First Reply Blade Dance

[Aris Noble]

"Seszil, form two."

The hum of a lightsaber and the flash of steel filled one of the training rooms of the Coruscant Jedi Temple. Aris had taken the room for himself, mostly so the floating blade Seszil had the freedom of movement to truly be challenging. They could attack at weird angles, immediately riposte, spin. There were so many different ways that Seszil could spar with him that made the blade the ideal training partner.

There were also code phrases. Aris, without the ability to actually share his intent with Seszil, had to speak aloud for their more united forms when they fought side by side. This was one of them. It was a simple drill, having Seszil weave through Aris's own strikes so they could take advantage of possible openings or create their own. It was complex now as they'd grown more and more used to each other. They still needed those code phrases, but how cleanly they moved from one to the next was improving vastly.

"Five."

The rigid form changed then. It was no longer just simple strikes to the different zones in Shii-Cho, but leaps and twists. Ataru was the next form Aris wanted to get a handle on, if only because his strength and speed naturally lent to it. Especially since Sezil could weave all around him as he leapt and moved. They were a storm of blades, a mix of Seszil's blunted edge and Aris's Entropite saber. They moved faster in tandem, Ariseasily leaping and shifting with each strike to keep his own at as many different angles as possible. Until he slipped.

The Padawan blinked as he fell back onto the floor. Blinked again as he glanced to his feet. He'd landed wrong on that last jump. Far too aggressively, trying to put more power in the strike. All at the cost of balance. His saber was set to the side as he plucked out a notebook and started to write within it. Notes on how to improve his form, what not to do, what might work better so it should be tested. He had been working on this for a while now.

Seszil in turn floated down to rest beside him. "You are improving."

"I know."

"Perhaps it might be good to rest, then?"

"I am resting." In the technical sense. He was currently seated and breathing, so resting in his mind. Seszil just went silent, knowing full well just where that conversation would go. Aris was, after all, a very technical mind.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons:
Tag: Aris Noble

Gatz was good at a very small handful of things, but minding his own business had never been one of them. It was why he'd made a point to keep track of all the younger Padawans in the Temple. The Jedi, when inattentive, could miss signs of students who needed help... or of kids who were being pushed too far.

He knew that all too well, considering his first go at being a Jedi. Also his current go at being a Jedi.

But Gatz paid extra attention to Aris and Vera. If only because if something happened to them, and he could have prevented it, their mother would throw him from the roof of the Temple. Or at least be very, very disappointed in him. Which, to be honest, sounded worse than falling to his death from the Coruscanti skyline.

And that was why he stepped into the training room Aris had claimed. He'd spotted the young scion entering some time ago, and Gatz was hoping that he'd left by now to get something to eat, or to just relax. But, judging by the way he just landed on his ass, it was obvious that he was still going at it even though his body needed a break.

"I am resting."

"There's resting, and then there's taking a break, Junior," Gatz opted to speak up, "and the latter is what you need. When was the last time you ate?"

 

[Aris Noble]

"Prior to entering I have eaten the regulated meal I had prepared. I had a meat snack to continue my protein intake part way through during my last rest. My next scheduled meal is in.."

Aris paused as he glanced down to a datapad to check the time. He was keeping himself on a proper clock to make the most out of his exercising and training. "Thirty minutes or so. Long enough for another set." He looked up to Gatz, tilting his head slightly as he did. Everything was solid facts for the young Noble, as they always had been.

"Master Sal-Soren approved of this training regiment.

"Provided you took breaks, young master."

Aris practically flinched at the flaw in his logic before he let out a heavy sigh. He did not feel a need to take a break, thus he hadn't. But perhaps that was the problem.

Gatz Derrevar

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons:
Tag: Aris Noble

"Provided you took breaks, young master."

Gatz couldn't keep the shit-eating grin off of his face.

"You're lucky Briana and I don't share grey matter anymore," Gatz shook his head, "otherwise your talking sword would have just ratted you out to her."

