A New Partnership

[Kira Novak]

[member="Jyoti"]

Kira took a deep breath of the foreign Kashyyyk air as she stepped out of the massive wooden dormitory building. She had arrived on the planet only a few hours ago, and after getting herself settled into her new room she decided it was time to visit the new Temple of Silver Rest. There was official Jedi business waiting for her inside as well, of course, so she hurried herself along faster than she would have liked. When I have more time I'll take a longer walk around, she told herself. The Wookie homeworld was so different compared to Voss, where she had spent most of her formative years, but she found herself warming to it already. She spied a lake on the western side of the campus, and resolved to visit it when she had free time.

Before long the Padawan had arrived at her destination. Silver Rest stood before her, and she felt as if they had lifted the old Silver Temple off of Voss and set it here. She paused before the entryway, adjusted her Jedi robes, and felt to make sure her lightsaber still hung from her waist. Her hair was unkempt, as it often was, but there wasn't enough time to fix it, she lied to herself. Outside there were only a few people walking around the campus, but inside she knew would be a different story. Be careful, the voice warned her. It's fine, she shot back, it'll be okay. I'm just nervous, Kira rationalized to the intrusion, that's all.

She entered the Temple and made her way towards the reception desk. Kira felt as if the eyes of everyone had turned to look at her as she walked down the long hallway. It's in your head, she told herself, unsure of the truth. The Padawan forced her eyes forward onto her target, ignoring everyone around her, in-case they were still staring. When she reached the counter she forced herself to stare and smile to the lady behind the desk. Her head began to fill with doubt and uncertainty, but she gave it a quick shake to ward those feelings away.

"I'm Kira Novak," she said, "here to be assigned to a new Master. Jedi Master Jyoti," the Padawan relayed. "Do you know where I can find her?"

 

[Eugen Aker]

"I'm right here."

A young Echani woman rose from a bench behind Kira, adorned in all the usual trappings of Jedi, clad in a grey cloak and robes, but a sheathed sword hung from her belt instead of a lightsaber hilt. She walked over to Kira at the counter, appearing to glide over the floor with that famous Echani grace.

"Jyoti Nooran," she addressed herself, holding out a hand in greeting. "It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."

She could feel a nervous energy emanating from the Padawan, but she wasn't surprised to find Kira jittery. Pairing could be a process, and it didn't always end in success. The fear of failure could always bring on some anxiety.

Jyoti herself was the model of poise, the empath radiating with a positive aura the could put others at ease.

"While I personally approve of the idea of becoming your Master, my purpose right now is to simply act as a guide and help you orient with the Silver Order as a newcomer. I'd like to give you a chance to see if we're compatible before making any commitments. Is that fair?"

[member="Kira Novak"]

 

[Kira Novak]

The Padawan turned on her heels in response to the voice behind her. Open your eyes, she scolded herself for failing to see Jyoti. She had been so distracted and nervous that she blanked out everything but the reception desk. I must be more mindful of my surroundings. I can't just ignore the world around me, even if it is easier. Kira felt silly for being so oblivious.

"Kira. Kira Novak." She shook the Master's hand, and then bowed out of respect. "It's good to meet you," she gave a smile. There was something calming about the Echani, though she couldn't exactly put a finger on it, and she loosened up a little at finally making the acquaintance

"Of course," Kira replied. "That makes sense to me, Master Ike." The pairing of a Padawan and a Master was one of great importance and mutual respect. Such a union could last years and span dozens of missions and assignments together. If they weren't compatible with each other it would only end in disaster for both of them. Better to take things slow than to rush to ruin.

"Where shall we begin, Master? I've only just arrived on Kashyyyk and settled my belongings into my dorm room. I haven't yet seen anything beyond the great hall of Silver Rest," she told her, looking around at the massive opulent room.

[member="Jyoti"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

She bowed back in mutual respect, then returned Kira's smile with a soft one of her own. Some of the tension she had felt earlier from the Padawan seemed to subside as they began to intereact.

"Likewise, I'm pleased to have you studying with us here on Kashyyyk. If there's anything you require during your stay, then please let me know."

"I think a good place to start would be with you, Ms Novak. Over a walk through the campus."

She motioned for Kira join her at her side, then strolled outside of the doors of reception for the courtyard outside. There were a few Jedi and initiates about, training, meditating, or just goofing around. There was a collective sense of mirth among them all.

"So where are you from? How did you come upon the decision to dedicate yourself to the Jedi path?"

There was no right or wrong answer here, and Jyoti tried her best to frame her question as such. Everyone was different, and she wanted to figure out what exactly made Kira tick so she would know how to best serve her as a teacher.

