The Blind Leading the Blind (CLOSED)

[Juzt]

How could this have happened? Kalan D'arvk ran, his bare feet making a slap slap noise on the floor of the temple. It had only been 5 minutes since his horrendous discovery, he was late for a lesson on the History of the Jedi Order. He had missed a full 30 minutes of the lesson. He had emerged happily from sleep content that he had no lessons this morning. However, his happiness gave way to shock as he realised the rest of his clan were gone. He leapt from his bed and looked around the room, all their datapads and bags were gone. His heart sank lower into the bubbling pit of his stomach, and a cold feeling spread to his extremities.

He began to panic, his hands running through his short but messy blonde hair. He was sure there were no lessons this morning...positive, it was Thursday after all. Thursday they never had anything in the morning. He grabbed his datapad, and set it to repeat his timetable that he had made so carefully. He listened in mounting dread as the machine rattled off lessons and dates in a cold metallic voice. Till finally he realised where the error was. The machine repeated the lessons for Thursday twice....In his desperation to complete the timetable he had included two Thursdays.

This was the reason he was running, his badly crumpled and tatty robe fluttering behind him. He had almost forgotten to cover his eye sockets with his cloth, before running at high speed out of his clan's dormitory. As he ran, it seemed as if more people were getting in his way, as if all over the temple Jedi could sense his lateness and were intentionally getting in his way. He navigated between them, feeling the shadow of the Force surrounding each of them, and making tiny corrections to avoid them. His current agitated state, and the fact that he was running meant he could not concentrate, narrowly avoiding colliding with and elderly venerable master, and nimbly leaping round a youngling who was aimlessly wondering round and humming to herself.

The rest of the corridor seemed empty, so he pictured in his head excuses he could use, as the door of the teaching room came in sight. Maybe if he explained the teacher would understand. “Not likely”, he thought to himself. “This day can't get any worse...” His thoughts were cut off when he collided with something big and very solid. Kalan, was catapulted backwards, he caught himself with his arm on the cold floor, and pushed himself back to his feet. “I.... am.... really... sorry.” he breathlessly apologised, he was about to launch himself round this solid person when something made him stop. He noticed, the swirling sense of power, blue and fierce held in counter balance by a mostly calm centre, like a gentle rippling pond in the centre of a vast chaotic ocean. Kalan suddenly felt intimidated, this person was powerful, either a great Jedi Knight....or....or a Master. A Master how embarrassing! No wonder he would never be a Padawan, when he embarrassed himself like this. He smiled weakly and began to shuffle away.

[Ghostie]

Rune traveled down one of the many hallways filled with classrooms for younglings. This was becoming a routine trip for him. Every morning, the Mon Calamari would wander down one of these many hallways, keeping a lookout for potential padawans. But he wasn’t looking hard. The Council had decided he needed to take another padawan, but Rune was dragging his feet in doing so.

Ever since his last padawan had fallen to the darkside, Rune had felt like he failed somehow. Iago had been a good kid, with a bright future. Yet Rune still had to spend a year hunting him across the galaxy. He felt as if he failed in his teaching somewhere. And this made him afraid of taking another padawan, what if the same thing happened, what if his next padawan fell to the darkside as well? Then what would he do?

Cutting a path through the crowded hallway, Rune scanned his fellow Jedi. It was mostly just Teachers leading younglings to different classes for now. This made the Mon Calamari stick out somewhat. He drew the occasional looks from the younglings and the slight bows from the Teachers, but he didn’t like all the attention. Being a Jedi Master wasn’t about having attention.

Turning down another hallway, Rune started to get lost in his own thoughts, like he normally did when walking. He was trying to make up his mind on what class to sit in on during that morning. The Jedi Master thought sitting in on classes was one of the best ways to pick a new padawan. It showed not only if they were capable of learning or not, but also what kind of respect they showed authority and to each other.

Staring at his boots as we walked, he suddenly saw a small blonde blur hit him right in the stomach and tumble backwards. Did this always have to happen when he went for a walk? Looking up, the Mon Calamari wanted to see who ran into him. Laying sprawled on the ground was a small boy, no older than eleven or twelve by Rune’s standards. He had messy blonde hair and wrinkled robes, obviously dressed in a hurry. And from the wrap around his eyes, Rune would say he was a Miraluka, a Force-sensitive species that saw through the Force. And If he had to guess, Rune would say he was late for a class. Very late.

The boy offered him a small smile as an apology and then got up. Rune smiled back. It really wasn’t a problem, but literally bumping into people in random hallways of the Jedi Temple was getting annoying. But that wasn’t the boy’s fault. It was Rune’s if anything, for not watching where he was going.

“I.... am.... really... sorry.”

“It’s no problem, but where’s the fire at?”

[Juzt]

Kalan stood still and silent for a moment, seemingly in shock his mouth slightly open. “This person is a master and he is talking to me” Kalan thought to himself. From the sound of the Master's voice he was a Mon Calamari, Kalan could tell from the sound of his lips moving around certain words and the slight inflections on words he could detect. Kalan suddenly realised that he had stood still for a full 30 seconds without responding. “Um what.... sorry?” His hands wrung nervously in front of him. Then he remembered the last sentence the Master had said. “Where is the fire?” Kalan jumped and spun round in an awkward circle, reaching out with his sense of hearing and through the force. How could he have missed a fire?

