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[Ariana Du Couteau]

Ariana Du Couteau, Jedi Padawan
Location: The Saber, Cornet City, Corellia
Action: Finishing Saber Training
Outfit (No Right Arm)

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Ariana breathed in deeply, her eyes closed while her left arm extended outwards, her training saber ignited and held tightly by her hand. Her grip grew even tighter and when she changed her stance she could feel her muscles in her arm begin to cramp. The situation only grew worse as a blaster bolt slammed into her side, with a welp Ariana dropped her saber and collapsed on the ground with a loud groan. ​

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“I. . . should really. . . lower the setting on that again. . .” Ariana spoke to herself as she struggled to stand back up. ​

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Her hand gingerly rubbed her side, feeling several tender spots of poorly timed deflections and blocks. It was a poor showing for the young Du Couteau, her cerulean eyes slowly teared up as she accidently touched a very tender spot on her back. Okay, maybe a very poor training session. Ariana admitted to herself, her legs finally finding the strength to stand, her hand clipped the training saber back to her belt. She doubted that she could train anymore without it becoming detrimental to herself, so she figured it would be best to quit while she was ahead. ​

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Even if I’m only ahead by millimeters. Ariana grinned sadly, her body finally feeling comfortable enough to walk out of her training room. Regardless of her own failures, the Jedi Temple on Corellia certainly was something to behold. The Saber, quite the name and with the massive statues found in the Hall of Sabers to the Terrace that afforded such wide open spaces for Green Jedi and Alliance Jedi alike.​

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Finding herself walking towards the Hall of Sabers, Ariana wondered how many great Heroes she could name by appearances alone. While not exactly something she would be tested on, it was a fun exercise and one that Ariana had found interesting enough to even study a tad. Perhaps not the biggest accomplishment by comparisons but it did comfort some teachers back on Coruscant to know that Ariana studied anything. She wasn't a perfect pupil, but she at least tried at times, which Ariana hoped it counted for something.​

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[Denn Verdan]

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Denn opened the paper sack containing his lunch, and started carefully removing items from the bundle.

He'd spent the morning training with his saber, and was now taking a break to have lunch. The Hall of Sabers on Corellia was festooned with statues of great masters of the art. And it was similarly supplied with benches for attendees to sit and ruminate on the teachings of the Order. Each of the great masters had many stories, many lessons to impart about when to fight, how to fight, and when not to.

The statues could provide mental inspiration for reflecting on those stories and lessons.

As he was preparing to unwrap his Bantha-meat sandwich, he saw a young person come in and start observing the statues. It took him a moment to observe that she only had one arm.

That was a surprise. The technology existed to replace lost limbs. Either she lacked the resources, had been born without the limb, or she simply preferred not to undergo the replacement procedure. He wondered which it was, but knew it would be impolite to inquire.

"That one's Xelpha," he said of the statue she was admiring, "she faced off against two Sith simultaneously, and bested them both. But she didn't do it for glory, or to win a battle. She was defending the Cerulean Temple on Pentos V from desecration."


Ariana Du Couteau

 

[Ariana Du Couteau]

Ariana Du Couteau, Jedi Padawan
Location: The Saber, Cornet City, Corellia
Action: Speaking with Someone new
Outfit (No Right Arm)

Ariana peered closer, her eyes widening as another voice explained a bit more of the history of one of the statues. Xelpha, she mouthed the name silently as she looked up and down the statue, a great defender and guardian. She could imagine the fierce battle that it was to face down two Sith, their intent for destruction possibly unmatched since the Maw.

With a quick shake of her head, Ariana remembered her manners and turned to the new voice, a male Jedi stood near her. I must be really tired if I missed someone without greeting them.

“Hello, my name is Ariana Du Couteau.” She bowed as she struck out her left hand towards him. “Apologies for my rudeness Master Jedi,” Ariana added a bit sheepishly, her eyes caught something in the others hand and hoped she wasn’t interrupting anything.

“-But thank you for telling me a bit more of Xelpha, she sounds like an amazing person and Jedi” Ariana had seen the holovids and listened to accounts of other Jedi, from the great Jedi like Master Arca, Master Noble or even Master Kaze. But I often wonder about those who we’ve made statues and named Monuments after.
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|| Denn Verdan ||​

 

[Denn Verdan]

Denn bowed.

"Pleased to meet you, Miss Du Couteau. No Master, I. Only a Knight with no learner.

