicious. He downed the last few bites quickly, savoring the last piece of sausage.

"The only limit in combat is your creativity. You have to see every opportunity and find ways to seize it for your advantage.” Master Ka’s statement sparked Sirius’s imagination. He caught only pieces what she said next, his own thoughts overtaking his brain.

Sirius imagined fighting a dark jedi with two sabers, using speed and not necessarily strength to his advantage. This had him thinking of Master Ka taking about how important it was to “Bind your body to the Force.” He would definitely need to know how to do that if he fought with two sabers. Then there was always the double saber, like Master Ka had. Sirius figured it relied on speed and strength is equal measures. Sirius then thought about a Jedi fighting with a saber and then a weapon that wasn’t a saber. There was always vibroblades, hammers, axes, and blasters. A Blaster and a Saber? Hmm… That would be interesting. Sirius thought it was an interesting combination, but many Jedi might look down on it. He didn’t care though; he thought it sounded like an excellent combination.

Sirius pushed pieces of waffle around on his plate while thinking about how to fight dark jedi. Master Ka was still speaking, but again he only caught pieces. He then figured Master Ka wouldn’t be too happy if he didn’t pay attention, so he looked up and started to listen.

Master Ka then fingered the quite large scar on her face. Sirius watched her hand run down the scar. He was no expert, but he thought it looked like a lightsaber scar. Master Wolf had one himself that he told Sirius was from a fight with a dark jedi almost right after he became a knight. If it was anyone besides Master Ka, Sirius might’ve asked how they got the scar. But Sirius just figured it was from fighting so many dark jedi. He wouldn’t be surprised if he finished this new apprenticeship with scars of his own.

"The other key element in combat is unpredictability. Don't let your adversary know what you're thinking…”

Sirius finished his waffles while Master Ka was talking, enjoying them all the while. They were definitely his favorite. He didn’t’ waste a second after she was done and his mouth was empty, launching to more questions.

“So unpredictability, are you saying we should rely on instincts alone? That’s what it sounded like.” Sirius said, putting his fork and knife on his now empty, syrup covered plate. “And your comment about creativity sparked my thoughts. What’s it like to fight with a double saber? And have you ever known a Jedi to fight with both a saber and blaster at the same time?”

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

“So unpredictability, are you saying we should rely on instincts alone? That’s what it sounded like.”

"No," Teer said emphatically. "Your instincts are reactions, and in any fight where you find yourself reacting instead of acting, you lose the advantage. Rely on your head. Your instincts are often the most predictable aspects of your technique."

The Togruta Weapons Master raised another bite of eggs and sausage to her waiting mouth, chewing on them as she listened to her Padawan once more.

“And your comment about creativity sparked my thoughts. What’s it like to fight with a double saber? And have you ever known a Jedi to fight with both a saber and blaster at the same time?"

That was a good question. The double-bladed saber was a very unconventional weapon, one that could be tricky to handle and even trickier to learn. She'd hit herself with the second blade on more than one occasion when learning so many years ago. Thankfully there were training settings for such occasions. But over the years, it had become second nature to her. Describing it was going to be an interesting task.

"A double-bladed saber is like an extension of your own body. But it can be challenging to manage the locations of both blades; to keep them both away from your own body and engaged in the fight. It limits your ability to strike compared to a normal lightsaber. You block and you attack in different ways, and you learn to structure your attacks in a new manner. With enough experience, you can attack and defend at the exact same time."

His second question, she felt, was much less intriguing. The short answer was that she'd never seen it done but it was possible. The longer answer was a much more important lesson.

"I haven't seen that done before. However there are problems with that. A blaster is a ranged weapon and a lightsaber is a close-in weapon. Using both at the same time wouldn't work well. And then there's a problem with using a saber one-handed that I always warn about. You lose power. Your strikes lack their full potential."

Teer took her last bite of food and chewed it carefully, swallowing it down and wiping the corners of her mouth with a napkin before concluding.

"I can teach you to throw and recover your saber if you need a ranged ability to use. But I suggest, Padawan, that you find creativity in the use of your blade rather than in exotic weapons and combinations."

[Ghostie]

"Your instincts are reactions, and in any fight where you find yourself reacting instead of acting, you lose the advantage. Rely on your head. Your instincts are often the most predictable aspects of your technique."

