That Old, Familiar Place (Semi-Open)

[Ghostie]

Rune walked through the halls of the Jedi Temple with his hands clasped behind his back, simply just following his feet. He had spent all morning looking at potential candidates for a new apprentice, and wandering around the Jedi Temple helped him clear his head that afternoon. He had not yet made a decision. The Temple had some very fine younglings, but none of them were quite what Rune was looking for in an apprentice. Perhaps he was just afraid of another apprentice falling to the darkside, just like his last one had. The pain of that memory still fresh in his mind, and on his face in the form of a new scar, Rune trudged on.

He found it funny how some of his fellow Jedi Masters seemed to only travel in groups with other master, or by themselves, with their hoods up. They seemed unapproachable. Which was exactly what they shouldn’t be in Rune’s mind. Instead, he traveled through the crowds, with no outer robe on, allowing his skin to breath. The blue mixed in with his robes stood out, as did the sash that his saber rested in. In fact, the only thing he would consider intimidating on his figure would be his new facial scar. Rune considered himself very approachable, however he was wrapped up in his own thoughts.

He had never quite found out what made Iago fall to the darkside. Was it something Rune had taught him? Had he been too focused on being a Watchman and not focused enough on being a teacher? Rune could not find anything to blame but himself. Somewhere he had failed, he was convinced of it. Rune glimpsed at a youngling on the other side of the hall he was walking through at the moment. This youngling suspiciously looked a lot like Iago had when he was younger. And from what Rune could tell, the youngling acted a bit like him as well. Iago had always been stubborn, but also willing to learn. Rune thought he could work around his stubbornness through the boy’s thirst for knowledge. His fault again for not being a better teacher. And now he was wary of taking another padawan, for fear the same might happen.

The Mon Calamari walked on, into a more deserted part of the Temple. He now had to put all those feeling behind him, the Council had asked him to find a new apprentice. Rune wasn’t quite sure how he would go about putting those feelings aside. There would probably be a lot of meditation involved. But for now, a walk worked just as well.

It seemed like a lifetime since he had wandered the Jedi Temple. Rune was convinced you couldn’t possibly see the whole thing in your one life, just like the galaxy. But it was nice to be back in what some called a bastion of hope, a tower for guardians. And what Rune once called home.

So many things had happened since he was a youngling himself, walking through the Temple halls as he did now. He had gone through two masters, became a Jedi Watchman, raised his own apprentice to Knighthood, fought in a war, and then had fought his former apprentice. A lot of successes, a lot of failures, and a lot of lessons. Wrapped up in a memory from the past, Rune literally bumped into someone he hadn’t seen in the hallway. Looking up, Rune apologized.

[teal]“I’m sorry. Must’ve not seen you there.”[/teal]

[Charlie Sharper]

Tem walked through the Jedi Temple at a brisk pace and thought about the recent developments in his life. The largest change was that he had taken on a padawan, and while Vance still was hurting, he had taken some very encouraging steps forward toward healing. Tem knew the kind of pain losing a master could cause and knew that it would be hard for the boy to overcome, but Tem was confident that in time Vance would heal. It was no easy task, but Tem was prepared to help in any way, and as time probably the biggest factor in the healing process, Tem would have to be patient. To that extent, Tem felt it would be best to Vance some time alone today which was what brought him to a less populated section of the Temple. He felt the need to be in a less populated area to meditate so he went to the older section of the courtyard.

While Tem liked the Temple and it's various Jedi, he longed for the tranquil plans of Dantooine, it's rolling grassy hills always brought him a calm state of mind. That is the reason he spent so much time there as a padawan, his former master, Heldo Felnar felt his fiery spirit would benefit greatly from the peaceful, serene hills of Dantooine. He had always been a passionate person, the goal wasn't to rid him of that, but instead give it focus, which Tem believed made him the Jedi he is today. Tem hadn't been on the planet when it was captured by the Sith Empire, but in some ways he wish he had been there, if only to have assisted the evacuation of the Enclave, he had heard that most escaped, but he could only imagine what was left behind, what was lost to the ruthlessness of power and greed. Tem calmed his mind again, -I need not worry myself with things I cannot change, only focus my energy on those things that I can- He thought to himself.

