Private First Steps

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

Valery stood at the entrance of the Temple, her eyes focused on the landing pad up ahead. A new arrival was scheduled to land any moment now, and Valery had arranged that she'd be introducing the new Padawan herself. It was a much-needed break after the Battle on Coruscant. A Battle that hadn't only scarred the ecumenopolis itself, but her soul as well. Something unexpected had happened that she was still trying to figure out, but it wasn't a question she'd have answers for today. Not even tomorrow, and likely not in the near-future either.

Right now, she just needed a distraction.

Her gaze slid up to the sky as a ship came down to briefly interrupt the path of the sun. She could feel the people on board — a pilot but also a young Jedi, whose presence felt so gentle in the Force. Training or guiding Padawans was her favorite thing to do as a Jedi, so the day already seemed promising. She could show the new arrival around on a Temple so close to her heart, and perhaps she'd even have a chance to help out with her training.

Valery waited patiently for her to arrive.

Teynara Jeralyr ​

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

Valery Noble​

Touchdown, thank goodness.

Space travel had never been the most pleasant of adventures: between the hours of tedium staring into the black (though this was far better than staring at the swirling blue-white vortex of hyperspace travel, which was always likely to provoke nausea!), followed by the bumpy ride through the upper atmosphere, jolted every which way and what-not as the craft sought to land...it was the sort of thing that made you wish you'd never stepped foot off dry land in the first place, and certainly something that left you with the desire never to do so again.

Absurd, really. Having felt the sudden jostle of landing struts striking solid duracrete, and the hum of the repulsorlifts slowly fading, there was opportunity now to take a deep breath and reflect on how foolish it really was to be afraid of space flight. May as well be scared of taking your next step, at that rate, the young woman scolded herself, though knowing full well it would be a pattern repeated next time around. Shaking her head, golden locks of hair bouncing around her shoulders with the motion, she unbuckled her flight restraints and came shakily to her feet, stretching and trying to find the balance that felt momentarily elusive.

It had only been a few days since she had found herself given new clothes, a new direction in life, and a one-way ticket to the middle of wherever-the-hell she was now, and, in some respects, everything felt a little unbalanced. And they say starting on your path to being a Jedi is supposed to be the easy bit, she scoffed inwardly. So far, she was still adjusting to the idea of being "Force Sensitive", nevermind that it was going to be a guiding force in her life from this point forward.

The pilot curtly informed her that now was the appropriate time to disembark - no doubt he had other things to attend to than waiting for her to find her feet, such as they were - so she quietly thanked him, grabbed a small duffel bag containing her belongings and slung it over one shoulder, and headed aft to the boarding ramp that was descending with a loud hydraulic hiss and a considerable amount of steam. Probably going to make my hair all frizzy, too, she thought sourly, wishing that she could at least have waited for that to pass before she stepped off.

The dim coolness of the shuttle was almost immediately eclipsed by bright sunlight, and a warmth that could only be thought of as 'humid' if you were being polite. It took the young woman a moment to adjust, blinking rapidly to let her eyes become accustomed to the sudden change in luminosity, coming to rest upon the grey stones of the building before her, a large structure built into a rockface by the looks of it, elegant in its concealment and construction, but alien to her nonetheless. Nothing that you'd find back home, a thought which felt both disturbing and yet thrilling at the same time.

There wasn't time to let it all sink in, though - judging by the sight of a tall woman not far beyond the landing zone, someone had come to greet her. Or to visit the pilot, so you're about to make a total fool of yourself, Teynara observed to herself once again. She didn't look it, though: the other woman was dressed in what looked like comfortable but functional clothes: knee-high boots, close-fitting pants, a high-collared sleeveless vest, one that made her look both business-like but also ready to dive into battle at any second. And she carries herself the way so many of those others did, she reflected, thinking of the Jedi she had met before. Welcoming party indeed.