But hey, what Rich Girl didn't know wouldn't hurt her. It's not like Aris had hurt himself, pushing his training the way he had. Gatz figured that, as long as he got Junior out of here now, there was no real need for his Master to know that he'd bent the rules slightly. Unless she already knew somehow. Then Gatz would totally throw the kid under the bus, because it wasn't worth it to lie to Briana.

But she probably didn't know already. So they were safe.

"Hey, I get it kid," Gatz tried a different method of getting through to Aris, "I've pushed myself far harder in my training than I ought to, too. But if you keep doing that, you're going to hit a point where you get diminishing returns on your progress—or worse, you'll end up hurting yourself. Taking a break isn't going to slow you down, Aris. It's going to keep you progressing at an appropriate pace."

Hypocritical of him? Sure. But the last thing he wanted was for Aris to make the same mistakes Gatz himself so often made.

"Trust me: your mom taught me that, and she's a smart cookie." Gatz leaned against the wall, "now, why don't we get some food in you? There's a diner a few levels down that makes the best burgers in the Core. By the time we get there, it should be just in time for your scheduled meal."

 

[Aris Noble]

"Seszil. His name is Seszil."

They weren't just a talking sword, after all. Seszil however floated back into his sheath on Aris's back, which was the swords silent protest against declining Gatz's invitation. Aris let out a heavy sigh, glaring only briefly at the hilt over his shoulder. Betrayal stung, even for him. But he at least understood the reason behind it. "I've been taking regulated breaks. I know training too hard too much will only cut down on muscle, not increase it."

The problem wasn't that he was overworking himself. He wasn't. In fact, he was working far too close to the exact amount needed that he might as well be a robot. He had all the technicalities down pat.

He was just being really bad at also being a person.

Gatz Derrevar

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons:
Tag: Aris Noble

"Seszil."

Gatz agreed with a nod. Because who was he to deny a sentient being their name? His ship had a name, and she was just a hunk of durasteel that didn't talk. And while he would never understand the logistics behind a talking sword, he wasn't going to be an ass just because Seszil didn't fit within his established worldview.

There was a talking sword now. So, today, Gatz's universe became a little bit larger.

Frankly Gatz was more concerned with the boy, who seemed more like an inanimate object than Seszil did. It... wasn't his place to address that—that was better left to his parents or his Master. But Briana was probably too much of a workaholic to notice, and too rigid in her adherence to formality to do anything other than turn a Padawan into a Knight.

That wasn't an insult: Briana was the very model of a Jedi Knight. An inspiration to everyone around her.

But Aris was still a kid. He deserved time to be a kid. And Gatz was positive that Valery and Kahlil would agree with that.

"I've been taking regulated breaks. I know training too hard too much will only cut down on muscle, not increase it."

"Good! Then we'll skip the lecture, and get straight to the part where we go get burgers. You coming?"

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris let out a heavy sigh as he really seemed to think about it. Math, specifically. The calories in a burger were often higher than the meals he allotted himself throughout the day. All part of the training, of the dieting and working out. He wanted to make sure he was training properly so he could be strong enough to help Briana and the others without holding them back.

"Do you know the nutritional facts with them?"

Gatz Derrevar

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons:
Tag: Aris Noble

"Nope!" Gatz beamed, "that's the best part of a burger: it's unhealthy for you! But we're going to a proper diner, not fast food. I'm sure they'll have healthy options."

But to hell with healthy options, Gatz already knew what he was going to order: a bourbon barbecue bacon burger. Quadruple 'B's. Too many calories? Definitely. But, fortunately for him, he didn't eat nearly as much as he ought to. Which drove Cora and Valery crazy, but it meant that he could eat an extremely unhealthy burger and still not get all the calories he needed, so it was worth the sacrifice.

He'd keep that little tidbit to himself though. His friends typically weren't pleased when they heard he wasn't eating enough.

"Besides," Gatz led the way out the door, "it's less about the meal, and more about getting you out the Temple for a little bit. Jedi Training is important. But so is enjoying life."

