A Chance Meeting (Regnier)

[proto]

The youngling had just finished the basic training younglings receive before they are accepted by a master. As he left the small classroom filled with a variety of young one's from a variety of species. This particular youngling however was unique, there was not another of his kind in the entire temple in-fact in his life here he had not ever seen another like himself.

To make things worse the young Initiate didn't even know his own species. The young one's name was Tieko Etyk, he was to his knowledge born and raised within the temple walls. Tieko wasn't the greatest of trainees, his abilities were sub-par in comparison to the other's. This however was not a deterrent for the small Kushiban, he was upbeat and light-hearted to everyone he met. Considered to posses exceptional leadership skill's for one so young, he was the first choice by his peers during group exercises.

By this time Tieko had reached the entrance to the temple, towering above him stood The Four Master's. Gargantuan statues immortalizing the founders of the temple. Tieko usually came to the entrance to think. Tieko jumped from his current position to the platform supporting one of the four, looking up he laded himself down and watched the sky.

((My head Hurts))

[Regnier]

"Have a nice vacation, Master Vakkor? Must have been, for you to end up in the med-bay again."

"Hush, you. I thought I trained you better than that, Cato."

The Umbaran laughed as he matched strides with the Jedi Master as she moved through the halls of the Temple, shaking his head. Kellick glared at him side-long.

"What? Remember, it was your teachings that made me who I am today, so if anyone's to blame for my charismatic personality having flourished so, it's you."

"Yes, well, you're a fluke. Life is supposed to dampen your spirits, not lift them. I refuse to take responsibility."

"So then it's not because of you that I have come as far as I have?"

The Onderonian huffed as she flowed around a handful of Younglings. Cato Phanus had started life as something of an aberration among his people. The man had been gifted with an unnatural cheery disposition and kind heart that had never seemed to be dampened by anything whatsoever. Kellick had no idea how, but, much to her ire, he'd retained his seeming inability to frown over the years. It just wasn't natural. And he always seemed to feel the need to turn it up a notch whenever speaking with his former master...

"Oh no, that I take all the credit for. I'm a member of the Jedi High Council, remember? I can have it both ways."

"Ha, don't let the pretty face fool you...this one doesn't fight fair."

"Never have, never will. Why do you think I'm still breathing?"

As the two came to the main entrance of the Temple, Kellick slowed her pace, stopping beside one of the massive statues guarding the entrance. Raising her gaze to the top of the statue, she took in a deep breath. No matter how bad things got, and the recent weeks had been rather hard, for some reason unbeknownst to her, this place always seemed to remind her why it was worth it in the end. Perhaps it was the countless tendrils of the Force that wrapped themselves around this place and then so rapidly passed, imprints and auras of the comings and goings of the Jedi as they went about their daily business. Perhaps it was all just in her head. Who knew? But whatever it was, it worked.

"And what kind of example are you setting, hmm? Who cheats in a fair fight?"

"The winner. Now get out of here, you sardonic cave-dweller. Go find someone else to harass, you're ruining the mood."

"I resent that."

Kellick gave the Umbaran a stiff shove towards the stairs. Folding her hands together, she watched with a smirk as her former Padawan made his way away from the Temple. Though she tried her hardest not to admit it, he had taken after her in many ways. Fortunately for him, her exceptionally bad luck wasn't one of them, as proven by the fact that he only averaged one trip to the medical bay per year, and most of them were small things. Hers tended to be more grievous and frequent.

Exhaling, she sat down on the steps and closed her eyes, forgoing her natural sight and 'looking' around her through the Force. There were not many at the entrance, and fewer still stopped there, the majority of the beings around her simply passing through, but there were those select few. Specifically, one that was very near caught her attention. Blinking her eyes open again, she folded her hands neatly in her lap and turned her head towards the origin of this presence, and she was honestly surprised by the sight that greeted her. It was a...oh, now what was the species?

Kushiban? Yes, that was it. She was aware that there was one among the ranks of the Younglings, though she could not recall any instances of having trained him personally, and she did not remember his name. It was a honestly something of a rare occurrence for her to teach the younger initiates, especially as of late. It didn't help that she'd gone eight months with no interaction with other members of the Order, but...such things could not be helped.

"Greetings, young one. I do not believe we have been introduced." Standing once again, the Jedi Master turned to face the small creature, bowing her head politely. From where she stood beneath the statue, still on the steps, she did not need to look down at the being before her. "I am Kellick Vakkor, one of the High Council of our Order."

[proto]

A few hours had passed since the youngling had placed himself atop the pedestal. The entrance had since grown quiet, save for a few others here and there. The Gate Keeper was the exception as he was required to stand guard at all times.

"It seems odd to have a single Jedi guarding such a massive complex."

The Kushiban thought. After musing with himself for a few more minutes he emptied his mind of all thought and began to view his surroundings through the force. It was an impressive sight but their were few people around that actually caught his attention.