“Fire I.....oh.....I see.” Kalan's shoulders slumped. There was not a fire he had just not been paying attention, and now he looked a complete fool in front of a Jedi Master. His cheeks flushed red, he laughed weakly and with no humour. “Ha ha ha....Oh what you must think of me.”
He cursed inwardly, then remembered many Masters knew what you were thinking, and he cursed again for having cursed the first time. Masters made him nervous. Kalan disliked the way they seemed to know everything about him and sometimes what he was feeling and thinking with the minimum of effort. No one should be running loose in his head, he knew they could sense his guilt. All those innocent miners, and he facilitated in their deaths. He felt each one he was unable to save each one like a scar on himself that others could see and know his crime. OK he had been only 4 or 5 when he first entered the mines, and perhaps his senses had saved a handful of miners, but it was not enough. Being young he found the best way to deal with trauma was to internalise it, the slave miners, in the spice mines were his responsibility ergo it was his fault. It never occurred to him, that had he not been with the miners many more would have died from being lost and some from being killed in cave ins. His undeveloped powers had saved many but he himself could not see it.

Suddenly he remembered he was late. “I am late!” He shouted unnecessarily.....”There were two Thursdays and I thought this was one of them....um....er.....I got to go.”He thought maybe if he stayed behind afterwards and worked hard he would not be punished.....it was not as if he had anything to do. He began to head for the teaching room door just behind the Mon Calamari.

[Ghostie]

Rune watched the boy stood there for almost half a minute with his mouth slightly open. Apparently, this youngling was very surprised that a Master would be talking to him. It probably wasn’t an everyday occurrence after all. Rune sighed when the boy turned around and actually looked for the ‘fire’. And he felt the youngling stretch out with his senses. The Mon Calamari sighed once again. The fact that Rune was a Master, and talking to him, made the boy stunned enough to not get a joke. And yelling at a Jedi Master, the boy wasn’t making a very good first impression.

The boy shuffled away into a class room directly behind Rune. The Jedi Master felt a tugging in his mind, as if something was trying to tell him to follow the strange youngling. He still had to choose a classroom to sit in on anyways. Rune gave in and followed the boy into the room. After all, he couldn’t see anything bad coming from it.

It was a brightly lit area, with only twenty or so students sitting in the yellow-wood desks. The Duros Jedi Knight that was teaching was very monotone, as if he was very tired or wanted to be somewhere else entirely. Apart from the Jedi, the classroom was a very normal room, one you would expect to see in any school. Most of the younglings had a bored expression on their face, Rune couldn’t blame them. Between a monotone teacher and the subject, Galactic History, he would’ve probably fallen asleep if he was as young as they were.

Rune stood at the doorway, waiting for a good spot to pause the teacher. The little Miralukan boy however walked in, and took a seat at the back of the class.

“I’m sorry this youngling is so late.” Rune spoke up, still standing in the doorway and gesturing towards the youngling that had walked in with him. “It’s my fault, we ran into each other in the hallway. May I come in?”

The Duros Jedi looked at the Miralukan boy as he sat down, and then back to Rune. He spoke up in his monotone voice, almost putting Rune to sleep on the spot.

“Of course Master. Feel Free.”

The Mon Calamari walked across the classroom, and scanned the area, looking for a good place to sit. He took one of the only free seats, behind the miralukan youngling that had ran into him in the hall.

[Juzt]

“I'm sorry this youngling is so late.” Kalan trained his ears on the Master in shock. “It's my fault, we ran into each other in the hall way. May I come in?” Kalan was shocked, as he wondered over to a spare desk near the back. The master had lied. He had been late even before....their rather clumsy meeting in the hallway. This master was clearly different to the others he had encountered. Many Jedi Masters he had met were attached to the exact letter of the law so to speak. They would have shown no problem in informing the teacher.

In addition to that, the master wanted to sit in on the lesson. Not that that never happened but it was unusual. Kalan could only remember on previous occasion when a master had sat in on a class, it was a combat training lesson. He had been so terrified, that he dropped his training saber during the practice 3 times, and at one point accidentally sent the saber flying through the air missing the master's head by an inch.

Kalan felt his palms sweat heavily, as the Mon Calamari took at seat behind him. There was only really one explanation for this Master's appearance in this lesson, he was looking for a Padawan. Kalan felt downcast, after their collision in the hall, and his stupidity it was unlikely to be him. Though he did feel an odd feeling round this master. Kalan put it down to extra nervousness, after all he had never collided with a master in a corridor before. Kalan decided to concentrate on the remainder of the lesson, though this Duros, seemed determined to bore his students into submission, Kalan loved Galactic History in spite of this teacher's droning uncaring voice. He had not even noticed that many of his class were snoring and sleeping fitfully. Kalan focused hard on his words, though each hit him like like lazy waves on a shoreline.

Kalan's ears detected the handful of students still listening making notes in datapads. Naturally being unable to see, the Miraluka recorded the teacher's voice, though he found he had a good memory for these kinds of things. He decided it was best to ignore the master behind him and sit passively taking in the information. After a few minutes he realised this was a big ask. He was not sure what it was curiosity perhaps, but her could not keep his thoughts on the lesson. He felt the master's powerful presence, like a warm fire flickering behind him. It dominated all the other feelings in the room Like a huge blazing furnace surrounded by dozens of candles.

