A new journey begins...

[Gnost Karr]

Gnost Karr took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, the room was silent except for the soft hum of his lightsaber and the sound of the training remote darting around somewhere ahead of him. He had filers over his goggles to block his vision and was drawing solely on the force to try and react to the small remote. He'd been doing fairly well so far, having only be stung one or twice, but he knew that in combat those stings would spell death.

Immerse yourself in the force....let it flow through you and following its current. Kian Karr said in his mind, their telepathic link allowing him to speak without speaking.

Gnost felt it, the sudden impulse to move, and he brought the yellow blade of his lightsaber up into the path of the next bolt. Two more followed and the blade hummed as it moved left, then right, intercepting the blaster fire. Gnost smiled beneath the mask and deactivated his blade, the training remote deactivating as well. Removing his eye covers, he saw his uncle sitting across the room nodding approvingly.

"I'm getting better." Gnost said coming over to kneel down before his uncle.

"Yes you are....which is why it is time for you to focus more fully on your training." Kian said sadly and reached out to place a hand on Kian's shoulder. "I know you are concerned about seeking out a new master, but our relationship as family would interfer with your training."

"I know." Gnost said, having come to terms with the truth. "It is for the best, and I hold no ill-will toward you uncle." Kian seemed to relax and Gnost felt the gratitude and affection pour into their telepathic connection.

"The Jedi that will be your master, I've done some digging and he seems like he'd be a good master." Kian said rising to his feet. "Why don't you go get ready, we will be landing soon."

~ ~ ~​

​

Gnost watched as The Shadow rose into the sky and vanished above the heavy canopy of trees before him. It had been a rather emotional goodbye for the two Kel Dor, as they were typically very reserved. Turning, Gnost looked around at where he was. Kashyyyk, capital of the Silver Jedi Order. Pulling his robes tighter around him, he began to walk down the ramp unsure of where to go. To say he was nervous was an understatement. It had been hard at first forming his bond with Kian, but he had the advantage of knowing the man personally and being family. This new Jedi, [member="Kahlil Zambrano"], was virtually unknown to Gnost.

Gnost came to a large open area that seemed to be a park of sorts and knew that this was the place they were to meet. There were benches and the wildlife was allowed to grow in the area more so than at other locations. It always amazed Gnost how much it felt like you were on the ground on Kashyyyk despite being far above the ground. Finding a bend, Gnost sat down and closed his eyes, bent on calming his nerves.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

This was new. Kahlil had little experience with non-humanoids. He knew Wookies, he knew odd hybrids. But they were all similar enough to himself that he grew use to it. They ate the same food, breathed the same air. [member="Gnost Karr"] was of a species so different, they needed a mask to block out oxygen. For their eyes and their lungs no less. Kel Dor were the most different from the humans Kahlil was use to seeing that he had ever met.

And he was excited for it. To meet someone so different, to widen his horizons on what it meant to be part of the galaxy at large, was something he was looking forward to. It's why he immediately accepted the young Gnost as his padawan despite never once meeting them. Was he worried about what might be needed to help keep Gnost comfortable? Of course! But that's what made it so interesting to the young man. He could learn all about the Kel Dor as he taught him.

His eagerness had him arriving early to the meeting point set up by him and Kian. He stepped out into the larger area, his brown eyes scanning for a moment. Ironically, it didn't take long to find the young padawan. Well, here goes nothing. The young man stepped right up to the Kel Dor, extending a hand. "Gnost, right? I'm Kahlil. It's good to meet you finally."

 

[Gnost Karr]

Gnost was so focused on trying to calm his nerves through a quick meditation that he was taken entirely by surprise by the voice that suddenly rang out before him. Gnost's eyes popped open and he saw a young human male standing before him. Gnost sprang up awkwardly and brushed the wrinkles out of his green tunic and pants.

"Master Zambrano." Gnost said, referencing his position as his master not the title. "It is a pleasure to meet you." Gnost said extending his talon covered hand and gripping the human's handshake firmly. Gnost was surprised to see the white hair on a human so young....perhaps it was a genetic trait. After a moment, Gnost realized he was holding the hand longer than he should have been.

"Sorry," Gnost said pulling his hand back and clasping them before him. Glancing around at the huge trees and the beautiful atmosphere, Gnost decided to change the subject. "This is a beautiful planet."