Tieko remained in this state for a great deal of time eventually, he simply forgot about the outside world and entered a state of serene meditation. It was an awkward and some what strained meditation considering his limited knowledge on the art.

"Greetings, young one. I do not believe we have been introduced."

These words were completely overlooked by Tieko, as he considered to practice his increasingly difficult to maintain meditation. The next words however rang through his head quite clear.

"I am Kellick Vakkor."

Tieko had heard the name, and thought to himself on who it could be. The next few words made it clear

"One of the High Council of our Order."

At this the youngling's concentration broke and he jumped to his feet

"Greetings Master Vakkor...." He exclaimed bowing awkwardly in the process.

She was one of the high council, one of the greatest in the order.

"Uhh....my name's Tieko Etyk, member of the Katarn Clan." He muttered pathetically.

He looked around for a while avoiding her eyes, shuffling himself back and fourth in his inconvertibility.

"Master...." He Bowed.
"May I ask..." He stuttered.
"What is it.." He expressed.
"That you need?" He finally exclaimed in a rather poor showing of Galactic Basic.

[Regnier]

A thin smile creased the Onderonian's lips as the Kushiban stuttered out a response. Sometimes, she missed being just a Jedi Knight, when other members of the Order considered you just another Jedi, not some awe-inspiring deity that demands fear and respect. She certainly knew she wasn't god, and anyone who got ahold of her medical records would be able to pick up on that in short order. She definitely bled, there was no question about that, and she tended to do it quite frequently. It was getting a little old, actually, and she wasn't convinced being some kind form of immortal deity was a bad thing. Then again, living forever didn't sound particularly appealing.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Tieko Etyk of the Katarn Clan." She replied, inclining her head slightly. Honestly, the whole thing was a little tiresome. It wasn't that she minded being an example to other Jedi, quite the contrary. Her life had been filled with things a Jedi should and shouldn't do, and she was fairly confident in saying that she had come out quite well in the end. But, in her eyes, she was worth no more respect than any other Jedi who stayed true to the Code. Truth be told, though it would likely be looked down upon by the rest of the Council to know she though so, she believed there were some who had left the Order who were worth more respect.

"Firstly, my friend...there is no need for you to be so nervous. I am a mortal being, just like yourself." She began, her tone gentle and low, an inherent kindness lingering in her words as she leaned back against the steps, changing her focus to the sky above, her eyes flicking back and forth over the forms of various countless ships as they passed overhead. "I did not mean to interrupt, and I do apologize if I did so. I am certain your master would want you to continue meditating, rather than listening to the ramblings of a broken old Jedi like myself."

((Creativity...ish...dead...>_<))

[proto]

The young one waited a few minutes, his eyes finally falling upon Master Vakkor. Tieko studied her for a few minutes. He was awaiting a response from her, she was one of the less inclined among the council to teach to teach younglings. Despite this she highly revered among the order. At this time the master spoke,

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Tieko Etyk of the Katarn Clan." At this she inclined her head.

Tieko thought on the words for a few minutes. Tensing, the only thing he could think to do was bow, bow at a statement that could not really be given an answer.

Master Vakkor spoke again, this time something Tieko could actually respond to her words without looking like a fool.

"Firstly, my friend...there is no need for you to be so nervous. I am a mortal being, just like yourself." These words were spoken gently.

Tieko was inclined to respond "Master."

"Us, Younglings, are rarely presented with a situation where we are spoken to by a member of the High Council at a personal level." He spoke confidently. "Of course, this isn't exactly personal" He said dryly.

With his last words, Tieko composed himself. He cleansed his mind of his previous nervousness and projected an aura of refined serenity.

By the time he had finished this rather exhausting process, Master Vakkor spoke again,

"I did not mean to interrupt, and I do apologize if I did so. I am certain your master would want you to continue meditating, rather than listening to the ramblings of a broken old Jedi like myself."

Tieko thought for a moment, taking a deep breath.

"Master Vakkor, you were not interrupting me, you simply startled me. I am not yet a Padawan, in-fact I am simply an Initiate...." His last words trailed off as the Padawan quickly averted his attention.

To the youngling's knowledge, very rarely was a youngling chosen by a master this late into his training.


((I must say this is also a poor showing on my part.))

[Regnier]

Kellick chuckled softly to herself. No, it wasn't all that often that members of the Council would simply talk to the Younglings outside of a lecture, lesson, or some other form of counseling. She herself didn't often, likely less than most of the others actually, but, then again, neither did she tend to do so with anyone. She was more comfortable nose-deep in a study than around most people, always had been. But, neither did she tend to spend much time teaching anymore, though that was much from the more recent events of her life. She hadn't been on the Council long, but she had already endured quite a lot in her time. On the other hand, she had also advanced quite quickly through the ranks of the Order. There were those who considered her young for a Master.

Apparently she had been right. Experience wasn't everything, and neither was potential, or base ability.

