Can you Cripple a Spirit? (Nima)

[Taiden Keth]

A fresh arrival and face. Taiden had arrived with [member="Kei Amadis"] and [member="Coci Sinopi"] from Mon Calamari, some healing had taken place for the Echani, but he was still unable to heal what really mattered, his sense of honor and family obligation. A sense of honor that meant everything to him. These things were denied to him, for his past betrayals and failures weighed heavy upon his soul.

White hair cut shorter today, dressed in pure white Echani perfection, white medical braces on his leg, hand and arm, his physical body was still healing in part. Though you wouldn’t notice he was in pain, for how he stood was like one who was always ready, poised on a knife edge to act but motionless, that was the way of his race. A race who read everything from motion or movement, took little from language and everything from body language. To move slightly spoke volumes to another Echani, and so at rest he was silent, stood ready in the temple grounds observing the details around him.

The silver Keth family blade was across his back, balanced and tempered perfectly. A sense of wealth was imbedded in the weapon, inscribed with the Keth family golden dragon, a phoenix of rebirth, or so it was supposed to represent. To Taiden this weapon represented something far more intimate, his legacy and history, his fighting spirit and arm, what defined him as a warrior and Echani

[member="Nima Tann"]

 

[Nima Tann]

After her Master's death, nightmares followed. She always saw her face, her last breath and how she was not able to save her. And then waking up sweating and crying. Today was like that, but with something more, this time she called her name, wanted her help, and she couldn't move... Washing her face with cold water, she almost believed that it was just a dream. But it felt... more. Wearing her everyday clothes she escaped from her home, didn't want to stay in there any longer. Slowly moving towards the Temple Garden, she saw someone, interesting, because she didn't see his face around before. A new Padawan perhaps? And looking at the bandages, he didn't come here harmless, she could say. But the boy was standing ready and it was impressive.

Moving towards him, she came eye to eye with the silver haired boy and smiled. "Welcome to the Silver Jedi, young one." He was young, and eager to fight, but he was hiding the pain he felt. She could see it in his eyes, and his Force signature was not strong enough, not strong enough as he seemed. "But it wasn't a pleasant journey, I suppose." She added, it was obvious, but looking at him, she understood that he was an Echani, great fighters, always trying to look strong and pain was just a training for them. "Can I help you with anything? You look lost."

[member="Taiden Keth"]

 

[Taiden Keth]

Taiden Keth gave a careful, respectful bow to Nima. Given his injuries it slowed the Echani's rise, but rise he did to stand straight again. “Master Jedi.” Not knowing any difference or the tilting of ranks here. Observant silver attentions watched her form, the way she approached, if she was confident or reserved, how she stood when she spoke and expressed the words, all far more important than the words themselves. He might see her pain, her heavy anguish and her mask for it all unless she went to trouble to cover this in how she moved, but he would not speak of such things, because they were not his to speak of.

Wasn’t a pleasant journey? The smallest of genuine smiles formed on his face, that small expression a shout for his race, following a slightly relaxing of the way he stood. “Not entirely.” The smile deepened a fraction, then withdrew. His injuries had come before Mon Calamari, but they were taking time to fully heal.

Can she help? “Yes Master Jedi, I seek the Jedi’s wisdom, and further instruction in their arts.” Arts, an art form to him, and his people.

Taiden's stance changed to become even more firm, resolute, his body language mirroring the openness to learn, even if his injuries would make that difficult, there was the sense that he’d train through anything. Echani didn’t show pain the same way, if you could see his body language, you’d know it instantly, but not in how spoke the words, or his voice.

[member="Nima Tann"]

 

[Nima Tann]

"Please, no need for such formalities. Just call me Nima." She gave a sincere smile, and added. "And I am still not a Master anyway." She examined the wounded Padawan. He had some painful wounds, of course. She could see it while he was trying not to show it, but she was impressed with the stance and the spirit he was showing. And coming from a fighter species she knew that he could be able to defend himself. That, the Padawan was lucky. Such talent would be wasted if the Sith found him first. Probably he would go victim to the politics and power hunger, but now, he would be able to unleash the power inside of him and maybe play a good rule in the fight for peace.