[member="Kira Novak"]

 

[Kira Novak]

[member="Jyoti Nooran"]

She followed Jyoti as they made their way around the campus. Kira was glad to be back outside. It's easier to breathe out here, she thought, despite the huge ceiling and walls of the great hall. There were a few other Jedi minding their own business as they made their way through. They don't seem to be staring at me like those inside, she noted. They just haven't seen you yet, her thoughts reassured her.

"I'm from Taris," Kira replied. "Have you ever seen it? It's a nightmare compared to this paradise. Pollution and overpopulation run rampant. My family could never afford to live anywhere near the Upper City. It was a hard living. And yet," she paused for a moment, "I still miss it sometimes. You never really forget where you're from. And no matter how far aware you are, or how much things have changed, it always stays with you."

"To tell you the truth, the decision to follow in the teachings of the Jedi was not my choice. It was made for me by my parents out of financial necessity, so that I could have a life that they could never have. For a long time I went through the motions and training for myself alone." Jedi should be selfless. I am not selfless. "But I've grown to embrace the teachings and the ways of the Jedi, beyond that which they can do for me. People need us, Jyoti. We are making the galaxy a better place, I do believe that. I owe the people we watch over the same light the Jedi once gave to me."

She realized she had gone off talking for too long. I don't usually do that. Kira wanted to know more about her prospective Master, and decided to change the subject in that direction.

"A-and you?" she asked, stuttering with embarrassment at laying out so many personal things to someone she hardly knew. "Why do you follow the Jedi?"

 

[Eugen Aker]

The answers that Kira provided were almost perfect, that of a model initiate raised in the Jedi ways since her youth. However, Jyoti could feel disquiet within the woman as she spoke, like there was something bubbling just under the surface. She was holding something back.

Jyoti could prod, but she let Kira be. She figured the Padawan would reveal more of herself as time went on and she grew more comfortable around Jyoti. The Echani didn't expect Kira to pour out her soul in their first encounter.

"It's funny, but you nearly described my origins to a T. I was abandoned as a child, then grew up as a warden of the state until my abilities were discovered and I was sent to live with the original Jedi Order out of Coruscant."

That wasn't quite the whole story, but there were some darker elements to her childhood that she didn't like sharing with anyone.

"We seem to share similar motivations. Not having much of a choice being sent to the Jedi Order, I didn't really buy into their way at first. Poor little me at the time just saw a meal ticket. Eventually, though, I was drawn in by their selflessness. How they never hesitated to share all they had with me and others. Gradually they grew on me, and it was then that I decided that I wanted to dedicate myself to improving the world around me."

By now they were out of the courtyard. Jyoti turned on a winding path that would lead them to the lake.

"Assuming everything works out, then I believe you would be the first Padawan that I've taken under my wing with some formal training. So that means that we could move past the basics. Which saber forms do you favor?"

[member="Kira Novak"]

 

[Kira Novak]

[member="Jyoti Nooran"]

Kira continued to follow Jyoti through the tour of the campus grounds. She was glad that everything was going well so far. As they talked the young Padawan's anxieties and doubts went into hiding, and she felt more easily able to express herself. It's only temporary. They'll be back. She shook those thoughts away.

"It seems many of us have a similar origin," she replied. "All plucked from our lives as a young age, brought to some strange temple to learn this ancient art." She was glad they had this much in common. Both Taris and Coruscant were cities that spanned their entire world, and it was a hard living for those less fortunate. Like those without parents. She couldn't imagine how hard it was for Jyoti. I thought I had it tough, but at least I still have my family, even if I haven't seen them in years. "It sounds hard, growing up alone," she offered her sympathy to her elder.

They left the courtyard and continued on a twisting and turning path, filled with all manner of alien foliage. I'll get used to this, eventually. Soon the path straightened out, and in the distance she could see a lake.

"I know a little of Shii-Cho and Ataru," she told Master Nooran, "but I have the most experience with Soresu. I've spent most of my time as a Jedi studying Form III. I can't help but feel that Soresu has certain limitations that are holding me back, though." She wasn't quite yet at the level a Jedi Knight would be with Soresu, but she was starting to realize that her preferences for combat didn't match its style. "I wish to learn something less passive. I want to be able to take a fight into my own hands. I want to fight on my own terms, not on someone else's. I've been trying to find information about Vaapad, but it seems a lot of the information on that Form is hidden from me." She recalled her time in the archives searching for information, only to find that it was restricted to Padawans.

"What are your specialties, Master? I find that my force control can be lacking at times, but lightsaber combat is my forte."