That sounded very counterproductive to Sirius. Rely on your head, but don’t let the enemy know what you’re about to do? He didn’t quite understand how to do this. But he did get the part about acting rather than reacting. It sounded like Master Ka was telling Sirius that he should always be on the offensive, rather than the defensive. That made sense because Sirius didn’t think that letting a dark jedi get an attack in was a good idea. The less you gave the enemy a chance to attack the less danger you were in.

Sirius sat with both hands folded on the table, and listened to everything Master Ka had to say. His plate was pushed aside to the edge of the table along with his silver ware. Master Ka was talking about it was like to use a double bladed lightsaber. It sounded different than Sirius had imagined. She talked said that it limited your ability to strike. Sirius assumed it was all spinning the blades around and the like. But he also liked the fact of blocking and attacking at the same time.

But when Master Ka started talking about how impractical a lightsaber and a blaster was he frowned. Now that Sirius actually heard what he had suggested, he guessed it didn’t make much sense. But it sounded like it would at the time. He also understood how you would what both hands on your saber, to get the most out of your attacks.

"I can teach you to throw and recover your saber if you need a ranged ability to use. But I suggest, Padawan, that you find creativity in the use of your blade rather than in exotic weapons and combinations."

Sirius didn’t see much creativity in one blade. He thought one blade, or a regular lightsaber at all for that matter, was quite a bit limiting. Maybe he just needed some more experience to gain some new ideas. He still wanted to try something different though. Learning to throw and recover his lightsaber sounded like a good start.

“Master Ka, learning to throw and retrieve my lightsaber sounds great.” Sirius decided to go out on a limb also. “And do you think there’s any possibility I can learn what it’s like to use a double bladed lightsaber?” Sirius asked the question in a more quite voice, it made him sound like he was bracing for Master Ka’s answer. He wasn’t quite sure if Master Ka would let him try out her saber. Sirius knew some jedi who were very protective of their sabers, like himself for example. He wasn't quite sure if he would let anyone else use it, it was very precious to him. Everything from the bronze crystal to the silver covering was special in some way. Sirius wouldn't part from it easily.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

“Master Ka, learning to throw and retrieve my lightsaber sounds great.”

She could do that instruction easily enough. All she really had to do was teach him to throw the saber, then focus on it well enough to call it back to his hand. It wasn't hard, and she had every confidence that he'd learn to do it.

“And do you think there’s any possibility I can learn what it’s like to use a double bladed lightsaber?”

"Of course," Teer said amiably. She had no qualm at all over sharing her saber, as was obvious from the way she calmly detached it from her belt and extended it towards Sirius, with open hands.

Some Jedi didn't like the concept of another being touching their saber. Teer was a bit different in that respect. If she could teach by yielding it, all the better. It was the Jedi that mattered, not the weapon. A tool was only as useful as the warrior who wielded it. Her goal was to make Sirius that warrior.

She had no expectation he'd be instantly good at it though, in fact she expected the exact opposite. She'd been no different when she first picked one up.

The Togruta Master rose to her feet, picking up her plate. She was done with her meal, and ready to resume training. Of course with a full stomach, she'd opt for less intense physical training. Perhaps even quiet meditation together.

"You can use my saber for as long as you'd like Sirius. But I think any serious weapons training will wait until later on in the afternoon. For now it might be best to meditate quietly while you digest your food."

She couldn't imagine those 'waffles' were easy to digest. They seemed quite heavy for a species that couldn't even digest raw meat well.

[Ghostie]

Sirius couldn’t believe his eyes. Master Ka was letting him use her saber. It seemed like she held it out without caring. Master Wolf always taught Sirius that his lightsaber was his life. It was important to take care of and to never lose it. Master Wolf and only let Sirius see his lightsaber on one occasion, which was when Sirius needed a design to base his own saber off of. That insecurity had rubbed off on Sirius. He wasn’t sure that if another Jedi asked to see his saber, even Master Ka, if he would give it up.

In a way, Sirius viewed Master Ka relinquishing her saber as a symbol of her openness. She had let Sirius ask all the questions he wanted to, and she answered all of them. She had been very straightforward as well. It seemed like it would be very easy to trust Master Ka.