"Every journey is difficult. And that makes us experienced to do the right thing next time. So, I can say that you are pretty lucky." She laughed softly, the fact that she moved all this path before, well not literally, made this little conversation much more interesting. "Don't forget. Those wounds, they are nothing to be ashamed of. Those wounds show the people that you learned a good lesson. You survived. Don't conceal them. Not from me, not from anyone." She told him to stop pretending the wounds were a bad thing. Those were all experiences, and they all got wounds. Nothing to be ashamed of.

"What is your name, young one? What do you want to achieve? What do you want to learn?" She asked the questions, she asked those a lot to herself while in training with her Master, and those questions made her who she was today. And to be wise, one must answer those question with all his heart, and without second thoughts. Knowing who you were was definitely a good step for becoming something better. She waited his answer, her expectations were high from this one.

[member="Taiden Keth"]

 

[Taiden Keth]

“Elder Nima, my apologies”, he bowed again, and raised again slowly. Elder was the Echani termed respect for a teacher, and Taiden was too young and naïve to outside custom, to realise she meant drop the title completely.

“You are wise to say such Elder Jedi.” As she spoke, a slight change of stance happened, his upper body relaxing. It was only very subtle, but it was there. Like someone was taking a teenager aside and telling them that things weren’t as bad as they thought they were, but then of course, reasons, always reasons come back up. His throat tensed and if he wasn’t an Echani he would have cleared it, instead he shifted his weight to another foot.

He found it hard to show her weakness in his stance, but he did, a little, it was harder for him to stand than he was letting on, because his shattered foot had received the worst of the wounds in the battle. Still the body language and changes in his stance were slight, you had to really pay attention to see them. “Taiden, brother of Keth, Echanal of Wodenstam and Mon calamari” he bowed again, tensing through the discomfort, but this time not hiding it as much, as she had requested and not bowing as far. Progress, some at least.

“I seek to understand your art. We read people through motion, their intent and character. I only know the Jedi from our archives on Wodenstam, I was to see motion and change what happens next.” His voice was a calm level tone, but at the end of that statement he focused again, shifting his posture to be more ready, as if there was no injury too great on his body to warrant even a moment’s notice.

Change what happens next, to him, to her, and to the rest of the galaxy. Keen idealistic, full of drive for a cause, like one [member="Raien Keth"] a very very long time ago.

[member="Nima Tann"]

 

[Nima Tann]

"Elder? Ohh that doesn't sound better than Master Jedi, does it now? Uhh I mean, do I look that old?" She laughed softly. Yeah, the years were going, she was not that young anymore. But elder? No, definitely not. It was a sign of respect in Echani, she learned that much in Academy but it sounded much worse than Master. By the Force, what was she thinking right now? "Anyway, Master it is." She stopped the thoughts that was running through her head. "Nice to meet you Taiden." Well they needed to talk about how to talk with a woman, that was the first.

"I admit though, you have the spirit and you are brave, I can see. But to be a Jedi, there must be a harmony between your spirit and courage. Your spirit is unshaped right now, fragile. And it's not because of your wounds, it's your concealment. You want to show no weaknesses, but if you conceal them, you can't turn them into strength. Now, you wanted to seek our arts, right? Let me demonstrate. Give me your hand." She reached towards him, and waited his hand. She was going to introduce him to the Force, and this way he would understand what a Jedi could do and get an idea of their arts. Change, was what would happen next.

[member="Taiden Keth"]

 

[Taiden Keth]

“No, you look in your prime physical fitness.” The Echani didn’t take much from words, little to nothing in fact, so when she asked the question was responded to directly, deciphering the way she stood and carried herself. Learning to speak a woman, yes he could certainly use some tact! All customs he was naïve too outside of Thyrsus and Wodenstams, Echani’s own.

“Master. The honor is mine.” Taiden responded with genuine respect, and you guessed it another more enthusiastic half bow, certainly youthful expectancy for what the Jedi might be and how they might change his life.

