Meetings. Greetings. [Closed]

[Rugs]

Locke Nemsee tapped his foot impatiently on the smooth floor of the room he was in. He was in a training room, the same one where he and his friend Tey Shaak had had their first sparring match in around three years ago. He had moved two chairs into the room, along with a small table. The satchel he usually had with him when he was about the Temple sat on the table next to him, along with his cloak. It was evening on Coruscant, and orange-ish light slanted in through a window close to the ceiling.

Today was the day. He would be meeting his padawan, Jazen Solari. Locke had a datapad out on the table in front of him. It had a dossier with information about the student, general things Locke would need to know. So, he was left by his original master, and I'm finishing his training. That can't be too bad... Right?

Truth be told, Locke was really quite nervous. He hid his emotion, exuding irritation and impatience instead, and he was also using Force Concealment; hiding his connection to the Force. It was what his master had done at their first meeting. Relax, Locke, nothing bad is going to happen here. He's a student, not a Sith. Locke's nervousness came from the unexpected; he had never had a student before, and he really wasn't sure how he'd handle taking on Jazen, someone he had never met before. He leaned forward, resting his head on his left hand. He was quiet for a long moment, thinking deeply to himself, awaiting (dreading) the moment that his padawan would step through the door.

After a few long minutes, he came back into himself, and sat back in his chair. He relaxed, leaning back into his chair. I'm being silly, he thought. The kid isn't going to try to kill me. In fact, he could turn out to be one of my closest friends. Right now, all I can do is wait, and be calm. He would have reached out with the Force to try to feel how close Jazen was, but that would require him to touch the Force, and temporarily end his Force Concealment. However, he had a plan in mind on how to probe Jazen's personality when he arrived, and to do that, he had to hide his connection to the Force for the time being. He heard a the sound of movement in the hallway outside the room. Assuming, that's not some random Jedi walking about, that should be him. He leaned forward in his chair, put his elbows on the table, and steepled his fingers. Let's get this over with.

[Jazen]

Jazen's mind was still lost in the thoughts of his old master as he headed to the training room. Why had he lied to him and more importantly, why had he suddenly disappeared? There was so many questions and not enough answers. But finding those answers was up to masters and not him, so dwelling on it was a waste of time. He had to focus on the present. He'd already been assigned a new master, someone who would continue the training Tylan had been giving him. Hopefully he wouldn't abandon him as well.

As he came upon the entrance, he focused his mind and body, calming it. He wasn't, per say, nervous about meeting his new master, but he was unsure if they would be compatible. Most masters got along with their padawans but sometimes you paired up two who never got along. Jazen hoped this wasn't the case as he entered the room.

Inside, he saw a man seated on a small table, sitting on one of two chairs present. He sat watching Jazen, as if he expected him to come at that exact moment. Approaching, Jazen did a small bow to the man, then introduced himself. "Hi. I'm Jazen, Jazen Solari. Would it be wrong to assume you are the master I've been appointed?"

[Rugs]

Locke nodded slightly at Jazen's bow. He leaned back in his chair, cracking his knuckles. Well, let's get this over with. "You would be correct, actually. My name is Locke Nemsee, and for the next few years I will be your mentor. " Locke said it flatly, almost coldly, and continued to hide both his emotions and his connection to the Force. He wanted to test Jazen's personality, to see how he reacted to his apparent coldness. One of the best ways to test someone is to act like you don't care about them. Or like you don't particularly like them. At least, that's what my old master said...

Locke motioned to the other chair in front of him. Let's get the unpleasant part out of the way so I can drop the act. "Please, have a seat Jazen." He sighed, and continued. "The reports I have been given only cover surface information. I know your first master left you, and I'm supposed to finish your training. But that's it. So, tell me about yourself." He leaned forward in his chair, steepling his fingers once more. His grey eyes met Jazen's and he simply stared at him, waiting.

[Jazen]

Jazen's eyes didn't flatter as his new master spoke to him in such a cold way. Tylan had told him all Jedi had different ways of approaching something and this very well could be his. Choosing to remain standing, Jazen crossed his arms, his eyes locking with Nemsee's. "About myself? To be honest, I'm not even sure myself. The first thing I remember was the Academy. I don't know my parents, where I'm from, what culture I am. I don't know if I have any siblings or relatives. I don't even know how I got this scar above over my eye. Amnesia from mental shock, the doctors call it. So, in essence, what I can tell you about myself is nothing more than what could probably be found in that file."