Sirius stretched out both of his hands as Master Ka placed the saber in them. Sirius stared at it for a few seconds. It was almost double the weight of a regular lightsaber. That didn’t surprise Sirius much; they’re called double sabers for a reason after all. Sirius got a better look at the silver hilt now. It didn’t have much detail wise, but the black grips were detailed with navy blue threading. Located on the silver hilt were the notches Sirius had seen earlier. He added them up in his head and came to twenty-six. Master Ka said those were just all dark jedi.

Sirius stood up from the table and grabbed his own plate with his left hand as he cradled Master Ka’s saber with the other. As he followed Master Ka across the cafeteria, He was focused on her saber the whole time. He barely watched where he was going as he studied the double saber. Twenty-Six dark jedi kills. That’s incredible. Sirius had never known another Jedi to kill so many dark jedi. He wondered how Master Ka was able to amass such a feat even with her skills. How did no one at all eventually gain the upper hand? Maybe that was what Master Ka was trying to teach him by telling him to be creative and always press the attack. Sirius would definitely pay more attention from here on out.

“Master Ka, I’m very surprised you’re letting me use your lightsaber. I mean, most Jedi are very protective of their sabers. I was taught a lightsaber is a Jedi’s life.”

Sirius and Master Ka returned their plates and silverware to the kitchen. As they stepped out into the still deserted hallway, Sirius finally looked up from studying the saber and looked at Master Ka.

“Now what, Master Ka? I feel like we’ve done everything already.” Sirius let out with a chuckle.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

"Master Ka, I’m very surprised you’re letting me use your lightsaber. I mean, most Jedi are very protective of their sabers. I was taught a lightsaber is a Jedi’s life.”

"It is a Jedi's life," Teer confirmed for her Padawan. He was fully right on that count, but he was missing one important aspect of it. "But as a Jedi you should use your life as an example, and you should be willing to share it. Its the same with your lightsaber."

A very thin smile appeared on Master Ka's face as one more thing to say occurred to her. "Besides, if it survived Dark Jedi I think it can survive my Padawan."

Master Ka's use of humor was rare, which made those moments all the more valuable when they came. She was hardly without a sense of humor, it simply didn't emerge very often. The majority of the time she was intense and stern. But in her defense, it was only because she cared.

As they passed out into the still corridors, Sirius said one more thing that prompted a small chuckle.

"Now what, Master Ka? I feel like we’ve done everything already.”

"Rule one of being a Jedi: there is always something else to do." The amusement took the edge off of Teer's richly accented voice. It was quite clear she was relaxed. Of course she did need to plan out the next move. She was taking it one step at a time. Perhaps it was time to sound out his personality? That was something she'd have to do anyway. There was no point in delaying it.

She steered their movement towards one of the numerous small courtyards, and there she motioned Sirius to a seat on a stone bench across from her.

"I'm going to offer you a choice. Either we meditate now together, or I ask you a series of questions and you answer them."

[Ghostie]

Sirius followed Master Ka into the courtyard. It was rather small compared to some, but this allowed for more privacy. The courtyard was littered with small plants and trees, along with stone benches. The sun was high in the sky by now, but it wasn’t quite noon yet.

Sirius followed Master Ka across the courtyard, still holding her lightsaber. They approached a pair of stone benches near the edge of the courtyard, underneath a tree. As Master Ka motioned for Sirius to sit on one bench, she sat on the other. Sirius thought about what Master Ka had said about lightsabers. Maybe Sirius did miss an important aspect when Master Wolf taught him a lightsaber was a Jedi’s life. He didn’t think about the fact that a Jedi was suppose to share their life and be willing to sacrifice it. Maybe Sirius would be more willing to give up his saber from here on out.

"I'm going to offer you a choice. Either we meditate now together, or I ask you a series of questions and you answer them."

Sirius didn’t like meditating much, and when he did he preferred the Room of a Thousand Fountains or his own quarters, someplace he knew. Sirius also didn’t know what kind of questions Master Ka was going to ask. But honestly, he didn’t have a preference. Sirius was about to say that he didn’t care when he remembered how the sparring started. She had wanted him to attack, not just spar. And now Master Ka was offering him a choice and wanted him to choose. Master Ka did everything for a reason. Sirius made up his mind and decided to answer questions rather than meditate.

“I’ll go with the questions Master Ka. After all, I’ve asked my fair share haven’t I?”