Harmony between spirit and courage, he listened to every word, you might not know it from his posture but it was deep concentration on the details, such was his respect for what the order might be for his family. Taiden understood what she meant about concealment, but not so much the details about why, it would only be when he moved, or when she moved, like when he passed over his hand for example that he would really begin to understand the gravity of what she meant. The movement of force energies for example might hold all his answers...

He passed over his least wounded arm, one that hand all but healed and held little pain, present though it was, and still not shown on his face, though he would try to lower that guard as she instructed, uncertain as to why. It came off awkwardly in his posture, like when someone who didn't smile much tried to smile.

[member="Nima Tann"]​

 

[Nima Tann]

She gave a little smile to his compliment, even though it sounded a bit robotic and not like a compliment but, he was an Echani, she could understand that being a warrior, they didn't have much training for the more social things. "Improvement is important, you'll get better." She laughed softly and then as he extended his hand, she held it in her hands, closing her eyes and focusing in his Force Aura. "The Force, Taiden. It is very important. It flows through us, through everything we know. With Force, you can either heal one, or... make them suffer. We, Jedi, are using the Light Side of the Force. But... to be something better you need to understand the Dark Side as well." She started to flow her Force power towards him, healing every broken piece that she found. "Can you feel it? The Force, is something like that. Being a Jedi is not only knowing martial arts, you need to understand the Force, and through the Force understand yourself."

Now, the reverse effect of the Force, she focused on her darkness to slowly open the wounds again, not to be fatal she just opened one of them, but she was sure that he felt the pain. "You see, Taiden. The Force has many uses for one." She then dropped his hand and moved a little back. "I tell you what, young Padawan. I am newly Knighted and you are a great material. Do you want me to teach you about the Force, make you a Jedi and answer the questions you have in mind?"

[member="Taiden Keth"]

 

[Taiden Keth]

The Scrolls of Taiden Keth Entry #33
The Language of healing


Taiden listened and more importantly watched her so intently when she spoke, that if a pin had dropped it might have shattered the floor. His arm was slowly healed, the breaks in there would take time to fully mend, but she eased his pain, and his arm started to feel better.

Energy move to his fractured leg, that started to strengthen more easily, the current moving through him, he paid attention to it like only an Echani could, and the language of healing it spoke to him. Taiden was learning how to communicate in healing energy!

“So Master if we reverse how the energy speaks, we communicate pain and suffering, instead of healing and life?”

The more damaged arm, that would be more work, and it clearly hurt to move. As the Sith who had broken it had been ruthless in his application of both the force and his own weight to snap it clean away. Nima mended that in no small part, just leaving his foot which had been stamped on by a heavy metal boot, which didn’t fully heal but went a long way to easing his pain, then it was reversed and he felt his foot breaking again. Not flinching and understanding what she was teaching, the balance between both.

“I feel it Master, it speaks as it moves, it tells me how to heal, speaking of pain.” Little did he know that he would be able to speak to another’s pain or blocks, but the idea was there!

“Yes. Master Jedi, Master Nima,” Taiden was bowing once, twice and now a third time, short dips of respect to highlight each title and word, clearly showing his excitement in how animated the bows were, which was rare for his usual reserved nature. “Please teach me how to speak through the motion of the force.” Speak meaning to act, though she may take it literally, Taiden was more interested in this healing energy he felt!

[member="Nima Tann"]​

 

[Nima Tann]

"Yes, Taiden. That's exactly what I am saying. Force is either an antidote or a poison, it depends on who is using it. But don't forget, speaking to pain is not easy, and it will effect both you and who you are using it to." She added, when you take one step towards the path of darkness, there was no turning back. No matter if you want it or not, the darkness always had ways to find you. She liked his eagerness to learn, as a Padawan it couldn't hurt that much to let him speak to her pain, but what if... No, nothing would go wrong.

"Alright. I will teach you." Then she proceeded towards the little plant which looked sharp and took it, quickly cut her finger, creating a small wound. She felt little pain, since she endured a lot during her journey, but it would be enough for beginners. "Hold my hand, and close your eyes. Think about a good memory, and visualize it in your head. Then, just let your Force power travel through mine, and feel the pain I am feeling. With good memories in your head, you'll start to feel less pain, since you are healing mine. And to speak to the pain... You know the drill."

