A New Face (Shana)

[Kei Amadis]

Shifting to scratch the stubble on his chin, sun was peeking out of intermittent cloud cover, it was a nice day all things considered on Voss, a gentle but ever present breeze blowing his short hair back and rolling the occasional fallen leaf with it. The academy grounds still had that fresh feeling to them, a new smell, freshly planted trees and shrubs as the new academy saw its first students, formerly taught in the temple but now here. Kei was glad to be a part of it, honored even to be training others here at its founding.

Amadis was in his usual camouflaged forest temple robes, short cut so not get in the way of movement, black utility belt with Unity clipped to it, black-t and thick black boots on. As ever there was a thin line of stubble threatening to break out into more on his chin, while his coffee brown eyes watched the apprentices and Masters at work.

Today he waited for one apprentice that had sent him a messaged wave over the holonet, which he’d answered happily, and said he’d meet her here, to do what he could for the padawan.

[member="Shana May"]​

 

[Shana May]

Shana arrived very confused at the temple this had been the first official and legitimate training she had since being saved back on Nar'shadaa by a man named Rexus Drath. But since then she had wandered to the light side of the force in search of a more calm way of training and to be more of a force for Good than Chaotic Neutral.
She had asked a few of the Jedi and padawan she saw on the way in if this was the correct way and all of them had been kind enough to tell her she was already heading in the right direction.
Shana was always second guessing herself but luckily she had a pretty good sense of direction even if she didn't think so.
She walked into the crisp air that [member="Kei Amadis"]
Had mentioned before. The cool breeze filled her senses with nature and plantlife. Something she wasn't entirely used to. She came to the jedi master with empty hands and mind. She left behind her previous training and the old lightsaber taken from a fallen comrade. She didn't think the red blade would serve her a kind look in her new teachers eyes. She approached the man and could already feel he was stronger than her in the force. She was relieved to see that the man had a kinder look than her last teacher already.
"H-hello? Are you...um the master I'm looking for? Kei? My name is Shana and I messaged you earlier."
She said with an uncertainty in her tone her hands moving as she popped her knuckles from nervousness.

 

[Kei Amadis]

"Yes." Catching a small gentle gust, his robes blew to his side, and the Epicanthix nodded firmly, rounding to face the padawan. “Hello Shana, my name's Kei Amadis, a Knight here, glad you made it.” He could see the young Togruta was nervous and would take a moment to try to settle her in and make her comfortable.

“You settling in okay, find everything you need?” He asked with a reassuring grin, taking a look about the training areas at the different padawans all involved in their own sessions with different Masters or Knights, or even each other.

To get started, Kei was usually direct and to the point, “tell me what you know about the force, and what training you’ve had?” He opened with the usual comment, so he didn’t double up anything she might already know and so he could learn a bit more about her. One thing was common with Kei, he had that reassuring grin, especially when someone was nervous, and his words while direct and firm were not loud or shouted.

[member="Shana May"]​

 

[Shana May]

She noticed how the Knight looked very strong and capable. She liked that. He had a sort of kind nature about him and the way the wind caught his robes...she had to admit looked pretty cool.
Shana breathed in and out in a very "I'm calming down now" kind of fashion. She smiled at the Knight and began to explain how she had very little training in the force so far. She was able to levitate a rock, almost pull her lightsaber to herself (without hitting herself in the gut anymore), and how she was naturally good at sensing others with the force. Really the only things she had learned were force speed and pull (her force push still lacked power).
"You see, My last master mainly had me focus on lightsaber training and feeling out my opponents."
She said as if she was disappointed in herself
To note as well she was missing a lightsaber in and of itself.
"To be honest, I take very little pride in my abilities. Though I have been told I have a natural talent for such things."

She would turn her face looking as if in thought showing the word "Slave" on the side of her neck tattooed in Huttese.
"I can't promise I will be the strongest pupil you have...but I promise I will try the hardest! "
With the exclamation at the end of her sentence Shana looked very determined, it had probably been the first time she smiled in a few days.
Things were looking up for her.
[member="Kei Amadis"]

 

[Kei Amadis]

Amadis gave her a moment to find her feet and talk about herself, nodding firmly when she had. “Everyone starts somewhere, and there is always more to learn.” He put his arms behind his back, linking them up, old habits of his army days. She looked like she was disappointed, so he was going to try something new here eventually, and give her the freedom to choose her training, eventually. He'd seen the tattoo.