 

[Eugen Aker]

"Well, I never saw it like that, being forced into a certain lively hood," she said while shaking her head. "I always had a choice to leave if things didn't work out. You can have same option available to you now. Within the Silver Order, you're not even required to become a Jedi. We acknowledge that the life of a Jedi isn't for everyone. We're satisfied showing our students how to be responsible in using their gifts."

When Kira mentioned an interest in Vaapad, Jyoti wasn't all that surprised. Since the time of being an initiate herself, she encountered several others with fascination with the aggressive style, often incorrectly viewing it as some ultimate technique to trump all others.

"There's a reason you're having difficulty acquiring materials or instruction on Vaapad, Ms Novak. Vaapad is philosophy as much as it is a combat style, requiring the user to embrace some of their darker impulses in battle. Bloodlust even. You must maintain a state of equilibrium while using the form, but few can accomplish this and soon succumb to the Dark Side. For this reason, study is usually restricted to senior Knights and Masters who have proven themselves to have a strong constitution."

"As for the form itself, there are many shortcomings in its use. Would you care to see a demonstration?"

It was one thing talking about the weaknesses of Vaapad, but Jyoti thought it was best to show Kira through example. It was the Echani way, favoring showing over telling to get a point across.

[member="Kira Novak"]

 

[Kira Novak]

[member="Jyoti Nooran"]

The pair came out of the twisting pathway and stopped next to the lake. The sun reflected off of its surface, leaving it a shimmering pool of light, so bright that Kira's eyes squinted just looking at it. They stood under the shade of a large tree, one of many that dotted the area around the water. All sorts of colorful plants filled the gaps between the trees. There were a couple people sitting on a bench a short distance away, but besides that Kira and Jyoti were alone. This is nice, she took a deep breath. The serenity of the place had relaxed Kira substantially, and for a rare moment she enjoyed the silence in her head.

The use of Vaapad sounded dangerous to Kira, but the thought of the Form still greatly intrigued her. What sort of person would it take to walk that close to the darkness yet still stay in the light? She wasn't sure if she had it in her, but she wanted to find out. One day, she decided, one day I'll learn this style.

"Yes, please, Master Nooran. I would love a demonstration."

Kira unclipped her own lightsaber from her utility belt. She wasn't sure what a demonstration would entail, but she wanted to be ready just in case.

 

[Eugen Aker]

They had arrived at the lake, a perfect scene to perform the demonstration. She unsheathed her sword, Cortana, the white metal of the imbued blade gleaming brightly under the sun. In the Force, it was just as bright, a beacon of the Light Side.

"I won't show you Vaapad today, but Juyo, the form it's derived from. On a purely physical level, the variants are identical."

She took a few steps away from Kira to create some separation, then launched into a basic Kata of Juyo. The Echani would then become a blur of motion as she swung her blade around at a furious pace, almost imperceptible to the naked eye save for glints of light all around her. There would be the steady sound of swishing as her blade chopped through the air.

As she picked up the pace she seemed to be striking several points at once. Shortly after reaching that level, she would stop, making one last downward swipe with a single hand, then let her blade rest in that position.

"Going through the motions, I can see why the form is so appealing. It is a very aggressive style well suited for quickly overwhelming single opponents in dueling. However, the form doesn't have much utility beyond that particular scenario. As Juyo and Vaapad emphasize offense over defense, you leave yourself completely vulnerable in engagements with multiple opponents, especially if they're using some form of ranged attack. Not to mention that this form is very taxing, problematic in battlefield scenarios where extended engagements are expected."

She sheathed her blade. "I don't think you'll find your answer with Form VII, but there is a much more attractive alternative if you're willing to try it with me. Form V."

[member="Kira Novak"]

 

[Kira Novak]

[member="Jyoti Nooran"]

Kira watched as Jyoti unsheathed a sword made of a shining white material. Is that some sort of a Force-imbued blade? She had read about these ancient weapons of the Jedi Order once, but had never seen one in person. The Jedi Master then began a series of fast-paced motions, leaving a blur in the wake of each one. Impressive, Kira thought, glad to have finally seen the Form in action. Jyoti stored her blade away when the presentation was finished. Kira took the Jedi Master's assessment of Vaapad to heart. Perhaps it is not all that I thought it was.

"Thank you for the demonstration," Kira said, giving a bow. "I see your meaning on the weaknesses of Form VII. Though, it is something to behold," she admitted, clearly impressed with the visuals of the style.

The Padawan's knowledge of Form V bubbled up to the surface at its mention. Djem So or Shien, she remembered. She had seen it before, many times, but in her obsession with the novelty of Form VII, she had completely passed it over as a viable option to learn. Perhaps Form V is the one for me. If Jyoti was experienced in its usage, and was willing to teach it to her, then she would find no better alternatives for increasing her knowledge of lightsaber combat.