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

“I’ll go with the questions Master Ka. After all, I’ve asked my fair share haven’t I?”

She nodded by way of a response. He had asked a fair number of questions. One thing she'd learned about humans was that they were curious, and she'd actually been expecting even more in the way of questions. Teer had the distinct impression he was far from done asking, and that she'd have many more directed to her in the coming weeks.

Now her own questions were going to be asked. At first just to learn more about his background, and then to gauge his personality. Both were important aspects, aspects she needed to know. And going directly to the source would be far easier. If he lied about anything, she'd know it. She could read most sentients like a book.

The Togruta master swung her legs up to her side on the bench, making herself more comfortable. This was probably going to take a while.

"To begin with Sirius, tell me about how you entered the Jedi Order, and about your years as a Youngling."

She was genuinely interested, and in her experience nothing provided more insight into a person's present than their past. Childhood in particular was a well of information, and brimming with formative experiences. She knew her own personality had come to the forefront then.

Learning about her Padawan's past would help her learn about who he was, and that would give her an advantage in structuring training for him. She'd cater to his strengths that way.

[Ghostie]

Master Ka wasted no time diving into her questions. Sirius still didn’t know what kind of questions she was going to ask, and this made him a bit nervous. Questions about his past? Questions about his future? Questions about his previous master? Sirius knew he was supposed to be open with Master Ka, but it might be tough.

"To begin with Sirius, tell me about how you entered the Jedi Order, and about your years as a Youngling."

“Um…”

Sirius didn’t quite know how to answer the first question on how he came to the Order. He had no idea himself. All he knew was that Master Wolf was the one who discovered him, his family apparently didn’t like Jedi, and Master Wolf brought him the Order as soon as he was born. The second part was a bit easier, so he’d start there first.

Sirius swung his legs up onto the bench, placing Master Ka’s saber in front of his feet on the far side of the bench. He adjusted his glasses and then wrapped his arms loosely around his knees. In a slightly hunched over position Sirius faced Master Ka and began.

“Well, I’ll start with my youngling years, since that’s the easy part. I’ve made quite a few friends in my younglings years, including Xell Raynar. I was average in most of my classes. I was chosen by Master Wolf at age twelve. He’s the one who brought me to the Order so we already had a small bond.”

Sirius sighed as he finished. He didn’t have much to tell Master Ka about his coming to the Order. He hoped what he would suffice.

“I don’t know how I got to the Order really or where I came from. As I said, Master Wolf could sense that I was force sensitive before I was born. Apparently for some reason my family doesn’t like Jedi, so Master Wolf was there when I was born to take me away. Master Wolf said that my mother didn’t want me to know where I came from so I would try and seek out my family of Jedi haters, and just get hurt by them.”

That was the truth Sirius knew. He knew there was more to the story though. And Sirius always had a longing to discover where he was from.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Teer sat silently on the bench and listened to what Sirius said. He was mostly ignorant of his own background, hardly unusual among the Jedi. Teer herself had spent her first four years on Shili before finding her way into the hands of the Jedi. She could still vaguely remember bits of it, and it had helped instill many of her traits and skills. She'd learned to eat thimiar that way, something she wasn't sure many other Togruta Jedi did. It had also given her more insight into her own culture.

Sirius didn't have that advantage, or disadvantage as some could see it. His only 'identity' was as a Jedi. Teer wondered if that was in his favor or against it. Had he known temptation yet? Had the Dark Side tried to seduce him? Probably not. But would solely considering himself a Jedi help bolster his defenses against that day, or would the appeal of something new be too hard to resist...

One thing was for certain, she had already killed one Padawan who fell, she'd do it again if she had to.

Teer brought herself back to the matter at hand and started to plan out her next question. This all would have been much easier if Master Wolf still lived to answer questions, but then again if he still lived Teer wouldn't have been able to take in Sirius as her fourth Padawan. She simply had to ask the right questions and get to know him. Once she understood him better, she could personalize her training for him.

She'd touched on his youngling years, and he'd touched on his selection as Padawan. That was something she could build off of.

"Now tell me, as a Padawan to Master Wolf, what did he teach you, and sorts of missions have you been on? Further, what sorts of missions do you want to go on?"