"I've never been to Kashyyyk before." Gnost clarified. "Have you been with the Silver Jedi long?"

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Well that was a title he hadn't heard in a long time. Master Zambrano. It was slaves of his family that had called him that. A frown at the memory formed as he glanced away from [member="Gnost Karr"] to recollect himself. That was a time long past. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Gnost. Please, call me Kahlil. I'm no master of the Jedi." Or a Knight, technically. He was an odd case within the Silvers, able to take on padawans but having little more authority then his students.

It was a beautiful planet though.

"It's a nice place. Calm. Peaceful. I've only been here for a couple of years. Five or six, give or take. But it's home."

 

[Gnost Karr]

Gnost nodded his head at Jedi Zambrano's words. Other Jedi he had met had also instructed him to call them by their first names but it was always difficult to do. Regardless of how relaxed some Jedi might be, regardless of what academy you were at, Jedi still had a relatively rigid structure. Initiates hoping to become padawans, padawans hoping to become knights, knights hoping or dreading becoming masters and masters doing....well whatever it was that masters did. Putting aside that structure for relaxed social interactions was often difficult, especially for the Kel Dor. Rigidity of thinking was often a hallmark of his species, seeing things in often black and white terms.

"Of course, Kahlil." Gnost said, his voice muffled by the anti-ox mask. "I remember this world was wracked by an invasion by the Sith." Gnost said looking around. "Hard to believe given how peaceful it seems to be now, though I suppose it is a different story on the ground." Gnost alluded to the shadowlands, the dark floor of the forest that was dangerous for even seasoned Jedi to walk freely in.

"I am eager to get started Maste...Kahlil." Gnost said catching himself. "I am very grateful to my training among the Shadows, but they are often singular in their focus and I am hoping that in my training with you I can broaden my understanding of the force and the Jedi path."

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"That's the thing about what the Sith do. They try to destroy, break. But the people of this galaxy are resilient. No matter how many times evil tries win, those with a good heart will always survive." It was true of people, too. Or at least, that's what Kahlil hoped to be true. He seemed to be lost in his thought about that, [member="Gnost Karr"] 's little slip going completely unnoticed until he mentioned the shadows.

The young man blinked, glancing to the Kel Dor curiously. "The Shadows you say? Where I came from, they were little more then stories. I suppose it's good they exist." He hummed at the thought. What could he show Gnost that the Shadows already hadn't? "Well, I guess we'll have to see what you know so far. Tell me, what does the code mean to you?"

 

[Gnost Karr]

Gnost nodded his head as Kahlil spoke. The Jedi Shadows were a relatively reclusive group and even at their height, counted far fewer than one would expect but the Silver Jedi had a fully operating Shadow network. While Gnost had not yet had the opportunity to work with them, Kian had always spoken very highly of them. "I suppose. Of course, if the Sith didn't exist, than they would not need to." Gnost said smiling beneath the mask.

Gnost's brow crinkled in thought as Jedi Zambrano asked him what the Jedi Code meant to him. Gnost knew it of course and it's various forms, as he spent most of his free time within the Jedi Archives, but while he had often absorbed the material, he did not reflect on its meaning quite as much as he should.

"Well," Gnost began and raised a hand to stroke his anti-ox mask. It was something he often did when deep in thought. "I've never been a fan of the most often cited code:

There is no emotion, there is peace.​

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.​

There is no passion, there is serenity.​

There is no chaos, there is harmony.​

There is no death, there is the Force.​

​

I find that it can be confusing. It certainly was to me in my early training," Gnost admited, "...and perhaps a bit still today."

"I prefer the version:

Emotion, yet peace.​

Ignorance, yet knowledge.
Passion, yet serenity.
Chaos, yet harmony.
Death, yet the Force


Because part of what confuses me with the first one is that it seems to indicate that emotions, ignorance, passion, chaos, and death do not exist, when they clearly do." Gnost said, hoping he was not over analyzing as he was often chided as doing by other instructors. "I know of no sentient biological organisms that feel no emotion, or experience no ignorance." Gnost crossed his hands behind his back.