Kalan, examined the master carefully through the force, lightly skimming over the surface. He sensed there were scars on him physical and who knows what else. Kalan backed off quickly, hoping the master had not noticed. He had reached out almost unconsciously, without thinking. Kalan tried again to focus on the lesson.

[Ghostie]

Rune could feel nothing but nervousness streaming from the boy sitting in front of him. Between being late for a class and a Jedi Master sitting in on that same class, the Mon Calamari didn’t blame him. The Miraluka seemed to be focused on class, but Rune could tell his mind was elsewhere. The Mon Calamari felt the boy stretch out with the Force and brush Rune with his senses. Despite being flustered and yelling at him when they first met, Rune had to admire the boy’s curiosity and boldness.

The Next Day…

The Mon Calamari Jedi Master sat in The Room of a Thousand Fountains, just off a stone path next to a small pond, with was being constantly poured into by a waterfall. The sound of rushing water made Rune feel at peace somehow. Perhaps the water reminded him of his own home, Mon Calamari. Whatever the case, Rune was enjoying having a clear mind, unlike the past few days.

He sat on the bank of the pond cross legged, with his hands on his knees. His eyes were shut tight. Rune had his lightsaber out as well, but it wasn't lit. Instead, it was floating in front of him, in pieces no less. Sometimes he found it helpful to disassemble his saber before meditation, and then use the Force to reassemble it. It helped Rune focus on something while meditating, so his mind didn't wander. He was almost finished too, with only the emitter, the hilt, and the cyan crystal itself to go.

The Mon Calamari didn’t like meditation, but he still did it every day. It felt it necessary since his Trial of Spirit to meditate and clear his mind every morning, to gain the patience needed to deal with the day. The Mon Calamari may not have seemed like it on first impressions, but he did have a very short temper.

Despite being one of the most popular rooms in the whole Jedi Temple, there never seemed to be anyone in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. Rune thought this made it the best spot in the whole Temple to meditate; there was hardly any chance he would get distracted here. That was until he felt a somewhat familiar presence coming near. Although he couldn’t place his finger on who it was, he kept still with his eyes shut, waiting to see what happened. He finished reconstructing his saber as the presence came closer.

[Juzt]

Kalan danced through the corridors of the temple, avoiding its inhabitants. Past objecting Knights and Masters, and round jabbering younglings. What was he doing? He was retracing his steps. The old Duros in charge of Galatic History, told him the was what was best when you lost something. “Calm down, relax, take a deep breath and go back.” Kalan was confident at retracing his steps, *It is keeping calm and relaxing that I find hard*, he thought to himself.

He had lost his datapad, one which he had used to record a great many lessons in the past few days including the one in which he had a strange meeting with the Mon Calamari master. Kalan was not sure what to make of him. Kalan was nervous and felt vulnerable around him, as he did all masters, but this one felt different in a way he could not explain. His demeanour and voice, carried a soft gentle weight, where as many masters seemed either to be overly gruff or patronising. Kalan did not sense this from the Calamari master.

Kalan shook his head chasing away the unbidden thoughts. * I am panicked enough, without thinking about him.* His thoughts ran though the previous days events, he had checked the sparring rooms, the dormitory of his clan and any number of the rooms which had been empty that day that he liked to sit in. He quickly remembered the only room he had not checked. “The room of a Thousand Fountains.” he muttered to himself. It was a room he sometimes liked to sit in, it was the only place he felt truly relaxed. Almost too relaxed. He laughed to himself as he remembered how one day he had fallen asleep by one of the waterfalls and missed half a days lessons. He had been careful since then, but he still loved the room very much. It was so vast and filled with plants and water, that he could hide himself away if he wanted and keep out of the way of others. At this point in time it seemed the logical place for him to look.

5 minutes later Kalan was running through the Room of a Thousand Fountains, desperately searching for the place he had spent part of yesterday afternoon. It was by a small pond being filled by a waterfall. However, as he progressed up the path to the spot, he felt weird, like there was someone else near by. He slowed to a walk, hoping not to disturb whom ever it was, as they were probably peacefully meditating. Then he heard, a faint Click Click click. Like someone was fixing pieces of metal together. Kalan rounded a corner, and took a sharp breath. He felt, the undeniable presence of the Calamari master sitting not far away, a presence like a rippling blue pond in the force, that mirrored the pond he sat by. It was undoubtedly him. Kalan also detected, a small cylindrical metal object hovering in front of the master. * His.....Lightsaber?* Thought Kalan.

All thoughts of his datapad had gone out of his head, and Kalan stood almost mesmerised for a few moments. Then Kalan was not sure why he did so, but he sat on the ground opposite the master and in front of a tree. Unaware that he was speaking the words out loud Kalan said “I wonder what he is doing?”

[Ghostie]

Whoever it was, they sat down in front of Rune. He still couldn’t tell who it was though; it seemed like a familiar presence, but not one he knew. Whoever it was just sat there for awhile, as if they were studying Rune. The Jedi Master did mind, it wasn’t like they were bothering him at all. In fact, he was almost done.

“I wonder what he is doing?”

Ah, now Rune knew it was. The Miralukan from the other day, the one that ran into him in the hallway. The boy was flustered and nervous yesterday. Now he was curious. That was a big improvement.

“I’m meditating young one. Not my most favorite thing to do, but I feel obligated to do it every morning. Sometimes I find it helpful to focus on my saber when I do meditate, so my mind doesn’t wander.”