The Epicanthix nodded again as she said she'd try the hardest, she had spirit, he liked that in people, a lot truth be told.“Can’t promise I’ll be the strongest Master you could find Shana.” Kei grinned in return, it was true, she could have picked a master who could fling lightning bolts out of both hands upside down, Kei wasn’t that guy, “being strong isn’t all about how hard your force push is, or how fast you swing your saber,” his voice went a bit softer. “It’s about being there when it counts, and being true, not losing yourself and helping others.” Far more important in life than how hard you hit, hopefully taking some of her disappointment, okay enough sentimentality Amadis! She'd only just got here.

Solid grin on, the Knight straightened up, back into the teacher role, “close your eyes, take a moment, and tell me what you feel.” If she'd done some force sense work, this would probably be easier for her, an introduction.

[member="Shana May"]​

 

[Shana May]

Shana smiled as her master told her those words.
It was good to know that she didn't have to be the strongest. And good to know that he didn't count himself among them.
Shana then closed her eyes and did as instructed.
She opened herself to the force and reached out as far as she could.
She could sense her master....and a few other jedi and padawan within the temple....then there was something else...we're those trees? She was indeed already good at sensing others with the force she had been told that eventually she would be able to sense more than just living things with the force. Eventually she would even feel the rocks and even possibly machines. But that was for later right now Shana could only note four things.
"I sense you, a few others within the temple, and very lightly I can sense the trees and the small creatures living in them."
She was indeed good at sensing others, she spent most of her time with Rexus doing the exercise trying to reach out with the force and find others in a dark room.
She would continue to reach out until her master would tell her to do something else.
[member="Kei Amadis"]

 

[Kei Amadis]

“Good Shana, keep focused, keep your eyes closed, and stay aware of what’s around you.” Shana seemed comfortable with this and gifted even, so he continued with it. She could already sense people, and the outside world which was important, because the force was in every living thing. “Keep your eyes closed and focus on one of the small rocks at your feet.”

Kei took a few steps toward a tree ahead of her, “I want you to picture it lifting, and feel the force around it raising slowly up.” He grinned watching her, and would actually help steady her rock if it shifted or fell with his own grasp of the force, gently does it at first.

“Take your time, there is no rush here, and no right or wrong result, just try again.” Kei’s voice reassured, something he’d learned teaching Jaret is to make padawans aware that in training there was no such thing as failing, because that’s why you were training, to learn and learning often meant things didn't go as planned.

[member="Shana May"]​

 

[Shana May]

Shana concentrated further until she could sense the small rocks around her which was hard in and of itself. She then tried to focus further on one which was slightly easier. Her ability was being tested here she tried to make the rock float like normal but trying to sense what was around her at the same time was nearly impossible. She had never been asked to sense something and move it.
Her face scrunched as she tried to move the small pebbles. She breathed in and out trying to clear her mind once again. It helped as the rock began to writhe and shake in its place and until it started to slowly float. Barely an inch from the ground but she was able to do as he asked. The rock did float.

She felt the rock itself start to float as he concentrated, she laughed with a bit of happiness but then the rock started to fall a slight bit she immediately calmed again and
The rock began to float again slowly it was starting to raise higher than she started

[member="Kei Amadis"]

 

[Kei Amadis]

Nodding firmly, not having to help or adjust her own “telekinesis”, she got it first time, only a slight falter and she was right there again to hold it, “the founding technique of many types of force use.” He watched as she held the rock, just letting her get used to it. Force telekinesis formed the mainstay of a lot of Jedi techniques, so getting comfortable with it was very helpful for any Jedi.

“How do you feel?” He asked as she held the rock.

With her laugh he grinned, the excitement of using the force to move something for the first time often had that effect, and he was happy she calmed herself without needing a word from him. In many ways she was demonstrating control, and a sense for the subtle things too at the same time.