As he walked he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings, something that Heldo would have scolded him on. 'You must keep your attention on the here and now, never lose your concentration about your surroundings, this knowledge might save your life' Would be the gist of the lecture, but it was the last thing on Tem's mind as he collided with someone. It wasn't enough to send either to the ground, just a harmless bumping into, to which the other person apologized to Tem first. “I’m sorry. Must’ve not seen you there.” Tem looked at the Jedi, who he recognized him as a Mon Calamari Jedi Master, Rune was his name. "No, I'm sorry master, I wasn't paying attention." Tem apologized to the Mon Calamari Jedi. "My mind's been wandering all day and apparently the Meditating I just finished did not right it?" He laughed, then bowed to the Jedi master. "Your Master Rune Oki correct? I think I've seen you around the Temple." He said, hoping that some healthy dialog might help his scattered mind, and maybe make an acquaintance at the same time.

[Ghostie]

Rune looked at the young Jedi as he spoke. Apparently they had both been deep in their thoughts as they walked. Rune chuckled when the Jedi did, if only to be polite. But he did know what he meant. Despite what most Masters told their padawans, meditation wasn’t the only way to clear your mind. Nor did it always work. Sometimes you found yourself dwelling on the subject even more than you had before meditating. Rune bowed slightly back to the young Jedi, smiling at him.

Apparently he knew who Rune was. He wasn’t surprised. He suspected that the news about his former padawan had spread around the Temple. And when Mon Calamari was conquered, he was sure that some Jedi would wonder who the Watchman over the planet was. It made Rune uncomfortable, knowing that those who had no business in it knew of what the Mon Calamari considered his two biggest failures.

Rune didn't know many people in the Temple anymore, a lot had changed. Although, Rune could definitely remember seeing this Jedi. After all, the young Jedi stuck out. He was taller than most people, even Rune by a few inches. And with googles over his eyes and black robes, he stood out amongst the Jedi. And Rune thought he was abnormal with no outer cloak and blue woven into his robes.

“Yes, meditation doesn’t always work. Nor is it the best way to clear your mind. But don’t let anyone know I told you that.” Rune said with a smile. “Yes, I’m Master Oki." He paused for a moment "I know I've seen you around the Temple, but I don't know who you are...”

[Charlie Sharper]

Tem smiled at the small joke about telling others. "I'll keep that to myself." He laughed. Then the Master asked about his name. It was not uncommon for Jedi not to know each other, the Temple was rather large and there were many Enclaves, so for to Jedi to have never figuratively run into each other was common. Literally running into each other was rather uncommon though. I am Tem Farelle, Master Oki. Tem said with a bow. His goggled eyes raised again and he looked at the Jedi master, he hadn't heard much of this Jedi, just having seen him before and hearing his name, he put two and two together and it equaled four. He had heard that he was the Watchman of the Mon Calamari system before it's falling to the Sith, much like his beloved Dantooine. He knew that the master must have felt some grief over this, it was most likely viewed as more then just a planet and a people to Rune, but his heritage. Tem knew that Jedi were not supposed to feel allegiance to their home planet or their people, but it was only natural to feel something for one's own kind, Tem suspected. He knew how quickly he bonded with Mirian, despite being only a half Miralukan.

Tem could almost feel that the master was grieving internally so an idea came to him. Had Tem ever heard about Rune's fallen padawan, this thought might not have occurred, but he hadn't, so it did. "I was on my way to see a padawan..." Tem said before catching himself. "My padawan." He said, correcting himself. "You could accompany me if you'd like?" Tem smiled "I wouldn't mind the company, I'm still new to the idea of having a padawan." Tem confessed, waiting to see if the master would accept his invitation.