And you were not rude in the least. I was practicing the art of the saber this morning, and snuck up here to have my lunch.

There's two halves of my sandwich, by the way, if you're hungry."

He held it up, in case she was interested. "Bantha meat. Smells much better after being cooked and seasoned than it does before, I assure you."

He winked, then turned his attention to the statue again.

"She is one of my favorites. I enjoy the tales and lessons of the Jedi who fight for reasons other than eradicating the Dark Side.

I think that especially now, in this time of war, we are always in danger of becoming dogmatic or driven by passion, something that eats at the core of what a Jedi should be.

Jedi like Mace Windu, Karyl Fel, and even some of the great warriors who participated in the Sith Holocaust have statues here. They often garner much of the attention among saber practitioners. They were exemplary artists, masters of their craft.

I can't judge them. I did not live in their times. I did not face their challenges.

But I can judge what I feel is best for myself.

Some of our greatest Jedi duelists were members of the order who actively hunted out evils to attack.

Some of them were generals or soldiers in times of war.

Master Windu himself is said to have lost his life while performing an execution of Sheev Palpatine. It is hard to be sure. The records of that time are limited, and there were few eye-witnesses. Fewer still who were reliable.

But think of it, if it is true: Not an arrest, but an execution. He must have felt it was necessary due to the extremities of the times. But I do not think it is an accident that he became vulnerable and faced defeat when he deviated from the core Jedi philosophy.

I prefer to avoid attack. I feel that the impetus to attack, to harm, is misguided. Our goal must always be to defend. The Jedi are at their best when they stand to protect people, not to attack foes.

It is a subtle distinction, at times. You can harm, and even kill, while defending.

But I think it is important to always understand why we act, why each and every stroke is made. The moment we choose to attack, we become our lesser selves.

Or... at least I'm sure I do."

The challenge of his life had been to master the saber without attacking anyone. It was more a state of mind than an act of the body. He had, in fact, killed. Regrettably. But it had never been in his mind to accomplish a killing. It had never been his intent.

Did it make a difference, when the result was the same?

He hoped so.

He dearly hoped so.

---

Ariana Du Couteau

 

[Ariana Du Couteau]

Ariana Du Couteau, Jedi Padawan
Location: The Saber, Cornet City, Corellia
Action: Speaking with Someone new
Outfit (No Right Arm)

Ariana peered at the sandwich for a second before accepting one of the halves with a nod in thanks. She listened intently, her hand attempting to find the best place to hold the sandwich half for the better bite all the while.

The history of the Jedi and their Order was a rather tumultuous one no doubt, and as it was further explained by other notable historical Jedi, things weren’t exactly perfect. Ariana was not naive to the galaxy around her, much of her outlook was shaped dramatically after the Maw invasions. In a time of war and destruction, it’s difficult to see things better, let alone differently.

“Maybe they hoped the difficult decisions they made would spare those in the future from making similar difficult decisions.” Ariana commented as she took a few bites. Her father made similar points in his journal a few times, despite the dangers of falling victim to further wrongs. Always the constant debate of what if and imagining an impossibly perfect galaxy.

“But if we can’t change the galaxy, the most we can do is change how we respond to the galaxy I guess. . . A tough thing to stomach given how powerful the Force can be. . .My father told me once the stronger you get the heavier the boulder we push becomes.” Ariana casted her eyes downwards, peace was something that seemed far too easily disrupted. From the Maw to the Mandalorians, the galaxy can set itself on fire far too easily. . . .strength alone can’t stop the chaos.

Ariana smiled weakly, “-If only these statues could talk and tell us what we need to hear.” With a quick shake of her head she looked back towards the Jedi Knight. “Ah! You can call me Padawan Ariana, or just Ariana, and if I may have the honor of knowing your name?”
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|| Denn Verdan ||​

 

[Denn Verdan]

"It seems to me your father must be a very wise man," Denn observed.

He pretended not to see her difficulties with manipulating the sandwich. He imagined that a certain degree of struggle and difficulty was inherent in a life with one arm. But so too must there be a desire for self-sufficiency and respect.

For the second time, he wondered about the injury or deformity at the root of it, but he pushed the thought out of his mind as an unworthy query between two people who'd just met.

"The boon of the past is that it whispers lessons to us.

The curse of the present is that we can only learn the lessons we are ready to hear."