Stepping forward, doing her best to conceal her nervousness behind a polite smile, the young woman approached within a few feet and then came to a stop, bringing her booted feet together and leaning forward from the waist in a bow that roughly copied the one she'd been shown at the little Jedi outpost where she'd been recruited. She knew she'd made a mess of it, particularly with a bag slung over one shoulder, but there was nothing for it. Can't get any worse, she mused.

"Good...afternoon, I think, Master," she said softly. In truth, she wasn't exactly sure what time it was: Coordinated Galactic Standard was not likely to match the local time, so she was guessing based on the height and position of the sun. As for the formal address...well, weren't all older Jedi supposed to be referred to that way? The woman before her didn't look like a student: she carried herself with far too much poise for that to be the case. "Thank you for coming to meet me."

And yes, Tey, you sound like an idiot. Something told her that she was going to have to get used to that feeling, at least for a while.

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

Valery remained quiet as the shuttle touched down and the student emerged from within. The blonde girl looked and felt a tad nervous, which was understandable, knowing it was her first day here. Valery still remembered when she first set foot here, all those years ago. Her Master had taken her from the Temple on Tython to study here, away from the majority of the Order and troubles of the Galaxy. At the time, she didn't quite understand why he made the decision, but in hindsight, she knew it had been the right one.

It was within the walls of this Temple and the jungles of New Cov that she grew into the Jedi she was now. And it made her all too eager to bring new generations of Jedi there to begin that same journey.

When the Padawan finally made her approach, Valery first straightened out her posture and dipped her upper body into a respectful bow, "Good afternoon," Valery began as she rose with a smile, "I'm Jedi Master Valery Noble. You must be Padawan Jeralyr. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

She held up her hand, gesturing for the large entrance of the Temple up ahead, and turned on her heels to already start walking in that direction. Away from the noise and smell of a Landing pad and shuttle maintenance.

"I hope your trip here went alright. I know it's a little far out from the core, but the fresh air on New Cov trumps all." She chuckled and glanced at the girl over her shoulder.

Teynara Jeralyr ​

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

Valery Noble​

A Jedi Master. That revelation scared her more than she cared to admit. Although Teynara held most Jedi in awe, these were the ones at the pinnacle of their Order: not only those in charge, but the ones known to have performed legendary deeds, saving lives, preserving peace and fighting toe-to-toe with the most malevolent forces the Galaxy had to offer. And I'm standing right in front of one. That was no small thing.

It was, if she was honest herself, a little confusing. Humbling, certainly, but she had to wonder: why would such a person be here to meet me? Her understanding was that Masters were always engaged in high-level work, highly unlikely to simply be available to meet with new arrivals to an enclave or Temple. You'd think that would be the sort of thing they'd delegate to someone with less important things on their plate. Clearly, she realised, her own expectations weren't matching up with the reality in front of her. Probably best to expect nothing, so I'm not further surprised.

"In truth, I've not spent much time in the Core, Master," she responded quietly, thinking it best to go for a conversational tone. Probably better to say too much than to just be tongue-tied. "Although my homeworld was nothing like this: more urban, so this is a million miles away from anything I'm used to." Feels true of everything that's happening right now, so maybe that was a good place to start. "It seems peaceful without all the traffic and technology."

She fell into step with the taller woman, feeling nervous, but recognising that the Jedi was probably trying to put her at ease with her words. Takes your mind off the momentous nature of what you're doing here, she supposed, and that much she appreciated, though she didn't say so. Best not to draw attention to how I'm feeling, though she had heard that some Jedi were supposed to read minds. That worried her more: maybe the Jedi next to her was picking up on everything that she was thinking and feeling, and that wouldn't make the best first impression.

"I thank you for coming to meet me, Master," she added, trying to take her mind off that idea. "I really don't know what to expect from all this, and I think I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea that I'm doing this at all. Becoming a Jedi, I mean." It was still a shock to realise that was even possible, much less that she was doing it at all. "You said you're a Jedi Master: you've been doing this a long time, then?"