Reaching out into the force, Jazen noticed that he could feel no such connection from him. Sighing, Jazen reached deeper, calling on the ability of Force Sense he had been honing for several years now. He could feel the things moving around him, but only those within a certain area. And although it was tiny and well hidden, the man did have a connection to the force. Why he was hiding it, Jazen didn't feel like asking. Now, I have told you about myself but I don't believe you have. If you would be so kind as to tell me your name at least, my master?"

[Rugs]

Lcoke merely lifted an eyebrow at Jazen's will. He's got a spine. Good, I like that in someone. Funny that he doesn't remember anything about his past, or how he lost an eye, but I guess that's not completely unexpected. He felt Jazen probing out at him through the Force, and hid a small spark of surprise. He had expected some reaching out, yes, but not to the extent Jazen was doing. The two continued to lock eyes with each other, Locke's stony grey eyes meeting Jazen's deep purple. He's got more spine than I thought. Good.

Locke leaned back after Jazen had finished speaking, smirking. "I'm asking about you at the moment; I'll tell you about myself in a few moments, I promise. And, I already told you my name. It's Locke Nemsee, remember. It was in the second sentence I said to you. Maybe if you hadn't been so busy trying to stare me down, you would've noticed." Locke said this flatly as well, although he could not hide his personality. In was in his words. He was a smartass by nature, and never passed up an opportunity when it presented itself.

He looked back down at his dossier of Jazen for a moment, before locking eyes with the padawan once more. He saw the lightsaber that hung on the boy's left hip and nodded in approval. "I see you've already constructed a lightsaber. Good, I'm not the person you'd want to help you with that. So, what do you plan to do for the Order Jazen. Surely you at least have some idea at this point, though nothing is ever really final. Do you wish to walk the path of the Guardian, and be the big damn hero? Or perhaps you want to be a Consular, and seek out the higher mysteries of the Force? Or do you plan to be a Sentinel, and walk the line between the two?" He shrugged noncommittally. "Think carefully about this. Your answer will help me determine how I need to help you in your training; or, if you don't know, tell me, and think on it until later." Locke continued to look at Jazen flatly, and waited for a response.

[Jazen]

Well, that had been dumb. Jazen had missed the fact that Locke had already said his name. But it didn't matter. He would not make that error again. "Pardon my lapse of memory master, I was focused on the lack of connection you seem to have with the force. As for what direction I wish to walk, I have yet to give it much thought. If I had to choose, the way of the Sentinel seems to be the direction I'm heading." The way Locke looked at him was like a parent looking at a child he did not want. It was an odd look to see in the temple, expect from those who preferred to be left alone. Which was rare.

If I may master, you've been giving me the cold treatment since I entered the room. Have I done something to make you act this way or are you naturally like this? Because if this is what its going to be like all the time, I would like to know in advance."

[Rugs]

Time to drop the act, Locke thought, and for the first time since Jazen entered the room, smiled. He leaned back in the chair, and threw his arms behind his head, relaxing. "Nah, not really. I just wanted to see how you'd react, Jazen. I'm actually pretty easy to get along with." He reopened himself to the Force, sighing as its warmth flowed through him. "As to why I was hiding my ability to touch the Force, I guess you could say the same. It was just a test. I don't really know you, as you know, and I wanted to see how you'd react to an unfriendly person. It's a trick my master used the first time we met." Locke stood, stretching out his limbs, which had started to go to sleep from sitting for so long.

"So, you think you may be a Sentinel? Well, that's good, I'm classified as a Sentinel, though my actual job is an Investigator for the Order, but we can speak of that later." "Oh and by the way, call me Locke. I'm not a man for titles." Locke reached out a hand to Jazen, smiling as he did so. "So, what forms do you know?"

[Jazen]

It had been a test huh? This master was going to prove very interesting indeed. Relaxing his own stance a little, Jazen let out a small sigh of relief under his breath. Jazen had been a little concerned that if Locke had naturally been like this, he might have been hard to get along with. If that had been the case, Jazen would have been tempted to see if he could get another master.