[Ghostie]

Rune grimaced once Tem started talking about his new padawan. The whole reason for this walk was to forget about the young ones and trying to pick someone new to teach. He really didn’t want to think of younglings and padawans and teaching for the moment. Had Rune been any less of a Jedi, he might’ve berated Tem for suggesting such a thing to him right now.

But Tem was innocent of course. He probably had no idea what Rune was feeling right now about trying to take a new apprentice, or any idea what Rune was feeling about is last. It had been a very polite invitation. And perhaps Rune could help the young Jedi with his new apprentice. He had said he was still new to the idea of having a padawan after all.

But did he really want to go? Did he really want to see a happy master and padawan, after what he just went through with his former padawan? Well, not really. But Tem had been very polite about it, and Rune didn’t have anything else to do really. He would go, if only to not offend Tem.

“Sure, I’d be happy to accompany you. It’s always nice to see the young Jedi learning.” Rune replied. As he did, Tem started off, with Rune falling into step on his right.

[Charlie Sharper]

After the Jedi master accepted, Tem began to walk again, heading down the hall toward the Archives. He had heard that Vance was going to be there earlier in the day, so he'd begin his search for the padawan there. As he walked he could feel something pulling at Rune's mind, some lingering feelings that weighted heavy on him, but what they were the Jedi Knight couldn't say. He was never the best at reading minds, let alone the mind of a Jedi Master, but Tem still possessed quiet an empathic streak and he could feel the master was weighed down on by some knowledge. Perhaps this would take his mind off the problems, which Tem hoped for.

They arrived at the Archives only a short time after setting out for it. When they arrived a Archive Master walked up to the two Jedi. "Hello Knight Farelle. Is there anything you need assistance with?" Tem shook his head. "I'm just looking for padawan Vance Asano. He was here earlier in the morning and I am looking for him." "Ahh, yes, he's right over here." She motioned for them to follow. "So, did I hear correctly that you are taking him on as you're Padawan Knight Farelle?" Tem smiled down at her. "Yes, we will begin his training today." "It's always exciting to see a Knight take on their first padawan. Always a learning experience for both." She said in a jovial tone. Tem laughed a bit, with a hint of nerves in his laugh. "That it will be." She stopped for a moment and turned to them. "I remember when you'd spend hours in here as a youngling, Knight Farelle, I've watched you grow it to a Knight. You will do fine with him, just be patient and let the force guide you. I'm sure in time it will become second nature to you." Tem bowed to her. Thank you Master Gela. Your guidance is much appreciated." She returned the bow and then pointed over to the back corner of the Archives. "He is right over there. May the force be with you, Knight Farelle." She said with a smile. May the Force be with you Master Gela." Tem bowed again and then looked back at Master Oki, allowing him to take the lead.

[Ghostie]

Arriving in the Archives, Rune let Tem talk to the Jedi Archivist in order to find out where his padawan was. The Mon Calamari wandered off just a few feet to inspect one of the many statues that littered the archives. As a small boy, Rune and always dreamed of being one of these statues, regarded as one of the greatest Jedi of his time. Being taught humility and travelling around the galaxy, Rune had mostly forgotten about this childhood wish. But being back in the Jedi Temple brought back quite a few memories.

Rune himself had never spent much time in the archives unless he was assigned something by his Jedi Masters and the Jedi Teachers when he was a youngling. However when he became a Knight, he often found himself in the archives researching planets he had to take missions to and the like. But when he took a padawan, he constantly found himself in the Archives. Iago always wanted to learn something. He didn’t care what it was, as long as he knew more than he did. It seemed Rune couldn’t go anywhere in the Temple without thinking of his former apprentice.

Hearing their conversation finishing, Rune casually walked back over to Tem. He took his time to admire all the statues on the way. Approaching the Young Knight, the Mon Calamari bowed to the Archivist as she walked away.

“So, where might we find your padawan?”

[Fromikeable]

Vance was still troubled by his master's death. It was still fresh in his mind, and the fact that he was expected to take on a new master so quickly certainly wasn't helping. After all, how could anyone become a replacement for Shon-tul? However, Vance sort of liked Tem Farelle; it was nice to know that someone shared in his experience.

