Not the most dignified

[kozeph]

scratch

scratch

scratch

"Hmmm" Xue let out, as he watched the most recent news on the galaxy. Seems on one side the Madalorians had taken a hit by losing Bane but now a new Mandalore had risen up, Mandalore the Liberartor...

Xue stopped scratching the hair on his chin, and closed the data pad. He got up and stretched his stiff back, he had been sitting for a long time, which now a days seemed to be the only thing he was doing. The council was holding the scruffy looking Jedi knight, on pretences that they were currently needing Jedi to teach the new generations of padawans, the ones to recently come of age as well as those that had the misfortune of losing their master to the war. Now it wasn't a command that every knight who had no apprentice should pick one, but it was encouraged.

Watching the time Xue realized that he was late for his appointment. He was supposed to met, Drak Bernear a youngling coming off age. Interview the child and see if they were compatible or the child had potential as a Jedi. Xue put on his heavy trench coat on, pulled back his hair and walked in a relaxed way toward class room 101. He was supposed to meet Drak ten minutes ago...

As he strolled into the room, Xue weaved his hand and said without thinking or looking for Drak. "Sorry, sorry kid I got caught up" The Jedi knight said a white lie, what a Jedi knight lying? Don't beat yourself up, Jedi lie all the time or at least fool guards everywhere with their Jedi mindtrick which is a far more advance form of lying as far as Xue was concerned.

[Tao of Baransu]

There were no words to describe how eager and excited Drak had been when he received news that a Jedi Knight by the name of Xue Adoh wanted to meet with him. Drak silently congratulated himself for all the extra time he had put in training and meditating on the Force, for there was no doubt in the Younglings, possibly soon to be Padawan, mind that it was the Force that brought the two together.

Still, despite his faith in the Force, Drak was nervous and had come to classroom 101 thirty minutes early. He tried to calm himself in meditation, but to no avail, and so Drak paced around in a circle, hands held behind his back and eyes to the ground. It was a similar position he had seen Jedi take and Drak did his best to imitate them now.

With five minutes until the destined time Drak took a seat in the center of the floor and forced himself to try and meditate and clear his mind, though, truthfully he wanted to appear as grown up and Padawan ready as he felt he should be. He wouldn’t be a kid any longer, he was determined.

The hour was upon them…and Drak waited. As the first five minutes went by the anxiety building up was nearly unbearably, the anticipation wanted to make Drak yell in frustration and he would of too if a certain idea didn’t dawn on Drak just then. He was being tested, yes…that was it. Master Adoh was testing his patience.

Drak hid his smile and with the idea that this was a test he was able to put his mind at rest, he would pass this one with flying colors. He waited patiently for many long minutes when suddenly he heard the door slide open and the gruff voice of what could only be Master Adoh apologizing for being late.

Test number one passed, at least in Draks mind.

“Of course Master.” Drak said as he moved to his feet and issuing a bow in respect.

Now that Master Adoh was here Drak really wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. He supposed that the Knight would have questions for him, or perhaps another challenge? Drak loved tests and challenges, anything he could do to prove he was ready he would tackle head on.

[kozeph]

"Well he does look composed" Thought the shifty looking knight as he seized up the boy. Xue grinned as he walked forward, his smile was both that of an idiot and the one you expect a pirate to have. Not an all wise all knowing Jedi. "Ya probably know me name already and I know yers but it doesn't hurt to introduce ourself to each other aint it?" He said, walking closer until he had the little youngling within arm reach. Xue stretched out his hand offering it for a handshake.

"Xue Aodh, and be for ye say anything don't be callin me master... now I know the caretakers and pretty much everyone does it but I don't like it, so feel free to call me Xue" Xue would firmly hold Drak's hand and shake it, once that was done he spoke again "Also no need to be bowing or that formality around me kid" The reason why those protocols irked Xue, was that they implied in a way that one person was superior to another, while it was true that a knight had more experience than a padawan and a master had more than both, it never meant that one was above the other, it simply meant that one had been walking for longer than the other that was all.

Xue would rest his backside against a table, in a half resting on the table and half sitting position. He crossed his legs and his arms, then watched Drak. "So what you be looking for in a master eh?" He asked, Xue was of course testing the youngling. Not for hidden potential, or maturity but for strength of heart. If he was going to become Xue's apprentice then he might as well be ready to face the world in the gray form Xue saw it and not on the light and dark perspective that many Jedi had.

[Tao of Baransu]

If Drak had to pick just one thing that sent him for a loop it would have been Xue’s composure. To Drak, who had gone out of his way to try and copy and study the way he thought a Jedi was supposed to act and be Xue was the complete opposite of that. If they hadn’t been in the Jedi Temple this very moment Drak would have sworn the man he was talking to was just another low-life.