"You were testing me? Well, I guess the feeling could be mutual. Seems we both learned something similar from our previous masters." Tylan had taught him to be cautious of all people at first but to not waver before them. Jedi were well known all over the galaxy and to waver before someone showed them weakness. And that was something that they simply couldn't do. He never explained to Jazen why, instead saying he would understand one day.

"The styles I know? Truthfully, I've only been able to practice in the Ataru style. I've been meaning to take on other forms, but I have not found neither a person to teach me or someone who knows it to spar with. I'm interested in learned as much as I can about each style though."

[Rugs]

Locke merely put on a smile and nodded when Jazen informed him that the only style he had really practiced was Ataru. Of course it would be Ataru. Out of all of the forms of lightsaber combat, Ataru was Locke's least favorite. Not that he thought the form itself was flawed, he personally just found the jumping and acrobatics to be... well, a little silly. But, if that's what he knows, that's what he'll learn. I won't hinder his training because of my own personal tastes and opinions.

"Alright, we can build off of what you know with Ataru, then. Although, I have to say it up front: I'm not an Ataru practitioner. My form of choice is Makashi, and my secondary form is Soresu. I hope to spend some time learning Niman one day, but that's neither here nor there." Locke stopped, realizing he was rambling a bit, and continued. "But, I will help you to the best of my abilities with Ataru, I can promise you that." He smiled michivously for a second. "Of course, your Shi-Cho training will continue, that should go without saying."

"However, I'm sure you'll be glad to know that we will indeed be sparring. A lot. In fact, I planned on having a match with you in a few minutes, to get a feel for where you are. My master always said it was the best way to learn a form, rather reading about it. Not that academia is unneeded, mind you, but you can't really know anything until you use it."

With that done, Locke stopped trying to think of any other questions to ask Jazen. He locked over the dossier he had for moment, and set it back down on the table. He turned to Jazen once more thinking. He's calm, that's good. It wouldn't do to have some student that didn't have his head on straight. Whoever his former master was must have put some good sense into him.

Locke clapped his hands together, rubbing them for a moment before spreading them out in front of him. "So, those are all the questions I can think of for you at the moment. Got anything you want to ask me?"

[Jazen]

"None come to mind, Master Locke. Sorry, you wished me to drop the titles but its something I was brought up heavily to respect. So for now, I'll continue using them. Soresu....that was the style that increased one's defensive skills with a saber. It was an interesting style, considering most of the known galaxy relied on blasters. For a Jedi, Soresu was a perfect style to have wherever they went. Makashi was a style Jazen wasn't completely familiar with, but he knew about it at the least.

"If you don't know Ataru well Master, I have no problem continuing its practice on my own. Teaching me one of the styles you are more accustomed with would be just as good. Besides, I have a funny feeling about why you don't like it, only because I've heard a common reason from others. But then again, its own guessing." At the mention of a sparring match, Jazen wanted to groan, but kept it to himself. He'd just finished a lengthy physical exercise, so he was a little tired. But, if that's what Locke needed to gauge his skills, Jazen decided a little practice against a sentient life form couldn't hurt.

"Well, if you want to spar, then let's get on with it then." Flipping his outer robes off, Jazen called his saber to his hand and took a step back, saber in his right hand behind him. He hadn't activated it yet; instead he waited for Locke to ready himself as well. "After you Master."

[Rugs]

Locke was caught off guard by Jazen suddenly readying for a match. He actually blinked in surprise when the padawan threw back his robes, readying his lightsaber. He had intended to do a quick match with the boy, yes, but he hadn't expected to get to it this fast. After a moment a moment of staring stupidly at Jazen, dumbfounded, he nodded and then chuckled to himself a bit. A person of action, then? That could be good. I just hope he isn't too rash. "You know what, Jazen," he said, grabbing his curved lightsaber hilt in his right hand from his left hip, "I think you and I are gonna get along just fine."

Locke suddenly realized the table and chairs were in the way. He walked over to the other side of the room, motioning for Jazen to follow. "Well, you'll call me just Locke one day, I suppose, but for the moment I guess 'Master' Locke will have to do." While his back was still turned to Jazen he made an exaggerated grimace at the thought of being called 'master.' He turned around to face Jazen once more.