Tem had also helped the padawan the night before; his honest bluntness had aided Vance in remembering advice from his master. Thanks to the Knight, a vicious cycle of sorrow and anger was broken as Vance remembered how to be and what it was to be patient.

Vance had considered all of these things this morning in the Archives. He liked to be among books; they contained no emotion or distraction. They only contained the wisdom of others; a fact Vance always found awe-inspiring. To have enough wisdom to fill volumes and volumes of pads, the padawan would often think.

This morning Vance had learned about the Celestials; the mysterious ancient beings even more spectacular in their feats than the races of the present, and that was saying something. Vance had requested every pad in the Archives on them, but all he had gotten were the four he held now. "Why only these four?" the padawan had asked when the Archive Master retrieved them. She had replied in a simple tone; "Because these four are all we have."

According to some of the volumes, the Celestials were capable of creating entire systems. They mentioned a theory Vance would have never imagined possible; that the Celestials created, with vast and advanced tools, the entire Corellian system. The sheer idea of it! the padawan thought, trying to imagine the process of moving entire planets and even stars. The wisdom of these people... what they must of known...

It was then that Tem Farelle had entered the Archives with a Jedi Vance had never met. Ending his study, the padawan approached the two Jedi in time to hear “So, where might we find your padawan?”

He identified himself. "Right here, master." He bowed deeply to the Jedi, noting his orange skin and his aura of discreet unease. Turning to Tem, Vance took a breath to ensure a solid sentence would follow, fighting off the awkward feeling of saying that word again, and bowed. "Greetings, my master."

[Charlie Sharper]

(This will most likely be bad, but here goes nothing!)


"Right here, master."Tem walked briskly over to his padawan before returning the bow. "Greetings, my master." Tem realized it must still be difficult for Vance to say that word, but Tem felt it was more important that they have a conventional master/padawan relationship, Tem felt it was necessary for Vance to say it, it was important to keep the focus on the apprenticeship aspect of the relationship. The term master kept the padawan from thinking himself equal or, as Tem felt, it actually encouraged the padawan to remember the Jedi Code and think of their master as a teacher and superior, then as a friend. Not that Tem had anything against friendship between master and padawan, he himself considered Heldo to be his best and closest friend, but the term Master reminded them both that Heldo was a superior and teacher first and a friend second. Tem was also a fan of the traditions of the order, they were what allowed the Jedi to live the Code after all, he saw tradition as something fluid, not rigid, something that connected you to the past and showed you what was a good choice and what was a wrong choice. His traditions had to be flexible however, which was what allowed the Order to grow and endure.

"Greetings Padawan. I trust you slept well? He then turned, allowing the Mon Calamari to be seen. "This is Jedi Master Rune Oki. I ran into him while wandering the halls." Tem stifled a chuckle, knowing how literal his words were. "He will be accompanying us today as we start your training." Tem then motioned Vance to follow him. He proceeded out of the Archives and toward the training area nearest to them. When they arrived he walked in, finding it empty. He then handed Vance a training saber from the wall and grabbed one for himself. "Would you like to observe us, Master Oki?" Tem asked walking to the center of the room.

[Ghostie]

Rune bowed to the padawan has the padawan bowed the Mon Calamari. He was a very large young man, with blue eyes and chocolate-black hair. Given his build so far, and the fact that he still had more time to grow, he could be a very big person. Given the right training and opportunities, perhaps some Ataru and Djem So and maybe a little Juyo far in the future, this padawan could become a very fierce warrior.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Padawan Asano.”

Rune followed the Master and padawan pair out into the hallway, tagging along in the back as they walked side by side. This was obviously a very new pairing, they still seemed to be a little awkward around each other. The walk to the training room was silent, but Knight Tem finally spoke up as they entered.

"Would you like to observe us, Master Oki?"

“It would be my pleasure. I can also help if you need it, I am a fairly good saber duelist.”