"As for what they individually mean, I understand Emotion, yet peace to mean that, despite our experiencing emotions we should not allow them to govern us. That Ignorance, yet knowledge is meant to push us to constantly seek out understanding, for actions made in ignorance are often wrong actions. That Passion, yet serenity, is a reminder that, despite our baser impulses, calmness of mind will always lead us down the proper path. Chaos, yet harmony is a call to find peace and balance even among the chaos that often engulfs us and Death, yet the force..." Gnost stopped at this one for a moment, thinking about the loss he'd experienced in his life. He had known some Jedi who had fallen, but not many and not well. But he still remembered his mother and her death.

"I understand to mean that we are part of a bigger whole....and that our deaths return us to it."

​

"Of course," Gnost said, realizing he had just rambled on quite a bit, "that is strictly my relatively inexperienced interpretation of the code." Gnost said smiling nervously beneath the mask. He often had a habit of rattling off his personal opinions about historic texts and mantras as if he were the expert in the room. Kian had indulged it a bit, but also cautioned him to exercise some humility.

​

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

There was another version of the code? One that made even more sense in Kahlil's mind. He did his best to hide his embarrassment at not even knowing this other code, but thankfully [member="Gnost Karr"] had a similar outlook that he did on the original code. He let out a sigh of relief, rubbing the back of his head with a smile. Kahlil still wasn't sure on how to begin training the young Kel Dor, but at least they had a similar mind set.

"It's an interpretation I agree with. I don't think there's anything about what you've said that makes you inexperienced. That code you mentioned. I didn't know it existed, and it's one that certainly speaks more to who I am. Oddly enough, even with the original code, I viewed it the same." He glanced to Gnost's hip, where the lightsaber was. "How long have you had your lightsaber?" Maybe something there could begin their training.

 

[Gnost Karr]

Gnost was happy to hear he and his new master were of a similar mind. The fit between master and apprentice was often a hard one to get right, but Gnost had been lucky that he came from a family of force users allowing him to train directly one of them. Though this wasn't the first time Gnost had worked directly with a human master, there had been human masters at the temple when he trained as a youngling, but as a Kel Dor he had always found himself drawn to non-human masters.
Gnost's thoughts were pulled down to his utility belt as he examined the hilt on his hip that Jedi Zambrano had alluded too. Pulling it off of his belt he held it in his hands out before him, examining it for a second and then handing it forward for his new master to inspect. The lightsaber was nothing remarkable, but Gnost was immensely fond of it. While many Jedi designed hilts that were ornate or masterful in some way, Gnost had sought to replicate a historic hilt. What better weapon to carry at your side than one modeled after one of the greatest Jedi of all time, Jedi Master Plo Koon.

"It was my last assignment before leaving the academy and joining Kian for formal padawan training." Gnost said smiling with pride beneath his mask. "I modeled it after the lightsaber of Jedi Master Plo Koon. He is a hero of mine. It has a yellow Solari crystal in it." Gnost admitted.

"Most of my duties were support roles. I saw very little actual combat, though I have gotten quite good at the basics of Form I." Gnost admitted excitedly. He hadn't yet decided what Form he would decide to train in, though he suspected the more aggressive styles like Ataru or Shien were out of the question. It simply was not who he was.

"We could...." Gnost began, hoping he wasn't overstepping, "train together if you'd like."

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil gently accepted the saber from [member="Gnost Karr"] , slowly looking it over. A simple blade indeed, but one that seemed to fit the hand well. Though, a Solari crystal? The young man thumbed the blade on, then smiled at the weapon as a familiar sensation washed over him. "I, too, have a Solari crystal. Blue though. They're so.. Warm." Peaceful would be more apt, but warm was what came first to the young Jedi's mind.

He turned the blade off, handing it back to Gnost. Only Form 1? Well, it was a good one to start with. "I won't lie. I tend to get myself and my crew in trouble. The Silver's don't even give me orders, I just go out and find it, trying to help people in the galaxy. It's nomadic, and dangerous. We'll certainly be training together as I want to make sure you're going to be able to handle yourself if the need arises. If that sounds acceptable, we can get started right away."

 

[Gnost Karr]

Gnost had always considered himself a book-savy, you'll find him in the library kinda Jedi....but at the mention of a crew and getting into trouble he felt a bit of excitement stirring in his gut. He had often wanted to get into more of the action with Kian, but the type of work was often far to sensitive to risk a younger padawan along for. Now that he was getting older and his training moving along, he would actually get to get his hands dirty.

Whether that was a good thing or not was yet to be seen.