This was a way to measure his experience, and from there she could determine what sorts of missions to take him on. She would aim to fill his gaps, if she deemed them necessary of course, but she would also cater to his strengths wherever possible.

[Ghostie]

"Now tell me, as a Padawan to Master Wolf, what did he teach you, and sorts of missions have you been on? Further, what sorts of missions do you want to go on?"

What sort of missions did Sirius want to go on? What did Master Wolf teach him? He enjoyed being able to use his skills on missions, and Wolf always made sure that if there was a computer involved Sirius was working on it. He didn’t really have a preference for their missions, as long he was able to get out of the Temple. It could be running out to a local market for something and Sirius wouldn’t care, he just wanted to get outside.

As to what Master Wolf and taught him, that was a bit different. Master Ka already seen his Soresu. He knew some protection force abilities, which he didn’t think was usual for a padawan. But Master Wolf had taught him more about the Force and the Jedi Code then he did about combat. Sirius wondered what Master Ka would have to say about that.

He adjusted himself on the bench so that he was almost lying down. He grabbed Master Ka’s saber first so he didn’t accidently kick it of the bench. He had a feeling she wouldn’t take to kindly to that. He grabbed the hilt and held it in his hands, studying it as he talked.

“Well Master Ka, I really don’t have a preference to missions right now because I’ve been stuck inside the Temple so long. Anything that gets me out of the Temple even for a little bit is fine by me. But when I was with Master Wolf, I liked missions where my skills with technology and computers were appreciated and used. Wolf always made sure that if a computer was involved I was on it. And not to gloat, but I am pretty good.”

Sirius thought for a minute before he continued. Master Wolf had taught him a lot. He adjusted again to get more comfortable. What was he going to say? Combat, the Force, the Code? Maybe Sirius would touch on all of them.

“Wolf was more focused on teaching me about the Force and the Code than combat.” Sirius began, looking up at the sky. “You’ve already seen my Soresu. I’m confident Wolf taught me that to keep me alive more than to teach me control though. About the Force, Wolf always said it didn’t have two different sides, but it was all one. It was how you used it that counted. It makes sense to me, so that’s how I see it too. He taught me some protection abilities along with telekinetic. I’m not use how usual it is for a padawan to know some protection abilities, but I think he taught me them for the same reasons he taught me Soresu.” Sirius stopped for a second, decided how he would go about talking about the Code, and then continued. “Wolf explained the Code like this; if the lightsaber was a Jedi’s life, the Code gave it life. There was no point in wielding a lightsaber unless you followed the Code, because if not, it would only bring destruction.”

Sirius wasn't quite comfortable talking about Wolf yet, but Master Ka had asked, and it was best to be open. Especially with his new master. Sirius now had a good idea of how she had felt earlier, when he had pelted Master Ka with questions and she was answering. You couldn't always come up with a good answer, but you had to try your best.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

"You master was a wise man," Teer said solemnly after Sirius finished speaking. It sounded as though Master Wolf had indeed been quite wise, and she couldn't fault what training he had done. He'd given her something solid to work with. Now she had to take him and shape him, she had to hone him into a sword for the Jedi.

She could do it too, with enough time and with his cooperation. She'd break him down of course, and then build him back up again. Some things would remain, she only wanted to destroy his weakness, not his character.

"I'm sure you miss him very much. But don't let your grief hold you back," Teer cautioned, suddenly mindful of her own lost Padawans. She'd grieved yes, but she'd tried to do it in moderation. More than most, she realized the finality of death. No matter what, the dead would still be dead. You couldn't change that. Thinking about the 'what-ifs' only hurt worse.

The same was true of events. She'd paced back and forth in her quarters and down the halls of the Jedi Temple like an akul on the hunt in the wilds of Shili when the battle on Dantooine had been raging. That was still one of her greatest regrets. She was from there, she'd trained there. She should have been there to defend against the Sith, to protect the Enclave. Maybe with her skilled blades she could have fought off the Sith Empire's forces and saved the day. Or maybe that was just her ego talking. Regardless, she should have at least been able to try...

Teer relaxed her hand, noticing it had contracted into a fist.

Time to continue with more questions. This time ones with, to her mind, a right and wrong answer.

"You're fighting a Dark Jedi, and he falls to the ground and throws up his hands. He asks for mercy. What do you do?"