After a minute or so of silence, Rune lowered his saber into his lap and opened his eyes. There in front of him was the Miralukan boy, sitting against a small tree. Rune stretched out his legs and grabbed his lightsaber from his lap. He didn’t bother putting it back in his sash, but rather he just held onto it.

“Is there something I can help you with? Am I sitting in your spot?” Rune asked the boy with a small chuckle.

[Juzt]

Kalan did not realise he had spoken, so when he got the answer to his question, he was so surprised, he leapt back and banged his head against the tree. “Ow!” He rubbed the back of his head, and readjusted his blindfold, which had almost come off. He allowed the master a small nervous smile. * I've done it again!* He thought miserably. He sighed heavily, then remembered he had been asked a question. The Master's words ran through his slightly dazed head, “Is there something I can help you with? Am I sitting in your spot?”Kalan sat back down cross legged, and his hands wrung in his lap. “Um no......well yes. Er not really.” He laughed a hollow laugh at himself that contained no humour. Kalan tried to relax, *The master seems amiable enough. What is wrong with me? * He took a couple of deep breaths and began to speak in a calm voice that felt alien to him. “This is my favourite spot in this room. It relaxes me makes me forget about the world outside, for just a little while.” He brought his knees up to his chest, and wrapped his arms around them rocking a little back and forth. “I don't know about meditation, but it is certainly just a good place to..... be.” He sat for a moment, just breathing deeply, and it was if all his fears rolled off his shoulders for just a moment.

Suddenly, he brought his hands down on the ground with a loud Slap. All the nervousness and blind panic that seemed to define him was back in an instant. “Datapad!” He shouted. He then suddenly realised he was shouting, and looked sheepish. He spoke his next few words in an over exadurated whisper. “Sorry Master. I sometimes come here to study and I believe this is the place where I left my datapad. I am always losing things.” He laughed mirthlessly, * What a fool I am* he thought sadly.

[Ghostie]

Rune could definitely understand what the miralukan meant about this being his favorite spot in the room, It was his favorite spot at well. Sometimes Rune would sit here with his eyes closed, he would imagine he was back on Mon Calamari, on its beautiful Coral City. Rune longed to be back there, on that peaceful planet.

He was shaken out of his memories by the youngling yelling. The miralukan was shouting something about a datapad. Rune had tried to be patient and kind with the boy, but this was the second time he had yelled at the Jedi Master, inside the Room of a Thousand Fountains no less. There was a time and place for yelling, but this was not it. Not where Jedi came to meditate.

Fortunately for the miralukan, Rune did see a datapad in this area before meditating. He had picked it up, intending to deliver it to the Temple’s room for lost items. However, he would give it back to the miralukan.

“Luckily for you, I found such a datapad here before I began meditating. I will give it back to you, but I need something from you first.”

There was a slight edge to Rune’s voice, as if he was annoyed or upset. That wasn't easy to do, especially right after meditation. But he was tired of being yelled at. He didn’t wait for the youngling’s response, if he wanted the datapad he would listen to the Jedi Master.

“You have a bad habit of yelling randomly. Especially at the wrong people. You need to learn to control your emotions better. There was no reason to yell at me in the hallway yesterday, and no reason to yell about a datapad now. How about…”

And Rune stopped for a minute, wondering what would help the youngling. Meditation could always work. Or something they youngling enjoyed doing that was able to clear his mind just as well. Rune looked at the youngling, seeing if he could tell what the miralukan liked to do. However there was not much to go by. Looking at the training saber hanging on the miralukan’s belt, the Mon Calamari had an idea.

“Some Soresu training? Soresu is all about control. If you can pick up on the style, you can transfer some of those principles to your life. It worked for me, it can work for you as well I’m sure.”

Rune stood up, adjusted his sash and tucked his lightsaber away. He reached down and picked up a thin datapad that had been resting behind him the whole time. He lower the datapad, handing it back to its original owner.

“Let me know if you can’t find someone to give you some basic Soresu training. I should be available sometime next week. In the mean time, try to keep you’re yelling in check.” As he walked away, Rune as commented over his shoulder, “If you can’t find me, come here and ask someone for Master Rune Oki.”

[Juzt]

Kalan did not need his excellent hearing to hear the distinct edge in the Master's voice. Kalan's knees felt a little like warm jelly, making him feel unsteady on his feet. He was being admonished. He stood rigid and rooted to the spot, apart from his wobbling knees. He knew without having to really listen to the reason he was being dressed down, that he deserved to be treated as such.

Kalan, had never intended to shout at the Master. He was so used to talking to himself, that it never occurred to him that his voice was loud. He was really shouting at himself more than anything, for doing something so silly as to forget his datapad, and then forgetting that he had forgotten it. He felt the Master's hand heading towards him, and the small heavy square of his datapad being placed in his hand. It was still warm from the Master's hand and Kalan clung to it desperately as if he thought it may escape. Kalan returned from his glum thoughts with a snap.

“Some Soresu training? Soresu is all about control. If you can pick up on the style, you can transfer some of those principles to your life. It worked for me, it can work for you as well I’m sure.”

His heart leapt..... * Soresu. I've heard of that. * He thought to himself. His teachers had taught them some of the basic theories of the lightsaber forms. Soresu and defensive were words that went together like Jedi and Force. The sparring trainer of his clan, had also commented repeatedly on Kalan's defensiveness. Kalan disliked sparring and at all times resisted attacking, always on the retreat. Perhaps Soresu would help.