"I suppose you're right, young one...we of the Council are often seen as aloof, and we tend to do little to dissuade such beliefs. Such is the way of things, I suppose. But, I am a bit of an odd case among the Council, so...here I am. Why conform to what is considered 'normal', when you can be such an...aberration? It's much more exciting to do things the hard way." She said, a trace of cynicism creeping into her voice. All it tended to get her was either in trouble or in the medical bay. Maybe it was the whole 'having been clinically dead' thing, but she was beginning to suspect that some of her wires were crossed.

"Ah, and there I go, rambling on like a crazy again..."

Shifting her weight slightly so that she could see the Kushiban from the corner of her eye, she smiled at him. It was readily obvious that he had gained control of himself, an air of self-assurance and calmness forming about him. It was good to see he was learning to have dominion over his mind, a trait that no Jedi could survive long without. Well, at least not among the ranks of the Order. Distantly, the memories of friends lost to the Order by fates other than death crept into the back of her mind, guiding her concentration elsewhere. She had heard whispers of, felt, the return of the shadow, and it was more than a little unnerving to-

Shaking her head, she forced herself back to to present. Such thoughts were not something she needed now. The Cathar's business was not hers, and it did her little good to dwell on the past. She would deal with it if the need arose.

Stopping mid-thought, she turned back to Tieko when he mentioned that he had yet to be taken on by a master, as well as gaining a sense of...unrest from him. It was not particularly strange, she supposed, she had felt the same from many Younglings in the past. "Again, I apologize. I assume too much. I do not doubt that you will be chosen in time, my friend. You must have patience, the Force works in its own time, in ways we cannot understand."

Relaxing her mind into a deeper state of the Force as she had taught herself to do through the course of many years, she allowed it to show her what had yet to be seen for the young Jedi beside her. An old habit, as it were, but what was the use of having refined your ability to 'see' into the pathways of the Force beyond that of most Jedi if you weren't going to use such an ability. Closing her eyes half-way, she let a blackness coat her mind's eye, concentrating on the Kushiban. Gradually, a few images flashed through, nothing of note, until a face formed itself within her mind.

Eyes snapping open, she sat straight up and spluttered something vulgar in Besalisk. "Ah, yes, well..." Straightening herself, she regained her composure and forced a smile. "Pardon me. One should learn to expect the unexpected when delving into the Force. I...have little doubt that the Force will guide someone to you sooner than you may imagine."

((A gold star if you can guess who she saw <_<))

[proto]

The young one thought for a while, suddenly he felt he was making himself out to be self loathing. As a member of the Jedi Order such thoughts about one’s self are looked down upon and considered dangerous. Tieko ignored the feeling as pushed it out of his find, the council member in front of him had surely felt his short bout. Dismissing he awaited for the master in front of him to speak feeling it disrespectful to speak without warrant. She spoke of the council’s own stance and its reluctance to dissuade others of its peculiar outlook upon those outside of the council itself, she continued by elucidating her own views.

The elder master seemed to do things outside of the councils own practices, seeming to especially enjoy doing what others might consider “odd”. Tieko listened thoroughly and caught a hint of what he perceived to be scorn in her voice; he could not tell whether it was directed at herseto wardsowards the council. He continued to observe as his tail flowed briskly in the still air, he winced stiffly. Not out of pain but at the thought of his own peculiar situation.

She spoke again; once again she seemed to degrade herself. Tieko thought this odd that a Jedi Master would used words such as broken and crazy to describe herself. Of course the possibility of her simply being overly humble was possible it was still disturbing in its own right.

Tieko once again watched as the master shifted her position, the young Kushiban observed her eyes to wardsowards himself. He caught the small smile that had etched itself upon her face. The youngling was perplexed he couldn’t figure out the reason why she had smiled, but this thought did not grace his mind for long. As the odd scene continued to play out Tieko’s mind was filled with feelings of unrest.

He looked around but there was no one else around, he could do nothing else but turn to Master Vakkor. Tilting his head slightly he could do nothing else but guess what thoughts had crept into the senior masters mind.

She turned back to him and simply stated that he would be chosen by a master in time, stating what could have been the cardinal rule of the Jedi. Patience. Tieko was thankful for her words having forgotten about the forces subtle influence upon most everything.

“Master may I…” a barely audible whisper as he hushed his words, feeling her enter a form of meditation. He simply watched her for a few minutes, suddenly her eyes shot open and she seemed to have lost her nerve.

Speaking again this time in a short sentence followed by a moment of silence. Her next sentence was strange, cryptic in its wording seeming to hint at who his master would be. Tieko looked around for a bit contemplating the meaning of her words, suddenly his eyes shot up.

Narrowing his eyes he questioned her, “Master Vakkor, what were you looking for? Or rather what did you see?” He spoke quickly taking a deep breath at the end of his sentence.

((Umm, herself? ))