Locke then did something he always did before a sparring match. He reached out to the Force, letting it flow through him and fill him to the core of his being. His eyes closed, and for a moment, the only thing he focused on was the Force. It continued to flow, filling him more and more, until it felt like a river that was going to overflow its banks. Then he let it slow fade out, ebbing away, until it was back to normal. Locke didn't really no why he did it; it was just something he had done for as long as he could remember. It always left him feeling more relaxed though, and more alert.

Next, he held his arm vertically up over his head, his yellow-orange lightsaber bursting to life as he did so. Then, taking a half-step forward with his right foot, he made a deep bow, bringing his lightsaber sweeping his lightsaber under him in a wide arc as he did so. When he straightened, he assumed his fighting stance. He turned so he was sideways, with his right side towards Jazen. His lightsaber was held loosely in his right hand, blade angled up at bout 45 degrees. He held his feet shoulder width apart, and bent his knees slightly, as if ready to pounce at Jazen.

Locke nodded at Jazen and smiled a little bit. "Ready when you are."

[Jazen]

Jazen watched as Locke prepared himself for combat, his eyes following Locke's every move. As Locke prepared himself, Jazen noticed him doing something that Jazen himself should have done. Reaching out, he felt the Force flow around him, making his muscles relax and his body feel light. He could feel the surrounding's around him, his Force Sight allowing him some vision of the area.

As Locke finished his preparations and took his stance, Jazen grinned at his words. "As you wish, Master." Jazen then spun, bringing his icy blue saber towards Locke's at a horizontal angle. Simple and easy to deflect Jazen was sure, but from that one simple strike, Jazen could branch out into many different ways of attack.

[Rugs]

Locke grinned himself as Jazen's blade closed in on him. Jazen had started of simple, with a spinning horizontal attack towards Locke. I bet he's expecting a block... Let's see if he's paying attention. Locke focused on Jazen's strike as it closed it. As it drew near, he dropped his own blade, pointing it down instead of up, so that Jazen's blade would hit nothing and continue onward. While he was dropping his blade down he made a short hop back, pushing off with his front leg. He ended up about a pace back from his initial position, smiling. "Now, now, dear Jazen, you'll have to move faster than that," he said in an greatly exaggerated mocking tone, to make it obvious he was kidding with his student. A little banter always makes things a little more fun.

Locke then exploded forward, lunging, aiming a thrust at Jazen's throat. It was fast, but Locke expected that Jazen would be capable of blocking it. If he had his head on straight.

[Jazen]

Jazen had expected Locke to block the move, but not how effortless he would make it seem. Almost immediately after being blocked, Jazen took a defensive stance, expecting a counter-attack.

"Now, now, dear Jazen, you'll have to move faster than that,"

He was a little insulted from this comment, but then again, he hadn't used his full strength. In fact, he could use that to his advantage later. Suddenly, Locke exploded towards him, his saber level with his throat. Reflexes kicking in, Jazen smashed the saber to the side and spun again, sliding off to just outside both their arm lengths. Of course, he didn't stay there for long; calling on the Force for aid, he leapt over Locke and brought the saber down towards his head.

[Rugs]

Good, good, Locke thought to himself as Jazen knocked his thrust aside. He recovered quickly to his en garde stance. Or he would have, had Jazen not leapt toward him so quickly. Thinking quickly, he jumped forward, ducking under Jazen as the student went flying overhead. It wasn't graceful, nor was it pretty. In fact, he could hear the vrrmmm of Jazen's blade as it missed the back of his head, very much closer than he would have liked.

That was a lot closer than I would have liked, he thought as he landed. Locke made a very brief salute to Jazen, bringing it up to his forehead, and quickly sweeping it back away- his way of acknowledging a good move on the behalf of his opponent. "Good job, but don't think that will work again."


Immediately, he was moving toward Jazen. This time he aimed a short cut towards Jazen's chest, sweeping from his left to his right.

[Jazen]

As Jazen completed the move, he could see Locke just barely get out of the way in time. Closer than Jazen had intended, but that meant his move had caught Locke off guard. "So, even a Knight can be caught off balance," Jazen thought to himself. Landing, he spun back to face Locke, twirling his lightsaber in his hand with perfect control.

"Good job, but don't think that will work again."

Jazen grinned at this statement. He was a little surprised when Locke bowed to him, but that didn't make him lessen his stance. Good thing too, because right after, Locke pounced again. Jazen brought his arm up so that the lightsaber was pointing down, catching the blade inches from his side.