“Let me know if you can’t find someone to give you some basic Soresu training. I should be available sometime next week. In the mean time, try to keep you’re yelling in check.” As the Master walked away, Kalan stood mulling his words over in his head. When the master looked over his shoulder Kalan heard him say,“If you can’t find me, come here and ask someone for Master Rune Oki.”

Kalan's senses followed him as he departed. He turned the datapad slowly over in his hands feeling it's smoothness. “ Master Rune Oki.....” He mouthed, realising somehow that it would be a name he would remember forever.

8 Days later......

Kalan paced backwards and forwards around the entrance to the Room of a Thousand Fountains. He drew curious gazes from those entering and leaving the room. His stomach was in knots, and his mouth was dry as he spoke in his head over and over what he would say to Master Oki......Rune Oki. However his thoughts were interrupted by constant visions of his last meeting with Rune.

Master Oki, had asked him to find someone to teach him, and quite frankly Kalan was too scared to ask any of his Masters or teachers. As a rule Kalan never asked questions, he believed that if he did ask in class, it would show he was unsure of something. It would reveal too much of his limitations to people he thought knew him too well already. This situation was exactly the same. Were he to ask someone to teach him Soresu, then they would want to know why he wanted to know it. It would mean revealing his lack of discipline to those Kalan thought probably, thought little of him already.

Master Oki was therefore in Kalan's eyes his only choice. He already had seen Kalan's weaknesses and seemed to understand him better than many of his teachers and peers, and yet he had not pushed Kalan away. Kalan began to feel and odd feeling of trust towards the Master. Something he had never felt before. That did not mean Kalan was still not nervous. He had patiently waited a week, and had returned to the Room of a Thousand Fountains. He was so scared of asking after Master Oki, that he paced the entrance for some time till a Knight had politely asked him what he was doing. Kalan, had quickly yammered and apology then turned tail and left feeling miserable and defeated.


*Today it will be different he thought * he mustered all his courage and walked towards a young Tortuga Knight who seemed to be doing nothing in particular. Kalan spoke carefully and quietly so much so that she barely heard him.

“Sorry what was that?” She smiled amiably,

"I er....I er... I er.......I am here to um....er....see.....er.....Master Rune Oki. Is he around?"

“Ah of course young one.” She giggled “Was that so hard? I did see him come in, he is this way.” She wondered up the path that Kalan recognised as leading to that very same spot he and Master Oki loved. “Are you coming?” She said turning back. Kalan nodded and meekly followed her.

[Ghostie]

Rune sat is his usual spot in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. Anyone who walked by would assume the Mon Calamari was meditating, they would only be half right however. Rune was also waiting for someone. The miralukan youngling from before. Despite not knowing even his name yet, Rune felt a small attachment to the boy, the youngling reminded Rune of himself. The Jedi Master still felt the need to meditate everyday to keep his own emotions in check.

As he sat and meditated, Rune felt two being approaching. One was the tortuga knight he had asked to keep an eye out for the miralukan, and the other was the miralukan himself. The youngling was pouring over with nervousness and anxiety. His emotions radiated in the Force.

Rune knew it wasn’t just the yelling they needed to take care of, but the boys emotions in general. It wasn’t that he wasn’t suppose to have emotions, but that he wasn’t suppose to act on them like he did. Rune though that to truly master one’s emotions was to recognize them, feel them, and then be able to turn away from them. There is no emotion, there is peace. He wanted to teach the miralukan this today.

“Hello young one. Come and sit down for a moment. We won’t be sparring here, but I want to talk for a moment.”

Rune opened his eyes but remained seated as the miralukan sat down. The Mon Calamari studied him for a minute, his big bulgy eyes scanning him up and down. There was something deeply troubling him, something repressed. Rune couldn’t tell what though if it was guilt, or anger, or jealously.

“I have two questions for you. First, what is your name? And then, what’s been troubling you? Besides having an appointment with a master.” Rune asked with a smile.

[Juzt]

Kalan, wrapped his arms round his knees and focused on Master Oki. The first question had a easy answer. With a calmness he did not feel and a controlled whisper, “Kalan D'ravk”, he quietly intoned. It was a name that had little meaning to Kalan, but he had encountered Masters who recognised his last name. It was a bit of a mystery, but Kalan did not much care, they were not telling and he was not asking.

The second question was far more problematic. “And then, what’s been troubling you? Besides having an appointment with a master.” Kalan had a sense that Master Oki was smiling, from the tone of his voice and from the way his lips moved around the words. Kalan's was horrified, there was nothing worse than someone having some insight into his troubled thoughts. Other Masters had asked him the same question and the lie, * I am all right * came very easily to his lips. It was probably the easiest lie in the Galaxy. Other Younglings were easier to fool, their basic powers could not penetrate the shell he built around himself, but of course to a Master it was like a Lightsaber cutting through butter.

Kalan struggled with how best to answer the question for a few minutes, as he felt with Master Rune Oki * I am all right * would be a really disastrous answer to give. However telling the truth, and voicing what he had long thought could be equally troublesome. Maybe with his feelings laid bear, Master Oki would confirm Kalan's belief about himself. However, maybe just maybe this one Master, could help him.