How could he make this little wound much more painful, this was a question. This would be a great beginning to start his ability, and through this test she would understand what he could achieve. This thought let a small chuckle escaped from her lips. Her master would be proud right now.

[member="Taiden Keth"]

 

[Taiden Keth]

Taiden considered what his master said carefully, he was a gentle man oddly enough for a species who communicated through combat and motion, he acted with the same. “Yes Master. My family’s elders would say the same. Life ebbs and flows between us, in our journeys pains shared, realised, healed and let go of. This is why we duel.” Now he would realise a different more direct way. A respectful quarter-bow given, his body became more balanced when speaking of his training, and he walked with that balance in his step.

“My gratitude Master.” She agreed to teach him! If it was possible, for an Echani to visibly show gratitude, the eyes closed and bow that followed represented it, long, deep and balanced in how he rose.

Gentle raise of the hands, the young Echani visualised white light moving from his hands through Nima Tann’s body, speaking through the motion of the current, he poured it in from above and below, the force. Not a Master in the strength of it, but the technique was second nature, the current. The motion spoke to the pain to release, to ease, any it found it quietly nudged, injuries, emotional scars, or challenges Nima was stuck with.

[member="Nima Tann"]​

 

[Nima Tann]

"I would be a good Echani then, huh?" Smiling to the Padawan, she let him hold her hand and start his training. He was excited, his hand was shaking but he was brave enough to try. Because trying was the most important phase of doing something. "Okay, Taiden. Remember, concentrate on my pain, and try to think good things." She instructed him once more, and starting to feel his Force aura, and it was fragile, but had something special in it. She started to feel less pain from the cut, but it was still there. But she didn't expect him to completely close the wound, he was still the beginner. But... there was something wrong.

The bits from her past started to appear in her mind, the unpleasant ones. And she couldn't stop them, conceal them from her Padawan. They just... continued to show themselves, everything she tried to forget was now visible to him. She gasped, trying to stop the thoughts but it was too late.

"The Hammer isn't here!"

"I love you, Nima. I care for you."

"You are nothing, you are weak."

"You deserve to die. You are disgusting."

The kiss. The kiss she believed, the lie.

Mom... Dad... No one loves me. Do I... deserve to die?

Not wanting to show further, she pushed the Padawan, a single tear visible in her eyes, thus dropping his hand. The push was strong and made the Padawan fall down, as she came to her senses she looked at him with worried eyes. "Oh my... I am sorry Taiden." She wanted to explain herself, this kind of movement wasn't right, but she didn't expect him to reach to her emotions. "I am so sorry." She extended her hand to help him stand up again.

Spoiler

Not a great move trying to help her past, I tell you

[member="Taiden Keth"]

 

[Taiden Keth]

Spoiler

Edited to fit with the storyline!

A good Echani? The joke was somewhat lost on Taiden, but he understood her meaning, offering a subtle smile, and took her meaning to a more serious place, like Keth often did. “I would have to duel you Master, to learn of you through your motion.” Perhaps something for another day, and perhaps something his Master might take to a more Jedi-like place, rather than having to fight all the time to really get to know someone!

Then again, perhaps this healing lesson was just that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qWMgSODSEY

The Language of healing, speaking to her pain.
Offering what was needed, when it was needed, reflective healing.

Current, energy, moving around that which hurt, offering the opposite.

His Master would find images of another comforting the pains inside, being with there at the most difficult time, giving the memory what it needed, standing between those hurting her like an immovable white shield of blinding light, the voices might silence, they might not. Taiden went with whatever his Master needed most, either to hug her, or tell her that she was valued, going with what she required naturally. Reflective healing from what she had experienced, not his will, hers.

Most especially an inner voice from Taiden told her that she deserved to live, that those around his Master needed her and valued her.