He shrugged, "The fullness of time may show that my more passive stance towards conflict has been a greater evil in the course of Galactic events than the bold strokes others have taken.

I suppose that no matter what path we choose, we all keep making mistakes until we die. Hopefully, we also learn from them."

Then he blinked, "My apologies, Padawan. I am Denn. Denn Verdan. It is good to know you, Ariana. "

He took a bite of his own sandwich half, and chewed thoughtfully before asking, "Which of the Saber Forms do you favor?"




Ariana Du Couteau

 

[Ariana Du Couteau]

Ariana Du Couteau, Jedi Padawan
Location: The Saber, Cornet City, Corellia
Action: Speaking with Someone new
Outfit (No Right Arm)

Ariana chuckled, as she took another bite, “-He would have told you he was no more than a philosopher’s parrot.” He never took credit for other people’s words, even if I was sure he was quoting himself most of the time.

She continued to listen and wondered how anybody could possibly judge anyone if the entirety of time was the backdrop. Surely there’s a future with no war. But Ariana let the thought drift and began to think back to another Padawan that was a staunch pacifist, as Knight Verdan commented if his own passive nature would be scrutinized by the historians of the future. Acts based on principle would hardly be something to scoff at.

When the question of her favored lightsaber came, Ariana paused for a moment to think about her answer. “Hm, normally I favor fists and make use of the Buukani Hand Technique.” Ariana responded, she threw a quick left jab to make the point, but she gripped the sandwich tightly as she remembered she still had a few bites left. “-But today I was focusing on the Third Form. . . a tough shift certainly, but I figured I need a perspective change.” Ariana explained a bit more.

“I guess I finally began to listen and decided to correct my mistakes of never attempting to master a Lightsaber form.” Ariana added, her cheeks grew slightly red but maintained a smile before taking the last few bites. I would almost stab myself when I was younger and more confident in failing.
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|| Denn Verdan ||​

 

[Denn Verdan]

Denn Smiled, munching another bite as she spoke.

Then he nodded. "Strikes and grapples are often neglected by padawans once they advance into training with the saber. It is good that you have not abandoned them. I have often been in a bind with an opponent and forgotten that a strike, or grab and throw, would have best solved the matter."

She seemed young externally, and yet quite wise in her methods.

"Soresu is my favored form, though I work hard not to deflect blasters back to their source." He chuckled, "My Master used to admonish me for getting only half the juice with my squeeze. He had a special affinity for fruit metaphors."

He began to fold the paper wrapper of his eaten sandwich into a neat square.

"I don't know how long I'll be on world, but my personal holocom frequency is five-seven-nine-two-point-zero-five. In case you ever find yourself in need of a hand. My ship is fast, and the Force tends to put me where I'm needed."

He bowed politely.

"I foresee that you will accomplish important things, young padawan. May the Force be with You."

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Ariana Du Couteau

 

[Ariana Du Couteau]

Ariana Du Couteau, Jedi Padawan
Location: The Saber, Cornet City, Corellia
Action: Speaking with Someone new
Outfit (No Right Arm)

Ariana nodded as she listened, her knowledge of other forms were woefully low. Though the name ‘Soresu’ rang a few bells in her head, a small memory of a disapproving Master attempting to teach Ariana the names and styles of other Lightsaber forms. She did chuckle awkwardly when Denn brought up how he avoided deflecting blaster bolts, much to his own Master’s annoyance. Ariana knew how to annoy her Masters back on Coruscant, though she guessed the Knight in front of her would be too if he could read her reports from Coruscant.

I got more bruises than I can count for not deflecting enough blaster bolts. Which perhaps was why Ariana figured she could include more difficulties in her training regime. She knew couldn’t simply punch or kick her way out of every issue that cropped up on her path. Well, I could but I doubt I’ll be overly successful and only get a bloody injured hand in the process.

“Ah, of course th-thank you!” Ariana said as she fumbled around grabbing her CommLink to type in the frequency number. “Funny enough, I’m actually exploring the Jedi Temples around Alliance Space.” Ariana added as she confirmed the frequency code on her commlink.

She straightened herself upright and returned the bow to Denn, “Thank you and may the Force be with you, Knight Verdan.” Ariana smiled happily, it was quite special to visit other Jedi Temples and learn a thing or two, she definitely intended to thank Master Kai’el for the suggestion.
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|| Denn Verdan ||​