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[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"It's peaceful, as long as you know which paths to walk," Valery said and chuckled. "The Jungle out here is among the most dangerous of jungles in the Galaxy. Both the fauna and flora are so deadly that the inhabitants of this world built domes around their cities." It was a marvelous feat of engineering, and it added to both the safety of the people and the preservation of the jungle and its animals.

Nobody was foolish enough to claim more of Mother Nature.

"Don't worry, though. The Temple is quite safe and shielded from dangerous predators in its own unique way." She could explain more about it if the girl was interested, but this was already a huge day for her. Valery expected her questions to focus more on what would happen next with her training.

Those questions came soon enough, "You'll get used to it and it'll be easier when you get in the flow of training. Just don't ever be afraid to ask questions. We're always willing to help or clarify things." She offered the girl a smile before answering the question that followed, "I've been doing this since I was able to walk. I'm from a time when Jedi only trained people they brought into the Order at a very young age. I was one of those cases, a few thousand years ago, but I ended up in a long stasis and found myself in this time."

Quite a story to tell, and she expected the Padawan to be even more confused.

"It does mean I have plenty of experience, and I love nothing more than sharing it with new students."

Teynara Jeralyr ​

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

So not as safe of an environment as you would think, when looking at it. That came as something of a surprise to Teynara (although, at this point, she felt that was a thing worth getting used to!), but it seemed odd to park a Jedi Temple next to a dangerous location like that - surely it would be more appropriate to place it somewhere civilised, or peaceful? Unless they use the dangers present to test us during training. That thought made her stomach sink, the realisation that such a thing might be possible sinking in like a lead weight.

That the Temple itself was protected was at least something - though, inhabited as it would be by Jedi at various stages of their training, that was to be expected. I doubt anyone would finish their training if they were mauled in their beds by local wildlife. And certainly nobody would stick around to do so if they thought that was a possibility. It did rather mean that the opportunities to stroll into the jungle for a peaceful walk were going to be rather limited, though!

Valery's last comment warranted a raised eyebrow: Thousands of years in stasis? Can you imagine waking up after all that time and finding that everything had changed around you? A person in that position would truly be out of time: a stranger to the world, themselves an anachronistic relic of a time long gone, likely to find technology, culture and even language beyond them. And yet she doesn't seem anything like that: far from being lost, she's more at home here than I am.

And that notion of the Jedi taking on their students as children...wasn't that wrong? Children weren't capable of deciding what they wanted to devote their lives to, and surely couldn't make the choice to commit to a course of training that would forever shape their nature and their lives. Did the Jedi really do that? Such a sacrifice demanded of people who wouldn't be in a position to understand it until it was too late to reverse course... Tey had to acknowledge that at least she could make the choice to be here - she wasn't walking blindly towards her fate, no matter how much of it remained yet a mystery to her.

"I imagine it would be difficult to find others with shared life experiences, compared to that!", she remarked with a weak chuckle, amused by the idea. "Such a perspective you must have...the Jedi are lucky to have that, given that you would know what they were before, and what they've evolved into." She paused for a moment, both in motion and in thought. "Do you ever imagine that the Galaxy would end up the way you found it when you came out of stasis?"

Although you're probably asking too many tangential questions, Tey, she rebuked herself quietly. She was supposed to be here to start training, not to bother a Jedi Master about her personal history - despite what the other woman had said about asking them. In truth, she didn't really know where to start: to her, the Jedi were more myth than reality, and though she'd now met a fair few, the path to becoming one was covered in fog, at least as far as she was concerned. How do you get from here to there?

"I'd imagine even the idea of being a Jedi Master might have changed over that kind of time period," she added calmly, returning to the gentle walk that had led the two of them away from the landing zone. The Temple reared up in front of them now: all imposing grey stone, gently melting into the background as though it had been there longer than Valery had been alive. "Here I am knowing next-to-nothing about what it is to be a Jedi, and you're here, a Jedi of two totally different periods of time. It's an amazing thing - I don't know many people who would have adapted, much less thrived."