He took a deep breath and started, his hands shaking a little.“Master Oki, I don't know if you know how I came to be here? I was a slave in an illegal spice mine on Ryloth.” Kalan grinned a terrible grin, that had no warmth in it. “Eventually they worked out how useful I was, after all Spice is very light sensitive going down the mines with lamps means activating the Spice....so it becomes useless.”

He relaxed a little, leaning against the tree behind him, this was almost therapeutic. “I however, of course don't see the way you do. So I was perfect I could lead the other miners down to the Spice veins without risking exposing the Spice to light. I led them all into dark and danger.” he giggled a little as he thought about his next memory, “One human who tried to tell jokes to keep people's spirits up, said I was the Blind leading the Blind.”

Then his little voice dropped, till it was barely above a whisper, “Sometimes I knew when a cave in would happen, and I led them out of harms way, a lot of the time I could not tell and people died. They came to hate me in the end. I don't blame them, because I led men, women and kids into the mine. I led Wookiees, Humans, Rodians, Duros and of course Twi'leks.” He gave a deep rattling breath “Female Twi'leks always had such lovely voices. I helped silence and hurt those people. Had I been killed myself, perhaps many more would not have been taken into the mines. I am as guilty as the gangsters who kept us there. I don't deserve the privilege of being a Jedi.”

He crossed his legs then gently and slowly untied the wrap from round his head, revealing an eyeless face. “This wrap is from the uniform I wore in the mines. I can still smell the spice and the dust and sweat on it. It seemed like I should keep it just to remember the people who I led. So they don't disappear, it is the least I could do.... if that makes sense?” he came to an abrupt end. The whole time he had been speaking he felt detached eerily calm, but now the fear, guilt and nervousness hit him again in big angry waves.

He gulped and focused on the Master before him, and thought * It is out now...what will you do? *

[Ghostie]

Rune had to admit, he did not expect Kalan to spill his guts. In fact, the Jedi Master had expect a simple answer, such as ‘I’m angry, and I don’t know why.’ Or ‘I’m depressed.’ It took a great courage and trust to tell Rune the truth. The Jedi Master appreciated the fact that Kalan had been very forth coming with him.

But the Mon Calamari wasn’t sure of what to say. What could he say to something like that? Kalan reminded Rune of himself even more every time they met. Sure, he hadn’t lead miners to spice veins in the dark for gangsters. But Rune had dealt with guilt himself in the past, when he was a padawan and even recently.

“When I was a teenager, my master and I went on a mission to track down and bring to justice a dark jedi. Well, the dark Jedi had an apprentice of his own. His apprentice and I fought when my master and the dark Jedi fought. It was a vicious duel, and eventually the dark Jedi and my master took their duel away from us. The Acolyte and I battled onward, but I eventually gained the upper hand and stabbed him through the chest. He was a human, no older than I was at the time. I kept asking myself afterwards, ‘What would’ve happened had our places been changed?’ I felt so guilty, I had killed a teenager, who had so much left to live, who had probably been wrapped to the dark Jedi's will.”

Rune paused for a moment, unsure what to say next. He remembered something then, something Master Foyer had told him long ago.

“But my master told me something then, and I seemed to have forgotten it recently. We can’t let the past hold us down. If I had let that guilt hold me down, can’t even imagine where I would be now. It wasn’t my fault the Acolyte had died. It was the dark Jedi’s if anything. We can’t blame ourselves for someone else’s actions. If Jedi constantly blamed themselves, everything in the galaxy would be our fault.”

Rune let his words sink in for awhile, and then continued to talk in a much more cheerful voice.

“Now then, I believe I promised you some Soresu training, did I not? Let’s go”

Rune sprung up from his sitting position and offered his hand to Kalan to help him up. As they both were standing, Rune lead the way out of the Room of a Thousand Fountains and for one of the several training rooms nearby.

Rune was reminded of himself when he kept thinking of Kalan. With some training, the boy could be a better Jedi than he ever was, avoid his mistakes. He would make a good apprentice too, even showing up today showed his respect to authority and willingness to learn, which was everything Rune was looking for. But he would have to think this over more.

[Juzt]

Kalan stood open mouthed for a moment. *He understood, he actually understood *. One heart to heart talk was hardly going to erase his guilt, but Kalan felt calmer, there was some one who understood at least a little how he felt. Kalan was not sure why he poured his heart out, there was just something about Master Oki.

Kalan meekly followed Master Oki, his mind focused on him. Facing down a Dark Jedi of a similar age and killing him there is no doubt how traumatic that could be. It had been the same issue in the mines. There had been many children of various races, they were useful as they could get through holes and low caverns to mine some of the most valuable spice. Of course many died, and each one could have been him, had he not had his people's gift to see through the Force. Perhaps with Master Oki's help he could try to put it behind him. All Kalan wanted was to be a Jedi and to atone for the wrongs he believed himself to have committed. Perhaps in helping heal the galaxy, he could also heal himself.

Kalan remembered the Master had mentioned Soresu, he snapped back to reality and almost tripped over. Catching himself at the last moment, as he almost fell over a tiny youngling who seemed not to have noticed as he toddled off.

“Soresu Master? That is the defensive technique....isn’t it? Defence sounds good I like defence.” He babbled.