 

[Aris Noble]

"I can allocate enough for a cheat day, I think." He thought about it, but he wasn't going to argue. If anything, a burger sounded pretty good. Even if it was unhealthy, it had protein. But enjoying life? Aris tilted his head as he thought on that. Was he not enjoying life? He thought he was, but people often tried to say he wasn't. It was more frustrating than anything else.

"I do run in the morning through the city you know. It's very calming."

Gatz Derrevar

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons:
Tag: Aris Noble

Hook, line, and sinker. Aris, usually so stoic, was finally onboard for a little cheating... even if that cheating was really just on his diet. But, in Gatz's mind, it was one step toward the kid acting like, well, a kid. And ultimately, that was his whole goal with the younger Padawans: not only to look after them, but to also remind them that they were more than just part of the collective future of the Jedi.

They were people too. And Gatz wished he'd been reminded of that, and encouraged to be more than just another Padawan, during his early years with the Order.

As Gatz led the way to the landing platform, Aris spoke up.

"I do run in the morning through the city you know. It's very calming."

"Good! But I hope you stick to the top levels. Coruscant might look pretty above the clouds, but the lower you go, the more dangerous it can be."

The ecumenopolis was the center of the civilized galaxy, but beneath the shiny upper levels it was filled with so much rot that it could make Nar Shaddaa look tame at times. But the Senate and the Order just sat above it all, pretending that the suffering below didn't exist.

Maybe Gatz was being unfair. There were surely senators and Jedi who cared for the plight of the Coruscanti, but Gatz had seen very little come of their concern and compassion for the impoverished.

"We're only going a few levels down ourselves. Keep Seszil handy just in case, but you won't need him. Even I'm not unlucky enough to get ambushed on the upper levels of Coruscant."

 

[Aris Noble]

"I don't go too deep."

Coruscant was his home away from home, and he was very aware of just how some people felt against the Jedi. He couldn't hide his relationship from his parents if people knew. It was a target. He didn't like it, but there was no denying that people would always see him differently. There was always a danger.

"Seszil is always close by. He's a good weight when I'm jogging."

Gatz Derrevar

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons:
Tag: Aris Noble

At least Aris didn't go spelunking on Coruscant. Gatz empathized with the plight of those who lived below, but he still didn't like the idea of a child hanging around them. Desperate people could do terrible things, and the lower levels were no place for a child. Not even for the children who actually lived beneath the shiny surface the planet.

Gatz wished he could do something about that.

"So, if you don't mind me asking," Gatz started as he climbed into a rental speeder, "how did you and Seszil, uh, meet?"

Was that the right word? Did a talking sword and a boy just 'meet?' Surely Aris hadn't forged Seszil himself, right? Or had he?

Gatz had so many questions. The Nobles—as much as he loved them—were weird as hell. His life had been somewhat normal until he met Valery.

 

[Aris Noble]

"I found him with mom in one of dad's old labs on Bastion. He'd been there for a while, but he bonded with me so we've been together since."

He glanced back to Seszil, smiling faintly. "He didn't have a name then. And he was a Sithsword, technically. Dad helped undo that and I named him after our people."

Gatz Derrevar

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons:
Tag: Aris Noble

"You make it sound like bonding with a kyber crystal."

Gatz supposed that, in more than a few aspects, it was. And with the small smile the kid gave Seszil, Gatz was glad that was the case.

He guided their borrowed speeder into the city carefully. Gatz was, admittedly, usually a lot more liberal when it came to applying the throttle, but even he was irresponsible enough to put Aris' life in danger just for a little speed. If he was driving like and old grandpa, then so be it. At least they'd make it to their destination in one piece.

"I'm not well educated on the Sith and their alchemy." Gatz admitted, "what is a Sithsword?"

 

[Aris Noble]

"Kind of."