"If you would teach me, I will gladly learn Form V. It would be an honor to be taught by someone as esteemed as yourself." Kira gave another bow, offering Jyoti all the respect due to her rank of Master.

 

[Eugen Aker]

"Oh, no need to butter me up," She said with a chuckle. "May I call you Kira? We can dispense with the titles while we're out here."

For Jyoti, apprentices were more than just students. A few of them grew to be her best friends and confidants. That's why she tended to be choosy with who she took under her wing.

"So Form V. If the style could be condensed into a single word, then it would be redirection. It's all about turning an opponent's own energy against them to gradually dominate them into submission. It's a nice balance between more defensive styles like Form III, and something more aggressive like Form II, so I think this would be a good fit for you from what you told me before."

"So, why don't you come at me, and I'll give you another demonstration?" She gripped her sword with both hands and raised it toward Kira, stance low and inviting. "Feel free to come at me any way you like, even with Form VII if you know any of it."

[member="Kira Novak"]

 

[Kira Novak]

[member="Jyoti Nooran"]

"Yes, Kira is fine." She was about to call her teacher Master, but caught herself before it was too late. "Jyoti."

"After hearing your instruction, I think Form V is the best style for me to learn. It seems to me that since V was created to address the limitations of III, that it would be the next logical step for my training. I've already got the defense part down, now I just need to learn the aggression."

Kira unclipped her lightsaber from her utility belt. The blue glow of her saber appeared as she ignited the blade. She gripped it solely with her left hand and began to draw the blade back in the traditional opening stance of Soresu, or Form III. Her free hand pointed at Jyoti as she considered potential options for attack. Nothing fancy, she decided, the strength of this form isn't attack. Kira wasn't sure what it would be like to deal with Form V in actual combat, and figured it was best to be cautious at first.

"Here I come!"

The Padawan kicked off the ground and ran at the Master. Both hands gripped the lightsaber shaft as she closed the distance between the two. Kira struck at Jyoti with a measured attack at her chest. She didn't commit to the attack fully, making sure to still keep as much distance as possible for when her blade was inevitably turned back. This will be easy for her, Kira thought, I have to prepare my defense for what is next. Her mind raced as she ran through possible scenarios. Let's see what her Form V can really do.

 

[Eugen Aker]

Jyoti smiled at Kira's exclamation, looking forward to engaging the Padawan in a spar. For the Echani, their clash would be more than just a simple fight, but a bonding experience. Echani's primary mode of communication was through fighting and motion. Actions always spoke louder than words.

From Kira's earlier statements and her opening stance, she was almost certainly coming at Jyoti with Form III. Not the best form for initiating an attack, so Jyoti was curious what Kira was trying to do here.

As Kira closed the distance, the muscles in Jyoti's legs and core coiled, ready to send her into flight. She remained still until Kira finally made her move, a simple cut to her chest.

She waited until the last moment to move, skipping a half a step outward and right to just avoid the arc of the lightsaber. Now she was off center in relation to Kira, the Padawan's blade slicing through empty air where she used to stand.

Now a step forward, as she swung her blade to the left to knock Kira's lightsaber downward, a low sizzle made as the imbued metal of her sword connected with the plasma shaft of Kira's lightsaber. From the parry, she bounced her blade off the lightsaber toward Kira's forearms in a slicing motion.

She didn't commit herself fully to the attack, leaving herself with an avenue of escape in case Kira was able to react in time to the threat of getting her arms lopped off. Not that it was Jyoti's intent; she would break off her attack just before any real harm could be done.

[member="Kira Novak"]

 

[Kira Novak]

[member="Jyoti Nooran"]

Kira was impressed with Jyoti's speed. So fast! The Master had skipped to her left before her blade could make contact, leaving her weapon hanging uselessly in the air. Kira instinctively tightened her grip on her saber hilt as Jyoti's imbued sword swung down to meet it. She's trying to knock my blade out of the way! Their weapons connected briefly, bouncing her blade down a few inches. Kira's strong grip on the saber allowed her to keep her weapon mostly level, but she was still outmaneuvered and was now on the defense. The Padawan noted how different her lightsaber felt against the sword, I'll have to get used to that. She was snapped out of her thoughts by Jyoti's blade slicing towards her forearms. No time to block this, got to move.

She pulled her arms away from the blade and let her body fall backwards. Jyoti's weapon passed in front of her, inches away from meeting flesh. Kira stumbled for a few steps, just barely able to stay afoot. Her maneuver was wild and messy, desperate, but it did the trick and saved her from losing her arms, though she trusted Jyoti to stop before it ever got to that point. She collected herself and re-positioned into a battle stance, now about ten feet away from her opponent.