Then he laughed “ I guess I still need more practice at talking to masters.” Despite himself Kalan felt a bit giddy, and excited. Normally Kalan dreaded sparring practice, he got bruises and it just seemed so complicated. However he could not deny, how beautiful some of the forms looked almost like a dance. On his first day of practice, their teacher had demonstrated some of the forms, perhaps to inspire them to master the simplest Shii Cho. Even such a simple form looked beautiful in a way. Though his distinctly uncoordinated attempts were anything but beautiful, his teacher did remark that Kalan was determined and given every effort in order to counteract his lack of natural skill and catch up with the other students.

[Ghostie]

Rune laughed at the joke Kalan had made. It was nice the boy had finally grew a sense of humor. He was finally opening up, and maybe Rune could work with that. And the boy did have a good sense of humor. That was something else Rune liked.

“Yes, well, I’ll give you a tip for talking to Jedi Masters. We’re just regular people. Talk to us with just like you would anyone else and you’ll do fine.”

Rune lead Kalan into a small training room, just big enough for two people to spar. The room was meant for sparring too, as melee weapons from all over the galaxy hung on the walls closest to the door. Sparring sabers hung deactivated on the opposite walls as well. Rune walked to one end of the room, and waited for Kalan to walk to the opposite.

“And to answer your questions, yes, Soresu is one of the defensive forms. The most defensive. There is also Djem So and Shien, but you may learn those after you have a good grasp on Soresu.” Maybe if you become my padawan as well. Rune thought to himself.

“Soresu lets you control the battle as you see fit. You can wear your opponent down so that he slips up, and you have an opening to exploit. You can make you opponent tired enough to convince him to stop fighting. However Soresu has its drawbacks as well. Longer battles take much more stamina. Perhaps you can pick up on some techniques to help you control yourself better.”

Rune took his lightsaber from its place in his sash, and tuned down the rating. He always kept his saber on a high enough rating to kill, but that would not do for a simple sparring session. He toned the saber down lowe enough so that if he hit Kalan, the boy would only feel a sting and might have a red welt. But he would have no bruises or burns.

Rune dropped into the opening stance for Soresu. With his saber parallel to his shoulders, and his left arm stretched out in front of him, he would be prepared for whatever Kalan had. He ignited his saber and a cyan blade shot forth, coming close to his own face.

“Now then, you attack first, and pay attention to how I block.”

[Juzt]

Kalan's senses focused on Master Oki's lightsaber. He heard the hiss as it was ignited, he could feel it vibrating in the air and hear its ominous hum. Kalan was ashamed to admit he felt a degree of fear and awe in its presence. It was after all the symbol of the Jedi, an object in which was invested all the meaning of Jedi teachings, at least to Kalan. He realised he was meant to view it in a more detached manner, merely as a tool but the rest of the Galaxy did not see it that way and it was hard not to agree.

The Master wanted him to attack, Kalan always felt bad about attacking people in practices so he focused on defense. He picked up a training saber, and for some reason felt deeply nervous his hands were sweating profusely so much so he had to wipe his hands on his robe in order to hold on to the training saber. Gripping it with both hands he sensed Master Oki stood before him waiting. Kalan's stressed brain began to think of how to proceed.

He ran through all his Shii Cho training in his head, in order to use it effectively you had to be committed. Determined in your movements, being very deliberate continuous one step after another constantly flowing forwards. Though the technique in many younglings, and in Kalan as well was a little clumsy and haphazard. Its purpose was meant to be victory without injury. Kalan felt uncomfortable directly attacking the Master, so he decided to apply this principle.


“Right um here goes." His voice sounded tiny and distant. Kalan took a deep breath and took a stride forward his training saber moving in a clumsy diagonal motion at Master Oki's lightsaber, in a move he had been taught could disarm and opponent.

[Ghostie]

Rune watched as the youngling picked up a training saber and ignited it. The green blade shot it life as Kalan held it somewhat awkwardly. Rune could already tell from the way he was holding the saber that Kalan didn’t have much skill in lightsaber combat, or that he didn’t appreciate it. If Rune took him as an apprentice, like he was considering, his skill would definitely change. But his appreciation for the tool of the Jedi would have to remain his own.

The Mon Calamari held his Soresu opening stance, waiting for Kalan to attack. The boy seemed nervous, unsure of what to do. He lack confidenice, and it showed when he striked with the saber. The boy had an awkward diagonal slash aimed at Rune’s saber. The Jedi Master instantly spotted a standard Shii-Cho disarming move. For being small compared to Rune, they boy did have quite a bit of reach. That was something they could work with at least.

The strike came in from Rune’s right and high. He caught the training saber with his own blade, and sent it back the way it had come, towards Kalan. But Rune’s blade never left contact with Kalan’s, and he sent both of them towards the floor, with his blade on top. Rune and Kalan were standing side by side now, the boy able to hold onto his saber surprisingly. Rune gave him a bump with his shoulder, and put his whole side into the move.

Had he actually be dueling a dark Jedi or Sith, the physical contact would’ve been much more violent, and Rune would’ve most likely put the Force behind it as well. But since it was just Kalan, Rune only bumped him enough to make the boy stumble out of their saber lock, and not even fall, if he had good footing that was. Rune looked up and addressed the boy, there were some issues with the combat thus far.