There was something to that, but Aris wasn't sure of it himself. He didn't recognize his own bond with the Kyber in his lightsaber after all. He couldn't. Though he frowned somewhat at the next question as he sat back in his seat. "Metal manipulated by Alchemy can cut through almost everything a lightsaber can. It's far heavier, very strong in the dark side, and can do many other dark things if the maker decides to make it so. They're made through pain and misery."

Gatz Derrevar

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons:
Tag: Aris Noble

Man, why did the Sith suck so much? Bad enough to inflict suffering and hate upon the galaxy, but that wasn't enough for them. No, they had to go and force their teenage angst onto inanimate objects too, just to feel good about themselves. Who woke up in the morning and thought 'I'mma go make a a murder sword today, and I'mma make it a sentient being!'? There were serious layers to the morality surrounding even the idea of creating a lifeform just to make it evil and sociopathic, but did the Sith philosophize on that?

No. They just made murder swords, and murder Sithspawn, and murder Acolytes. Like a bunch of murdering jerks.

"...Do you ever wonder how many Sith just... wouldn't be Sith if they went to therapy?"

An asinine question, to be sure. But there had to be a few Sith out there that would change their ways, if only they had access to mental health resources, right? Maybe this wasn't exactly the kind of question to ask a thirteen year old boy, but Aris was more mature and more intelligent than most of his peers.

Hell, the kid was more mature than Gatz himself was, at times.

Gatz set their speeder down at a small diner, a few levels below Coruscant's cityscape. All this talk of Sith, Sithswords, and therapy was beginning to make his stomach growl. Or, maybe, his stomach would have been growling by now anyways.

 

[Aris Noble]

"Maybe a couple, but that'd mean they weren't constantly being threatened with death over any wrong move or poor choice of words. Are we close to the restaurant?"

Aris stared out the window, idly looking over the buildings. Memorizing them, really, just so he knew a path back just in case. It was always a good thing to know the path around, wasn't it?

"This isn't where my morning runs are, so I don't really recognize the area."

Gatz Derrevar

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons:
Tag: Aris Noble

"Yeah, I guess the Sith Order probably isn't concerned with mental health."

Even the Jedi had help in place for things like that. Idly, Gatz wondered if maybe there might be value in making use of those services. He had no idea how he'd go about it though, so he dismissed the thought for now. Besides, who wanted to think about serious topics when they were eating a deliciously unhealthy burger?

Gatz clambered out of the parked speeder, and when Aris made mention that he was unfamiliar with the area, Gatz gestured at a small metal building ahead of them.

"That's the place. We're a few levels below, but not so far as to be in a rough part of town. Law Enforcement patrols regularly around here, and if you're ever in a bind, there's a turbolift about a quarter of a mile to the North. It'll take you right back up to the top levels."

 

[Aris Noble]

"That's handy."

There was always a possibility that Aris might come back here. If it turned out to be good, anyway. Aris stepped out of the speeder, fixing how Seszil rested on his back in the process. The sword was likely asleep now. It was often the case, especially as of late. "I've got an allowance from the temple, so I'll pay."

Gatz Derrevar

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons:
Tag: Aris Noble

"I appreciate the offer Junior, but I invited you. I'll pay. Also, I can already see the look your mom would give me if I let you pay, and I would much rather spend a few extra credits than wither under her glare."

As much as he felt comfortable around Valery, she also terrified him an equal amount. Which Gatz considered to be healthy. It was how she kept him in line when he did dumb things like starving himself, or trying to give himself up to the gang leader who wanted to murder him. Really, without that little bit of fear, he'd be dead at least twice over. Probably more.

That wasn't the most comforting thing to think about, though.

Gatz stepped into the diner, Aris in tow. He gave a little wave to one of the waitresses that he knew—he came here on a weekly basis, and was basically a regular now. The diner held only a few at this time of day, and they were seated quickly. Gatz glanced over the menus they were given, but he already knew what he wanted.

"So... I hear you're going to be the next Battlemaster?"

Ah, to be young and full of hopes and dreams. But Gatz strongly suspected that Aris' dream was well within his grasp.