"If I didn't know any better Master, I'd say you were lying about knowing something about Ataru." Pushing as hard as he could, he slid Locke's blade off to the side and sent a wave of Force Push straight at him, hoping to gain some distance. Then, he focused on the two chairs by the table, sending them flying towards Locke as well.

[Rugs]

Locke was forced to stumble a half step back when Jazen's blow in the Force slammed into him. He hadn't been expecting that, either. Nor had he been expecting the two chairs that Jazen threw at him right after his Force push. Well this kid is just full of surprises, now isn't he? Locke put both hands out and caught both of the chairs with the Force, stopping them about a foot away from him. There he held them, and the rotated slowly in the air in front of him.

The edges of Locke's lips curled up in a hint of a smile. "Well, Jazen, I do know very basic things about Ataru, yes. Though not actually enough to be able to teach you anything about it. To tell the truth, you probably know more about it than I do." The chairs started to rotate faster. "Though, I do know how to fight it better than to fight with it. Also, here's a word to the wise: you might not want to get into fights flinging things at me. Of all of the areas of the Force, controlling items is my strongest. Always has been."

A sudden burst of the Force sent the two chairs flying at Jazen. The grin that had only touched Locke's face expanded. "But then again, you seem to have a fighter's spirit to you, so I might just be wasting my breath. And I mean that as a compliment, by the way."

Locke then was moving, charging to Jazen once more. This time he brought his lightsaber in low, swinging in another short, precise cut that was the hallmark of Makashi. Locke aimed the cut at Jazen's knee.

[Jazen]

"Also, here's a word to the wise: you might not want to get into fights flinging things at me. Of all of the areas of the Force, controlling items is my strongest. Always has been."

Jazen should have known. A Jedi Knight would of course be more skilled in the use of Force than a Padawan. Still, the fact that he had pushed him back showed that it could be done. As the chairs came back at him, Jazen knocked one aside with the Force while cleaving the other in half with his lightsaber. He made sure he could still defend himself after that, which was smart considering Locke charged in seconds after the chairs. Bringing his saber down, he caught the attack with his own, holding there against Locke's saber.

"You're good Master. If you were serious, I don't think I would be able to survive the encounter. But I would give you trouble, that I promise you." Breaking contact, Jazen leapt over Locke's head again, only this time he used the Force to call the table towards them. He landed a fair distance from Locke, waiting for the knight's response.

[Rugs]

Locke spun on his heels to catch the table that Jazen launched at him with the Force. This time, the catching was a little rougher; the table was heavier than the chairs, after all, and he didn't have as much time to react as he did with the chairs. The end result was that Locke actually slowed it down with a Force push. But since he also caught it with the Force and it was still speeding toward him, the top of the table ended up contorting, folding in to make a deep depression in the top of the metal table. "I was right, you are a fighter. Well, I guess that's good. I really care for people who just roll over and take whatever life hands out."

Locke let the ruined table hang in the air in front of him for a moment, before allowing it to drop to the ground. "And I'm honored to have my student saw I'm good. I've always wondered... It's good that someone recognizes me." Locke laughed warmly. "But what would make you think I'm not being serious? Or should I ask what your definition of serious is? Clearly, I'm not trying to kill you, that wouldn't do any of us any good, no would it? But I am trying to feel you out, test you. And so far you've done very well. You should be proud, I hadn't expected you to be as good as you are, truthfully." Locke smiled at Jazen. "But I wouldn't let my mouth run away, implying that you'd make things hard for me were we enemies." He laughed once more and resumed his en garde position, motioning with his left hand in the 'come on' fashion at Jazen.

[Jazen]

Jazen's eyes never left Locke as he countered the attack, saber twirling in his hands. He listened to every word that came from his Master's mouth, but kept his focus on his Master's stance. He needed an opening in it he could exploit. But it was flawless, at least it seemed flawless to him anyway. "Well, might as well see what happens next," Jazen thought to himself.

Dashing suddenly to the right of Locke, Jazen spun sideways towards his master, lightsaber a blur as it descended upon Locke. He landed so that the saber would be within reaching Locke with its initial swing. As he landed, he swung his whole body, swinging the saber from his opposite side toward Locke's chest, using both arms to increase the power of his swing, kicking off so that he would spin; aiming to land back where he came from after the strike.