“Kalan, you need to be more confident in your strikes. That strike was nicely aimed, but could’ve bounced of a thick-headed kowakian monkey-lizard. Most kowakian monkey-lizards are thick-headed, but that’s beside the point. For this sparring match don’t think of me as a Jedi Master, or a Jedi at all in fact. How would you react if you were in a duel with a dark Jedi who had the same skill you had?”

Rune approached the boy, and adjusted his stance as well. When the Jedi Master was done, Kalan had a standard Shii-Cho opening stance perfected. It was like the Ataru stance, with the padawan holding His saber vertically on his right side of his body, and his feet were a shoulder width apart.

“This is the proper Shii-Cho stance. Use it whenever you use this form, as it should give you more power behind you’re strikes. You can hold the saber on whatever side of your body you feel most comfortable with, if you right or left handed. Using both hands works well also, to put more power behind your attacks.”

Rune went back to the other side of the room and ignited his saber yet again, and dropped into the Soresu opening stance.

“Now then, attack again, but keep pressing the attack. Don’t slow down until I say so.”

[Juzt]

“Kalan, you need to be more confident in your strikes. That strike was nicely aimed, but could’ve bounced of a thick-headed kowakian monkey-lizard. Most kowakian monkey-lizards are thick-headed, but that’s beside the point. For this sparring match don’t think of me as a Jedi Master, or a Jedi at all in fact. How would you react if you were in a duel with a dark Jedi who had the same skill you had?”

Kalan considered this carefully for a moment, staring dumbly at the training saber. He was tempted to say *run away* in a joking manner, but wisely decided this was not the time for jokes.

“This is the proper Shii-Cho stance. Use it whenever you use this form, as it should give you more power behind you’re strikes. You can hold the saber on whatever side of your body you feel most comfortable with, if you right or left handed. Using both hands works well also, to put more power behind your attacks.”

Kalan, felt Rune adjusting his stance, bringing his training saber into a more upright position on his right hand side. and moving his feet further apart. It felt a little bit more comfortable. He flexed both hands round the hilt of the saber tightening and loosening his grip, this felt right somehow.


“Now then, attack again, but keep pressing the attack. Don’t slow down until I say so.”

Kalan stared at the lightsber then again at Master Oki, as he dropped into his stance. Master Oki was right, there was no point in being timid. Master Oki was a Jedi Master, and Kalan was a youngling, there was no way Kalan would be able to hurt the master. He could swing as hard as he wanted and Master Oki's skill would deflect and counter his blows at every turn. Not that a training saber could do any damage even in the hands of someone skilled. So there was no point to his hesitancy, it was simply a case of being detached and observing how Master Oki utilised Soresu.

Kalan did his best to empty his mind of all thoughts other than lightsaber training. “Yes Master. I will attack.”
Taking a deep breath, Kalan stepped forward and swung the training saber, at shoulder height to Master Oki with as much power as his small frame could muster. The swing again was a little akward but was accurate and much more committed. He grunted as his body moved with the swing, both hands on the hilt, pressing forward in attack.

[Ghostie]

Rune noticed more effort behind the boy’s strikes now, more confidence as well maybe? That was good, but would be something they would continually work on. His strike was high and towards the Mon Calamari’s shoulder again, but the opposite shoulder this time, and it definitely wasn’t a disarming blow. That was good; when you fought dark Jedi you needed to strike to kill. If you disarmed them, they would only use the Force against you or run away and cause more chaos. Kalan had the right attitude at least.

The Mon Calamari Jedi Master brought his saber up to bear, blocking the boy’s strike with a simple horizontal block, blocking it high again. But Kalan immediately disengaged, and struck again, going low for Rune’s legs. Rune blocked this as well, with a low diagonal block. Now he could show off the true use of Soresu against multiple strikes. He had to keep momentum up, and Kalan wouldn’t be able to touch him. Hopefully Kalan could pick up on some of the tactics here.

Kalan kept striking, and Rune kept moving his saber. It seemed to be that he was weaving a circle around his body, stopping only to block Kalan’s attacks. Rune kept his momentum going, it made for more effective blocks and deflections. He knew the boy couldn’t see as he could, being a miralukan, but he hoped he could pick up on some of the tactics at least.

Kalan was slipping up. There were many times before where Rune could’ve exploited the youngling’s attacks, but it was important that Rune used enough Soresu that got the general idea of the form really was about; tiring your enemy and using their flaws against them. As Kalan attacked, Rune caught his blade with him own and shoved, pushing the youngling back. Before the youngling could recover, Rune stopped him from attacking again.

“Enough, I think I have used it enough for you to get the general idea. You’re tired, aren’t you?”

Rune lowered his saber and deactivated it. He needed to explain the tactics and principles behind Soresu as well. Kalan’s lack of physical sight was a hindrance when trying to teach, but hopefully they could get over that.

“It’s important to keep momentum going as well as just blocking. If you keep swinging your blade, it builds the momentum allowing you to simply flick your opponent’s attack away, like deflecting a blaster bolt, unlike simply blocking. Keep your moves energy-efficient, so you don’t wear yourself out.”

He hoped Kalan would understand was he was trying to tell him, he had a feeling he might not being explaining Soresu as well as he could. Unlike Ataru or Shii-Cho where you simply perform a few moves and watch as the one you’re trying to teach does the same, Soresu was all defense. And to truly know the form, you had to know some of the principles behind it. Kalan might have to study up on it a little bit in the archives later.

“Tell me when you’re ready, and I’ll attack. Take your time, and catch your breath.”