Let's try something different. Soresu is too passive, I need to try another style. Kira kicked off the same way as she had done before, but this time she stopped short of Jyoti and pivoted on one foot, spinning both her body and her blade sideways towards her elder. It was an aggressive swing reminiscent of the Ataru form, one which she only had a cursory knowledge of. She committed herself to her assault fully, not leaving any options for escape.

 

[Eugen Aker]

As expected, Kira wasn't quite prepared for Jyoti's juke, giving her a large opening to counterattack. However, wisely, the Padawan chose to disengage, if rather clumsily with a stumble back out of the path of her blade.

In a real life combat scenario, the Echani would have immediately followed through with another strike to exploit Kira's faltering, but she held back to encourage Kira to experiment. She assumed a guard stance like before, waiting for Kira to attack again.

This time, Kira came it her with some more acrobatic spinning maneuver, appearing to put her full weight behind the swing.

Jyoti met strength with strength, bringing her blade down for a direct block instead of dodging away. The momentum Kira had gained from the spin was negated by Jyoti's stronger foundation by having both feed firmly planted on the ground, allowing her leverage the strength of her entire body. She also enjoyed the benefit of wielding a physical sword with some heft against a lightsaber with no counterweight.

She stepped forward, pivoting her sword against Kira's lightsaber as she pushed it the Padawan's arms away over her shoulder. Now she had rotated her sword and forearms to the other side of Kira arms with her hilt pointing forward, putting her in a position to slide her sword forward to bash the Padawan in the face with the pommel, or even snatch her blade away with a grapple.

She did neither of these things, instead just skipping backward to disengage and lower her sword to her side.

"Are you starting to get a feel for Form V, or would you like another go?"

[member="Kira Novak"]

 

[Kira Novak]

Kira's blade connected with Jyoti's. Her wild spinning slash was stopped dead in its tracks by a quick downward block. The Padawan tightened the muscles in her legs and arms to avoid falling over from the excess momentum. Before she had a chance to react, Jyoti dug in and began to push back. Kira could not stop the counter her Master began to leverage against her. Too strong. Jyoti pushed forward and turned, twisting her blade around Kira's at the same time. Kira was stuck, outmaneuvered by the superior Jedi. She stared down the length of the pommel of Jyoti's sword. It's done, she thought. All at once Kira dropped out of her stance and relaxed while Jyoti skipped backwards. The fight was over.

"No," Kira huffed, catching her breath, "let's take a break for now." The blue glow of her saber vanished. "I can see the benefits of Form V. It offers opportunities in combat that Soresu lacks. I'd like it if you would continue teaching me more of Djem So. Though... I don't know if I can do anymore today." The fight was brief but intense, it was a level of combat that Kira had rarely experienced. Nothing like fighting training droids. I'll do better next time. I'll master Form V. She gave Jyoti a bow to thank her for the sparring session.

The sun of Kashyyyk was starting to set. A long shadow began to fall over the Silver Temple. It would be completely dark within the next hour.

"Thank you for the tour, and for accepting me as your student. I'm glad I was able to find you. I won't forget the opportunity you've given me." She was truly grateful for the day with Jyoti, everything had gone better than expected. It won't last, her voice told her, but she didn't care, she was in too good of a mood. She smiled.

"Is there anything else here on Kashyyyk or in the Temple I should see before dark?"

[member="Jyoti Nooran"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

Kira got ahead of herself claiming that Jyoti had officially taken her on as an apprentice, but with her mind made, she offered no complaints. There interactions had been brief, but she felt like they could get along.

"Very good," she answered as she slowly sheathed her sword. "As you can see, Djem So may give you the offensive edge you desire."

"I'm delighted in meeting you as well, Kira. You show great promise, and I would be honored to help guide you along your path to Knighthood."

She glanced passed Kira's head to study the setting sun for a moment as she thought back on an earlier question.

"I don't have anything else to share at this time," she started, returning her sights back on the Padawan. "Though before we decide to commit to each other, I would like to make my expectations clear moving forward."

"The first and most important to me is, maintaining good communication. I value my students' input, as it helps me tailor my lessons to fit their needs. For instance, you told me earlier that you struggle with control over the Force. I could see it in your bladework. Mechanically, your technique is sound, but you seem to have an issue focusing your senses. That's definitely something we can work on tomorrow."

"So I encourage you to ask questions and provide feedback over what we cover in my lessons. In general you can always come to me for anything. I'd like to be much more than your Master, but also your friend."

[member="Kira Novak"]