"Of course," Gnost said nodding. "I won't let you down and I'd very much like to start." Gnost was certainly no blade master, but his training with a lightsaber had been progressing well for his age and experience level. He had made the decision to stick with Form I until he felt skilled enough to specialize. Now with this new master and his crew, Gnost would like be ready to move on soon.

"If you do not mind my asking, what Form do you specialize in?" Gnost inquired. "I've done some serious contemplation about my temperament and physical characteristics." Gnost admitted, knowing that thought he wasn't necessarily small, he wouldn't be large with rippling muscles. "I do not feel the aggressive forms are in my wheel-house. Perhaps something more subtle, like Makashi, Soresu, or Niman."

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Well, I know Shii-Cho, and Niman so technically all the forms in a way. But," Kahlil spoke as he moved, leaving the pair towards one of the training rooms close by. [member="Gnost Karr"] and he couldn't just practice their sword play out in the open after all. "Soresu. I find letting myself flow with the Force and battle is better then trying to change it. 'The fight will end, when it will end'." It was a quote from an old master during the Clone Wars, from what he could find in the datacrons of the Kashyyyk temple.

Once they reached the room Kahlil began to fiddle with his lightsaber, turning down the controls to a non-lethal setting. "It's probably the easiest one for me to teach, because I know it well. But I can teach any of the others you'd like. Soresu will push you into a far more defensive role after all. You'll be reacting and countering, but rarely would you ever take the offensive."

 

[Gnost Karr]

Gnost followed [member="Kahlil Zambrano"] nervously and as they walked he focused on convincing himself it was excitement not nervousness. He had learned long ago that you can turn nervous energy into excitement and then it was easier to calm your nerves. He was about to engage in his first round of training with his new master and that was something to be excited about.

"I would like that." Gnost said nodding his head at his masters mention of Soresu. Gnost had done some reading on Soresu, as well as the other forms of lightsaber combat, recently. He felt that he had gained sufficient skill in Form I and it was time to start putting more training into another style. Soresu did fit with how Gnost saw a Jedi. Non-aggressive, calm, willing to trust in the force. He did not disapprove of the more aggressive styles like Ataru or Djem So, but he found the desire to dominate your opponent with powerful attacks was not in line with how he viewed a Jedi.
"I have read," Gnost said once they'd reached the room and he removed his outer robe so he was standing in just his grey tunic and pants, "that many Soresu practitioners supplement their style with knowledge in another form to overcome the lack of offensive capability. Have you found this to be necessary in your experience?" Gnost removed his lightsaber from his utility belt once more, dialed down the power to its lowest setting, and then stepped back squaring off with his master. He did not ignite his blade yet, waiting to take his cue from the older Jedi.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Oh, good. [member="Gnost Karr"] certainly knew how to make it easier on the young man by selecting Soresu. He smiled, nodding his head. "Some say that. You play a rather passive role in combat, taking attacks and defending yourself. But that doesn't mean you can't attack. Often, when someone strikes against you, they leave themselves open. It takes practice to really find these openings, but when you do, a small quick strike is often all it takes to immobilize your foes."

Kahlil took in a breath as he took a simple stance, holding his saber in front of him. "Where Shii-Cho taught you to defend yourself against blaster fire by using the Force and trusting your instincts, Soresu takes it a step further. You are the calm center of the storm. While those around you strike and rage on, you are at peace. Remain calm, do not rush. The fight will end, when it will end." To the young Jedi, this form encompassed what it was to be a Jedi. Always at peace, always calm. Never the aggressor. "Follow my stance and relax your mind. When you are at peace, we will begin."

 

[Gnost Karr]

Defending against and looking for weaknesses in an opponents attacks to sneak in a counter attack? Gnost nodded his head to this. It was certainly a style of combat he could see himself becoming comfortable in. When Kian had tried to explain to Gnost the transitioning between defense and powerful counter-attacks of Shien and Djem So, he had been uncomfortable with it. It just was not who he was as a Jedi. Being the calm at the center of the storm sounded much more comfortable to him....whether or not he could achieve it was another matter.