Confusion. It was the best way to describe what the Youngling was feeling, he was sure this was also a test. Perhaps Xue was putting on a front, acting a certain way. The question was, why? Drak shook Xue’s hand, though he didn’t say anything and merely stood and stared dumbfounded at the Jedi Kight.

“I..uh..” Drak paused, not sure what to say. “I want to become a Jedi Knight, to help people.” It was a rather simple answer, one that had more implications to it than Drak could of possibly understood. Yet, it was a truthful answer, Drak wanted to help people even if he didn’t really know how to. He supposed it was things like protecting Senators and hunting down the bad guys, the sort of people that hurt others.

Drak felt he needed to explain further though he didn’t know why. “Mast…Xue..” The name sounded strange rolling off the tongue, it felt wrong to Drak to address any one higher ranked than him by first name and he was very uncomfortable doing it. “… it’s our responsibility to help people. Those with power have the responsibility to help those that can’t help themselves.”

For a twelve year old Drak was very articulate, the complete opposite of the man that stood across from him it seemed, but then again, Drak had been spending the last couple years mimicking the Masters around him. He always thought that if he was going to be a Jedi he had to learn to walk, talk, and act like one …. Xue, so far, was quickly proving him wrong in every aspect of that.

[kozeph]

Unlike Xue's hand, Drak's was soft which was not really surprising since until now the child had been living inside the temple, a sheltered life which was how all Jedi lived, not that anything was wrong with that. Resting against the table, Xue dug his hands into his pockets and kept them there. To the rogue looking Knight it appeared like the child was having trouble adjusting to the lack of formality. Being nervous the kid actually skipped his introduction, he didn't mind so he said nothing about it.

"Listen Drak, We Jedi seek balance in all things, it also applies to how we address each other and others. So empty yerself and act naturally, thats generally the best solution" Perhaps Xue was trying to teach something to Drak that the youngling wasn't ready for, so he kept that lesson short, just something he could chew on before going to sleep.

Drak's answer to Xue was a simple one, naive to but at least his desire seemed simple. Which was similar to his even, Xue wanted to help people in any way it was possible. "Tell me Drak, there are many ways of helping people as a Jedi... would you fight for them? Council them? or be a gentle hand that gives the right nudges and pushes so they can help themselves?" With this question, Xue planned to see to what were Drak's preferences as a Jedi. Was he more martial minded like a guardian, or he preferred to approach things from an intellectual perspective like a Councillor or was he more balanced like a sentinel.

[Tao of Baransu]

‘Balance in all things…’ Drak ran the words over and over in his mind and though he had heard them spoken before they took on a different meaning when the scruffy Knight in front of him spoke them. Did he mean a balance between the Dark and Light? Drak wondered, surely not, the Youngling decided that the Xue was speaking of something that he didn’t understand yet, but he would meditate on it tonight.

Though Drak was reminding himself to not call the man in front of him Master, the little boy was hard pressed to erase all the formalities that had been part of his entire life in one day, and so he stood with his feet shoulder width apart and his hands grasped behind the small of his back, thinking over the words that Xue was saying, as well as trying to apply the ‘balance in all things’ approach.

“There is a time and a place for everything. So…” Said Drak, obviously working out his thoughts as he was speaking them. “… that means that depending on the situation you might have to do all of those things.” Drak nodded, satisfied with his answer. His eyes looking up from the floor to see if he could read any emotion in Xue's facial features, a hint on if the man thought he gave an acceptable answer or not.

[kozeph]

Xue couldn't help but snicker at Draks answer, that was the best possible answer one could give, exactly the one that Xue was looking for. Jedi are required to be able to handle multiple scenarios, from negotiations to diplomacy, leading men in warfare, protecting people and much more. Xue got up and began walking around the room "We are off on a good start kiddo" Xue said, nodding and still smiling.

He headed for the door but before exiting he turned around, looking at the young boy "Coming?" He asked playfully. He had just gotten an idea for the final test to give the boy, if he passed which was likely then Xue would take him as his apprentice as his padawan. What he was looking for in Drak was wisdom and the ability to see that things weren't strictly white and black as many Jedi saw it. If he was going to be his padawan, then he needed to be able to walk on the gray path.

Xue planned to take Drak for a stroll outside the temple, see the outside world and see what kind of opinions the boy would have. As they walked the halls of the temple to the hangar, Xue asked "Tell me kid, which do you think is your strongest field? Do you feel like your lightsaber skills or your knowledge of the force?" He asked, casting a slide glance at the boy.
"What would you like to learn? Any lightsaber form or train a particular aspect of the force? Or perhaps learn something else?"
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