“Move the rock out to me, and then move it back.” Kei waited ready for the Togruta to find her way, and again if it came too fast he’d steady her rock from causing any harm, but otherwise let her take her time. “You are doing great Shana,” her Master reassured again.

[member="Shana May"]​

 

[Shana May]

She held the rock in place for just a bit longer, the sense of accomplishment still new. She felt confident this time as she tightened focus around the rock. She already had slight training in this Once before a training exercise to bring a weapon to one's self, only this time it was in reverse.
She held out her hand slowly as to give the rock a push with her mind....without much effect. The rock stayed still. She tried again, she motioned with her body and will for the rock to move, It spun slightly.
She began to get frustrated and with every attempt after to move the rock she would get visibly more angry with herself.
She finally broke her concentration and let the rock fall.
Opening her eyes she looked to her master.
"...I don't know what I'm doing wrong..."
She sighed
"I can picture the rock moving, and I WANT it to move...is it my form?"
In truth it was possibly her own frustration holding her back. She would listen to her master and see what he thought.
[member="Kei Amadis"]

 

[Kei Amadis]

So the first thing he was going to teach was to let her know that things weren’t always going to go her way. “Doing nothing wrong” Kei grinned reassuringly, “form is part of it, that comes with practice,” letting her try for a little while. Kei looked her then the rock, “all part of training.” It was, he’d seen an eventual sniper miss for three days straight till his technique clicked and then he was one of the better shots in the wildcards. People had natural skills sure, but sometimes all it took was some practice.

Taking a step toward her, “open your eyes and look at it.” The Epicanthix tried a different tact, to see if it was easier for her to visibly look at the object. All his words and technique were to simply let her see that, “people fail, Jedi can’t always change everything Shana,” he grinned, “important to let the idea we will always succeed, or that you need to be perfect go, it'll come easier.” In this case her frustration or anger, or emotion unsettling her, but he was letting her see that herself, because there other emotions like peace, joy and serenity waiting for her on the other side.

Kei stood patiently, again the Epicanthix was learning the value of patience, it was almost like when his students were concerned, he would be there for them no matter how long it took, or whatever they were going through.

[member="Shana May"]​

 

[Shana May]

Shana listened to her master and tried to understand, she calmed her mind once more. She breathed in. Then out. She kept her eyes on the rock and watched it levitate slowly into the air. She then concentrated on where she wanted the rock to be. She looked at [member="Kei Amadis"] and let the rock move at her pace. Slow and steady it moved. The rock spin faster than it actually moved and it dropped from time to time but it moved to her master and then with a bit more control the rock moved back to her hand.

 

[Kei Amadis]

Watching her find her form, he nodded, relaxing his grip on his wrists from behind him. “That’s good Shana focused but allowing it,” Kei said walking a distance away, levitating up his own rock. The Epicanthix rolled his neck around and limbered up, time to give her finer and stronger control.

“Now to me, hard as you can,” waiting for the right moment, when it was the right time to act, Kei waited ahead ready. He took his cue from when hers came, raised the rock and sent one back of his own. “Pass and catch in the force, easy as a ball,” Showing her she could stop objects as easily as send them, an important skill when as usual the galaxy was hurling tanks at you, or wookies, it was debatable which one was worse.

He didn’t throw his rock hard at her, not this early in her training, but he did throw it near her, receiving any rock she sent in the same way, and stopping it in the force to hold it. “Tell me a bit about yourself.”

[member="Shana May"]​

 

[Shana May]

Shana had the grasp of the technique. She needed to not focus so hard on the object itself and let it move by feeling not by concentration. She let her focus drift about the rock to throw it to her teacher.
The rock itself moved in a more smooth way now it floated to herself first as she floated it above her left palm. Cocking her arm slightly back the pebble floating in the center of her hand Shana motioned the rock to her master at a pretty fast pace. Not enough to cause any harm but If one were to catch the rock bare handed it may sting a bit. She was actually quite impressed with herself. She was excited about how well this was going and how far she had come with controlling her usually more wild force powers. She readied herself in case her master would toss the pebble back.

[member="Kei Amadis"]

(P.s. sorry about the wait I've been through a lot sorry!!)