Gnost took a deep calming breath, focusing on bringing his nervousness down. Thumbing the activation switch, his yellow blade sprang to life as he stepped into a wide, two-handed high guard, the hilt of his lightsaber center right of his chest, the blade angled straight up. Closing his eyes, he tried to concentrate, tried to find that calmness among the chaotic thoughts and barrage of doubts flooding into his mind. How on earth did Jedi Knights and Masters do it? How did they reach a point where they could quiet those voices in their heads telling them they were going to fail, telling them they were not good enough to be Jedi?

Letting out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding, Gnost began to focus on his breathing. He had to quiet his mind.

Breath in....breath out.....breath in.....breath out...

It took a few minutes but it felt like an eternity. Finally Gnost could feel the force flowing through him, feel his muscles relaxing, his thoughts fading away as awareness of his surroundings in the force came into focus. It was like focusing your attention on something right in front of your face and then altering that focus, so that the blurred patterns in the distance became clear images.

"I think I'm ready master." Gnost said, opening his eyes, calm but uncertain.

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Good." With that said, Kahlil suddenly brought his blade around, aiming for a quick slash at the Kel Dor's torso. Nothing too out of the ordinary for a basic attack, but the idea was to catch him off guard, to see how he'd react under a sudden pressure. Not that he was aiming to harm the young man. The strike would stop just before it would hit [member="Gnost Karr"] , his hands holding his blade in a calm grip.

 

[Gnost Karr]

Had Gnost been focusing on his master or on thinking through the various techniques of fighting he had learned, or a myriad of other things that often went through his head when he was training, he would have been taken completely off guard by the sudden attack. And truthfully, he was. But his body was not. As the attack came in, Gnost's own blade moved to block, it held perpendicular to the slashing blade and his weight shifting to put some power behind the block. This all happened in the blink of an eye, before it even became conscious to Gnost that he had done anything.

His calmness of mind and the connection to the force that Jedi [member="Kahlil Zambrano"] had made him get into prior to starting the duel seemed to have paid off. The force had guided him to block before he had even had time for his conscious mind to catch up. Plus his instincts in a fight had been honed to a certain extent by the constant training he'd had to undergo with the Shadows.

"Wow." Gnost let out without realizing it, a smile break out on his face beneath the mask.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Good, good. Don't let yourself get distracted though." Kahlil praised [member="Gnost Karr"] 's ability to let the Force truly take hold. Most Jedi had problems giving themselves over to the Force in such a passive manner. Letting their bodies act on their own without conscious input was both scary and unnatural. But the young Kel Dor had shown no such reservation. While it may of taken him a moment to calm himself, he was able to keep that calm and let his body react.

But how long could he do that?

Kahlil brought his blade around again, switching to Shii-Cho to strike in large, random arcs at the various zones of the body. Left leg. Right arm. Head. Right leg, then back to the left, then the left arm. Faster and faster, pushing forward to find whatever limit the young Padawan might have and then push past it.

 

[Gnost Karr]

Gnost bowed his head, "Of course mast...Kahlil." He chided himself internally for allowing his sudden pride to get away from him. He should have known better. He was still a padawan, but he wasn't a youngling. He'd been around enough to know better by this point. Gnost didn't have a lot of time to reflect on it however, as Kahlil moved suddenly into the attack once more. He was attacking the body zones, a typical maneuver of Shii-Cho. This was somethign Gnost had been trained in and he found the blocks easy enough. One of the characteristics of Shii-Cho that Gnost liked was the simplicity of it.

If your opponent slashes horizontally, block vertically. You mirrored your opponents attack with the opposite and in that way counteracted it. It was simple logic that Gnost could understand. His practice with the form meant that the first few attacks were easy to dispel and he felt himself falling into the force further, relaxing and going along with the attacks.

But then he started thinking about how well he was doing.

That was a mistake. He suddenly found himself no longer relaxed and connected to the force as he had been a few moments before. Instead, he was now actively moving his blade into the blocks rather than simply moving on instinct. And what made that so much more difficult was the increasing speed of the attacks coming in.

Inevitably, he couldn't keep up for long, not once he had broken concentration. He was a little too late bring his lightsaber around for a block at his right leg and while he did get his saber there, it was too close to his body. When the two blades made contact, Kahlil's blade pushed his back enough for contact to be made with his leg. Sucking in a breath rapidly, he felt the sting of the weapon on his skin. Had the weapons been set to higher settings, it would have been a potentially game ending injury.

"I lost concentration." Gnost admitted to himself and to his master.

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]​