Private A Lesson in True Strength

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Four fingers... come on... she was a little nervous herself, for she desperately wanted him to master at least the basics of telepathy. But she had never really trained someone in her respective field... had she?

Sakadi felt a bit of relief once she felt the inexperienced Kiffar probe the part of her mind she had opened up to him. It was like a young bird who stumbled upon a nest that wasn't its own, and caused a soft smile to play about her lips. When she received the answer, the Sephi would nod in accordance. "Well done! Do you think you're ready for a series, now that you've grasped the basics of it?" She wanted to progress this part of his training quickly. The more she could teach him in the short time that he was her Padawan, the better prepared he would be for what he had to face in the future.

Once he had guessed about five more numbers correctly, the Jedi Master would urge for a short pause again. It would serve as her window to introduce the next short exercise. A little bit more difficult, but nevertheless something valuable. "Next exercise. You're going to try and plant a number in my mind. We're just going to focus on one number at the time. It may not seem like much, but it would be a great achievement. The average Jedi telepath can only convey about five-word sentences, and I hope you'll one day be able to convey far more than that." It was an interesting experiment. If he had an aptitude for telepathy, this would be the prime opportunity to show it. "Keep your mind strictly focused on that which you want to convey. I don't want to receive any fragments of your memory and intrude in your personal space. And yes, that is a possibility" she added, before the Kiffar could question it.
​

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

A large pearly white grin formed on the Padawan's face upon Sakadi's confirmation that his answer was correct. Clenching his fist, Cas pumped his arm in the air and called out "Yes!" before resting it at his side. "Kriff yeah I can!" he exclaimed as confirmation he could continue with a series of exercises - with that, he closed his eyes and repeated what he did with it becoming easier each time he did it.

After correctly guessing around five numbers or so, Sakadi moved on to something else. Good thing too, Cas was starting to get bored of what that particular exercise as he consistently improved. This time however, it would be a sort of inverse of what they were trying to do - instead of guessing a number, he would plant one in her mind... shouldn't be too difficult, hopefully.

"Okay, got it." he assured her with a grin and a nod before shutting his eyes. Focusing on their bond once more, Cas established a link between them and then began focusing on the number eleven in his mind. As he attempted to telegraph it to her, subconsciously his mind drifted to the Nightsister he met on Dathomir a few weeks ago, Nezira. The Padawan had developed an interest in her and she was on his mind frequently since, he smiled as he began to think of her more. Eventually, he began to have sensual thoughts of her only enlarging his grin as he did so - however, Cas neglected to realise he was telegraphing these same thoughts to his Master.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Cas seemed more confident than he was before. It was good to see that his confidence grew so quickly, but also a little worrisome. She would have to learn how to practice restraint, but all in due time.

On the subject of restraint, her Padawan truly did not seem to have it. She could sense how he pushed out his presence, establishing a connection that linked their minds together. It wasn't much different from reading minds, except for the direction in which the information was transferred. And, as she had warned him, the kind of information he transferred. In this case, it was more than just the number she had hoped to receive. Images of a young, pale woman moved through her mind. Images she didn't want to see, and wasn't going to forget anytime soon.

A slight blush formed on her cheeks as she answered. "Eleven." the feminine voice would echo, its tone stern and cold. As if that wouldn't be enough of an indication for the Kiffar, the Sephi continued. "I get that you're still a teenager, but if you would rather dream about girls all day, I suggest a different occupation." She was by no means a cold and distant person, but at the moment that was all her body language could display.

Sakadi shook her head in disappointment. "If you are this easily distracted, you'll get killed before your third mission as a Knight." The only way she could hold his attention, was if she kept pressure on him. Their short chase through the trees had shown that much. "Are you that easily distracted by women, Cas?" The question she telepathically conveyed was straightforward, leaving little room for an answer that wasn't "yes" or "no".
​

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

When she repeated what Cas was conveying to her telepathically, a smile formed on his face "Wizard." although... Sakadi didn't seem so pleased judging by both her tone and what she gave off in the Force, this caused him to raise an eyebrow. As he asked her if everything was okay, she quickly elaborated on how she was feeling.

A pit formed in his stomach once he heard what she had to say, face turning red, Cas covered his face with one hand in embarrassment. "I--oh boy, I'm so sorry, Master... I didn't--" he sighed, still covering his face. He really thought he had things under control, thinking he could send the number while also simultaneously think of other things. He really needed to know his limits, he couldn't master everything so quickly.

As he listened to her lecture him, he removed his hand from his face and hung his head slightly low, as if he were a child being scolded by their parents. Then when she issued him with a straight forward question regarding his distraction with women - Cas shook his head while simultaneously saying "No." but then his head whipped up and he added something else "Buuuut..." in a high pitched tone. Attempting to further explain his actions Cas exclaimed "I met this girl a few weeks ago... she's really pretty and maybe crazy but I really like her, well, at least I think I do." he then paused before placing his hands behind his back "But I'm sorry, Master. Won't happen again, I promise."

After a brief and awkward silence "So, shall I try that again without sending frisky stuff to you?" he laughed awkwardly.

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

'No'. Her eyes narrowed as the given answer reached her. It was clear that she wasn't buying it. The pale woman had definitely distracted him before, she had no doubts about that. It wasn't the first time that the Sephi had caught on to her Padawan's imprudence. It was the cause of a rapidly growing concern for the Kiffar. He was strong with the Force and definitely had potential, but his tendency to slip up could send him to an early grave.​

It wasn't as if this behaviour was unfamiliar to her. In fact, it worried her because she recognized it. Her own lack of care and cautiousness was what robbed her of her voice, after all. Hell, had the blaster bolt struck her a centimetre higher, she wouldn't even be standing here today. That was why, even after the explanation had followed, Sakadi's attitude didn't change. No matter what the reason was, as a Jedi you had to give it your all. Always.​

"Did none of the instructors tell you to be mindful of romantic love? It is a quick and easy path to the Dark side, should you not approach it with care." she purposely didn't mention her own opinion on the Kiffar's new exploration of the emotional spectrum.​

Sakadi shook her head as Cas proposed to try it again. "No. This was enough for today." As she prepared to make her way back to the temple, Sakadi turned to face him one more time. "Also, we have been given a new assignment by the Council. Make sure your bags are packed, and meet me in the central hallway at six. We'll be leaving early in the morning." she stated, leaving shortly afterwards.​

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

She still wasn't happy, she didn't have to say anything, it was all conveyed in her body language - he nodded along with her "Yeah, I know, I know. Sorry." Cas apologised again, averting his gaze from the disappointed Sephi. She was right after all, him beginning his training later than most other Padawans was the reason for this - it was more difficult for him to rid himself or at least dial back his emotional attachments, he really needed to be mindful.

A pit formed in his stomach, he'd really done it now. The training wouldn't continue today and to top it all off, they had a new assignment with Sakadi not in the best of moods with her Padawan, when she was a safe distance away and out of earshot Cas threw his head back and groaned as he stared at the sky and tree leaves above him. He dreaded being alone with her right now, especially knowing how she got when she was in a bad mood with him.

Cas watched as his Master walked away, face glum, he really cared for Sakadi, she was like the older sister he wished he had and hated the feeling of disappointing her. He knew he had to train harder, be a better Padawan and Jedi, not just for himself but for her too...

END​

Sakadi Marathi Sinvala