That was an understatement. It had been just about twenty years since he had mastered Soresu under Master Toka. And he was an adept user of Djem So and Shien as well. He could more than hold his own against another lightsaber wielder. Of course, ‘mastered’ was just a general term. There was always more to learn. He leaned against the wall as Padawan Asano and Knight Tem took the training sabers off of the same wall.

[Fromikeable]

Vance felt nervous; this was the first time he held a saber in weeks. As he and his master moved over to the rack where the training weapons were kept, Vance couldn't help but gulp a little louder than he had intended. Undoing a small clip, the padawan removed a training saber. Removing it from its place of storage, the smooth hilt of the lightsaber felt eerie, and succeeded in recovering some fear within the padawan.

As Vance adjusted the saber's settings, he heard Master Oki state that he would remain and watch their duel; a thought that only increased his discomfort. He knew he would not be severely judged by the Jedi, but still did not seek criticism; at least not right now. As it was, his confidence in his ability to fight had been ultimately shaken by the Dark Jedi that had nearly killed him; an experience he wished he could forget sooner. In his low self-assurance, he doubted he would be much good, and suspected both Tem and Rune would evaluate him as an incompetent fighter.

Come on, now, he tried to convince himself, walking to his end of the dueling ring. You held off that Dark Jedi for, what, three, four minutes? He snorted in response to himself: Yeah, I did fine. My master died, I failed my assignment, and was nearly killed. As he thought, he noticed that Tem had taken up his position, and Master Oki was looking on; both were waiting for him.

After a short exhale, Vance shifted into one of the few Soresu stances he knew, and allowed the training saber to grow to its full length. Slowly blinking his eyes, Vance stated to his opponent "I'm ready. You have the first move."

[Charlie Sharper]

Tem stood across from his Padawan and bowed for a moment to acknowledge his opponent. He then straightened and closed his eyes, letting the force flow through him. He then reopened them and took a basic Ataru stance, with his left foot forward, his right foot back and facing out to the right and his saber held out to his right, blade pointing to the ceiling. He recognized his padawan's stance to being Soresu in origin. He thought for a second about what that meant for his padawan. Tem could see it as the chosen form for Vance, it's focus on defense and patience fit his padawan's personality nicely, but Tem knew little of it, only what one picks up by dueling someone who uses it. Tem had also read a bit about it, nothing very in-depth though. Tem's chosen form was Ataru, the near opposite Soresu, focusing on the attack through aggression and movement. Tem would see how much his padawan knew about Soresu soon though.

Tem saw that Vance was awaiting him to make the first move, this was to be expected, he wasn't as experienced as Tem and his form was one of defense, both dictating Vance to wait on Tem's moves. Tem readily obliged as he moved forward his back foot and with a burst of the force, he sprinted forward, closing the distance between them in only two strides. As Tem did this, he brought his saber up above his head. He then swung his saber out to his left and brought it down toward Vance's right shoulder.

[Fromikeable]

Vance fought the urge to take a step back as his master started the attack. The padawan had spent the last few seconds wondering what sort of fighter his master was, and now it was bluntly apparent; Tem was fast. In retrospect, his master's speed seemed to suit him physically. Tem didn't appear to be a lightweight, but quick, graceful, aggressive movements seemed to suit him.

But the time for thinking had ceased; Tem was close upon him, and he was already striking. Vance was hard pressed to to adjust his saber to match his master's, and he likewise cursed himself for his apparent slowness.

The blow came crashing at his shoulder with a force the padawan admired, even if it spelled his doom. With all the speed he could muster, Vance moved his own weapon to deflect the attack. Sadly, he proved to slow, with only the tip of saber rising to the necessary position. As the attack nicked the edge of the saber, it merely pushed through, brushing both Vance's weapon and Tem's into the padawan's shoulder, burning it wildly. Yelping with pain and shock, Vance stepped back twice, abandoning his stance in an attempt to gain some breathing room, and to see to his arm.