Only this might not be apparent straight away, and it might take many tries to reach the pains' voice, especially for a novice, to work with her naturally to find peace. Pushed, his healing snapped free, and Taiden fell gracefully, landing much like a cat would, rounding his white boots into the air to spring up a step. There was no hurt or pain on his face to respond to her, just the same reflective silver eyes regarding her as her student would always do.

“My apologies Master, I might have gone too fast.”


[member="Nima Tann"]

 

[Nima Tann]

"No... No Taiden. You did your best. I just... I am not ready to revisit these memories this soon enough." She smiled, this one was a sad smile though, to hide the pain behind it all. He would understand, she knew. "Now that you know how to touch to wounds, maybe we can do this training later. When we both have the strength to forget, or change things." Patting his shoulders, she sighed, she thought that she was over it, but, she wasn't. She definitely wasn't. And she hurt another one for her thoughts again, just like before. "After this, if you don't want to work with me, I would understand."

"Really." She didn't want him to feel like he did this to her, and he would go if he wanted. But her eyes, yes, they couldn't lie. She didn't want him to go, she wanted to fix this, what happened just now. And maybe after this conversation, she would go see him again, because running away from him wasn't working for her, she understood. To talk with him again, and sort this all out. These memories were already in her head for too long, and it was the time to leave them. For good. She didn't want to feel responsible anymore. Just... some peace.

[member="Taiden Keth"]

 

[Taiden Keth]

Taiden was calm, gentle and reserved most of the time. You might also feel that you saw a careful consideration for her feelings in his eyes, and some guilt that he’d brought that to the surface, but guilt he accepted as his responsibility, and duty to heal.

“Master I have fallen before, I still stand.” The young warrior smiled slightly, an Echani-ish joke if she got it, and tensed his stance to show he was still steady on his feet, Moving a hand to fold back his long hair under his tunic’s hood gracefully, “doesn’t everyone?” He hoped so, otherwise his sore back right now was for nothing. Slight measures of humor behind his silvery orbs, you had to really understand an Echani’s sense of humor about motion and movement, but it was there, and she might see it from time to time as they grew to know each other more deeply.

Her training was hers to give or not, he didn't shy from his own commitments lightly, any Keth made them with deepest intent, honorbound as they were.

“What would help you the most?” He asked her like a healer might, watching for careful tells or signs in her body language of what she was really feeling. “A walk in the gardens?” He had heard tell there was a new groundskeeper attending to duties here.

[member="Nima Tann"]​

 

[Nima Tann]

"I guess so. We all have ups and downs in our lives. The difference is some of us land too hard on the ground to stand again." She tried to explain herself in motion language, to make him understand her situation. Life was, indeed, giving lessons to everyone when they least expect.

"A walk in the garden would be nice and refreshing, thank you." To clear to weather around them she gave a small nod, didn't want to make him worried so much. Then she started to move, calling him with her hand to follow.

Walking was really good for her, always made her relax and get away from bad thoughts, and now she had the Padawan walking beside her, this made her much more relax, thinking that someone is here for her. Smiling, she started to talk. "It was a great achievement for someone your age to enter someone else's memories, most of the Jedi Masters give their years to achieve it." Then added, "Do some practice on yourself, try to enter into your deep memories and then tell the results to me. With some practice you are going to achieve something good as a Healer, or even a Shadow."

"And get a good rest tonight, let's try something different tomorrow. As an Echani I want to see how well you fight." Echani meet people in fight, and respect is gained by how well you fight. If she was going to be his Master, she was going to do it in Echani tradition.

[member="Taiden Keth"]

 

[Taiden Keth]

Sure Taiden had gone into her memories but he’d made a right mess of it too like any padawan might. Going in like a heavy weight rather than a gentle touch. He felt somewhat guilty again for going too fast, his usual careful demeanor disregarded had meant she experienced pain, but that guilt didn’t deter him from his duty as a healer and her apprentice, he would better himself and move forward.

“I understand Master,” Taiden observed, “we should train how to fall?” He asked, looking out at the garden on their journey, stopping to prop up a fallen planet that had been stepped on by another, trying to support its leaves. He was a gentle man, very much so.