[Charlie Sharper]

Tem could see that Vance was almost caught off guard by his speed. Tem wasn't exactly slow, but his large form often led others to believe otherwise. Vance attempted to push his saber off it's trajectory, but Tem had put far too much power into his strike to be put off. Tem realized that maybe he was being a little over zealous. Vance was still learning and Tem was using his near mastery of Ataru against the boy.

Tem winced internally as the two sabers made contact with Vance's shoulder. The shock was instant on Vance's face; if they were real sabers they would have cut in to Vance's flesh, cauterizing the wound as the saber cut deeper. While these sabers were much weaker, instead just shocking the boy and slightly burning, it was still painful. Tem frowned as Vance abandoned his stance and stepped back, observing his wound. His arm had to be near numb after that kind of contact. Tem dropped his stance as well, standing up straight, as he approached his padawan. "Vance...Are you alright?" Tem asked before seeing that there were some burn marks on Vance's shoulder. Tem looked down at his blade, and touched the blue blade to the ground, and it actually threw off sparks. "Oh no" It was his saber! It wasn't at full power, but it wasn't at training level either. Tem had basically just electrocuted his padawan! He rushed over to Vance in a quick stride, "I'm sorry Vance, the training saber is malfunctioning!" Tem said in apology. "Do you need a healer?" the knight asked with a distinct streak of worry in his voice.

[Fromikeable]

Vance grimaced in pain. The burn seemed a bit stronger than anyhting he had ever gotten from a training saber before, and it singed with a harsh sting. Gritting his teeth, the padawan tore off his sleeve to better examine the wound. As he viewed his charred skin, he immediately wished he hadn't, as the flesh was burnt to a crisp, slightly deformed, and smoking. It made the poor padawan nauseous, and only made the wound seem ghastlier.

Yet among his pain, Vance could again feel his confidence ebb. Great job, he nagged to himself, If this was a real fight, you would have lost your arm! Cursing under his breath, the padawan tore off his good sleeve, and tightly wrapped it about the wound. Despite the additional surges of pain shooting up his biceps, the defeated teenager managed to secure the cloth with a double knot, allowing his other hand to relinquish it position and be of use again.

"Do you need a healer"? his master asked, displaying a clear concern in his unintentional action. Vance looked at him, and then noted the saber Tem had dropped. It was sparking as it touched the ground; behavior no weapon of proper function should ever exude. He's right, Vance deduced, That thing is as unusable as my arm.

I'm fine, master. It's just a skin burn. Let's head for the Medical Wing. The padawan kept his voice steady, checking his knot to ensure its steadfastness. I suppose I'm a bit slow...

[Ghostie]

The whole sparring session was over in a matter of seconds. Tem cross the room in an eye blink, and then was on top of Vance and striking before the young padawan knew what had happened. Tem was using what Rune recognized as a classic Ataru strike. The only reason Rune knew is because he had used the same strategy himself when he practiced Ataru. He still practiced it a little bit, but after what happened with Master Foyer, Rune saw Soresu as a much safer option.

The sheer fact that Vance was able to block such a strike was testament to his strength. He held off for a little bit, but soon both sabers were digging into his shoulder. Vance would be feeling that one for a few weeks, according to Rune’s estimation. Vance seemed to being a Soresu opening at first. When facing a more powerful opponent, you should really dodge as much as possible. That why both speed and stamina were essential to Soresu.

But Tem also had some problems. He just took Vance as his padawan did he not? He didn’t know what Vance was capable of. Yet He performed a very powerful Ataru move that most padawans wouldn’t be able to block. The first spar should really be about assessing one another, seeing each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

It sounded like both the padawan and the master were off to the medical wing. Rune would let them go by themselves. He had no need to follow them there. But he could offer some advice before they left.

“Vance, that was a very nice application of Soresu, but against stronger enemies you should dodge as well as block. That’s why both speed and stamina are essential. If you want, perhaps sometime I could teach you more Soresu. With Knight Tem’s approval of course. And Tem, next time maybe not such a strong attack against your new padawan. After all, you don’t want to break him before your first mission together.” Rune ended with a chuckled, emphasizing his joke. “May the Force be with you both, and I hope that burn heals nicely.”