A good achievement, “I feel I was too heavy handed Master, that I did damage, I am sorry.” He apologized gently, and now there was visible expression on his body language. Taiden Keth had trouble taking praise it seemed, that was a holdup in the padawan, always pushing for perfection in things. “I will practice Master, I will not make the mistake again, I vow it.”

She wanted to duel him, this would be a great ceremony, she was really understanding him now, motion language, walking and talking, offering to duel him, all signs that Nima was an observant Master, putting things in a way he could accept and understand. The young Keth Echani stood tall and happy at the thought, his step becoming extra confident, like she’d given him a boost. “I will prepare thoroughly Master, you honor me again,” Taiden bowed once, and twice, each small half bows of his head.

[member="Nima Tann"]​

 

[Nima Tann]

"Yes Taiden, we should definitely do that. But at a later time, when we feel both ready." She was proud of his wise words, wiser words than a Padawan at that. She was happy that she took him as a Padawan, because both of them had a lot of things to learn about themselves. "Study about the healing of the Force, giving pain to someone will come later, maybe after you become a Knight. Or our next training. It's your choice. But you don't use it for personal matters, or it will consume you."

"And I'll wait for you at dawn, in the forests where the trainings are being held. Don't be late, else you will miss minutes of fun." She laughed softly, teasing him a little. An Echani was the type that never run from a fight, and she knew that the fight will be good for him as training.

Last words said, she slowly started to move away from him to her house, she should get a good rest too, no matter what, he was an Echani, being a Padawan didn't change the fact.

[member="Taiden Keth"]

Spoiler

See you at dawn, my Padawan!

 

[Taiden Keth]

The Scrolls of Taiden Keth: Entry #15 (Revisited) Honor and Dueling

Every word Nima gave him almost formed its own code, adding to his own already deep Echani code and sense of honor at serving the Jedi, she was molding him in what she said, every day.

Leaving her with a long respectful bow, Taiden was soon preparing in his quarters for the duel ahead. He had lit a small flame to meditate on and spent much of the night doing so, revisiting all she had taught him in his meditations. The quarters were themselves spartan and perfectly white, so perfect dust it seemed was not allowed to settle there. With just a few small decorations of his travels, a stove for cooking, and a small table for preparing his herbs, the rest of the room was spotless, you might wonder where he even slept.

In fact all his quarters smelt of herbs, and a small pot was stewing nearby. The scent of the brew carrying through the small quarters and outside his room. Taiden however was busy at work on his collection of scrolls, which seemed to be growing daily with his travels taking him far and wide, wide parchment being attended to with a studious appraisal.

Today was a huge day, and he’d spent it preparing his body, now his mind with the scrolls, and if possible to give his Master a gift, one he was working on, folding a small origami bird up into a golden paper design to perch by his scrolls.

Dawn approached and he awaited his Master's call.

[member="Nima Tann"]​

 

[Nima Tann]

She knew that he would be honored by her offer, since the Echani loved duelling and know people by dueling. Giving a small nod, and a wink afterwards, she left his side to return her home, to prepare herself for a formidable opponent by the dawn. One could say that she could get a rest before the battle, but in her opinion every training was a preperation for battle and they wouldn't have the chance to rest before it, so training it was.

The hours have passed as she continued training in the room of her stepfather who used it as a gym. Training dummies, an open area which didn't have much furniture. Just a good place to train, her father knew that much. She wondered where he was, because they said that he was missing in action, not dead. Hope in her little heart was still burning and she hoped that one day she would reunite with him, but it happened 10 years ago, no matter how she hoped, she wasn't that sure if he was still alive after that many years.

Dawn has already come, and duel time with her Padawan was slowly coming as the sun started going up to the sky. She left her home and started to walk towards the woods that she told him to come. After 5 minutes of walking she arrived, and she saw the other Masters waiting for their Padawans as well, it was the fate of a Master to wait their Padawan, just as she was late before to her Master's trainings, Taiden was late. It was karma at its best.

"Taiden, it's time." She sent a telephatic message to his brain, and started to wait her Padawan to arrive.

[member="Taiden Keth"]