Valery Noble ​

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[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"It was different than I hoped it would be," Valery admitted, "During my time, the Republic was at war with the Sith Empire. When I came out of stasis, I learned that this same ancient war between Light and Dark was still ongoing." At the time, it had briefly made her feel the fight was pointless. That no matter how hard she'd try, they could never defeat the Sith and restore peace to the Galaxy. But having ended the last Galactic war herself, she knew the fight was always worth it.

The years of peace just wouldn't last forever — there were always forces of evil that would rise and throw the Galaxy back into times of turmoil.

"It's a unique perspective, though. Back in the old days, the Jedi were far stricter and more traditional. Some of those rules held them back, in my opinion, but some also had a purpose. I've found a balance for myself that I try to convey to others, and I believe it has helped the Jedi." They were less detached from reality and other people, able to form bonds and understand important aspects of life.

But she still tried to retain that ancient respect for the Force and how a Jedi should use their connection.

The two Jed soon reached the Temple. Valery led them up the stone steps and walked into the hall, where grand statues and colorful crystals greeted them. While rebuilt, most of the materials were original. It made the Temple feel old, despite the renovations that happened not even two decades ago.

"I did struggle to adapt at first," Valery went on to explain, "Until I visited this very Temple again. It was in ruins at the time, and it was difficult to see it like that. But I wasn't alone." She smiled and even felt a gentle blush creeping up on her cheeks, "I traveled here with a stranger. A Jedi Knight who helped me get through the worst of my time adapting."

"He's now my husband."

Teynara Jeralyr ​

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

Valery Noble​

What a joke that would have to be, to wake up and find the galaxy not having moved on from how it stood in your time. Oddly, Teynara's thoughts paralelled Valery's, to some extent: recognising that, with these cycles simply repeating, going around and around again, it might seem as if their lives and actions were futile. Nothing we do seems to be able to break that cycle. But perhaps that wasn't the point, was it? If you can't break the cycle, the least you can do is try to minimise the damage when it comes around again. You don't have to save a galaxy: to preserve even a single life might be worth everything it took to get there.

The idea of it made her feel oddly at peace. She knew when she was told that she had the capacity to become a Jedi that it might place a larger weight on her shoulders than she knew how to handle: Jedi were bound in service, standing ready to right the wrongs, protect the lives of people around them, and put their own lives at risk in some grandiose last stand. At least, that's what the Holonet always suggested. They were figures of legend, the heroes of every story, the light against the darkness. She always felt it was more akin to a fairy tale than reality - but maybe that was just the rare moment over-dramatised. Perhaps what they really do is just that: one life at a time.

Reaching the inside of the Temple, Teynara had to pause in her reflections simply look around and marvel. As with the one she had visited when first initiated, this place had a calming simplicity about it that made it feel less imposing than it might otherwise have felt: for all the grand stonework and high ceilings, the austerity of it all made it feel tranquil. The few statues that stood within added atmosphere, the figures of Jedi she didn't know suggestive of a broader historical context designed to make new Jedi feel connected to those of the past. I doubt Master Valery needs that to feel it, though. She was there.

The revelation that the Jedi was married was an interesting one - how would that work, exactly? If Jedi were always expected to place their lives at risk, and put their duties first, how would you reconcile that with family? A partner, perhaps children...wouldn't your duty place them second in your thoughts, and would you hesitate to do your duty and place your life on the line if you knew that you would leave them behind, bereft of company they might otherwise have expected for years more? You can't place your family first if you've dedicated yourself to your duty as a Jedi. Something told Teynara that she had a lot to learn about all this was supposed to work.

"Your husband is a Jedi also?", she asked, pushing aside her contemplations and focusing on trying to participate in a conversation rather than just allow herself to be absorbed in her reflections. You always did think too much, Tey, she reminded herself scoldingly, though there was a tinge of amusement in the thought. "That must make things awkward when you're both assigned to different tasks. That has to be difficult, sometimes."

Still, Valery could not have become a Jedi Master if she hadn't managed to find some sense of stability within the whole situation: if she couldn't put her duty first, she wouldn't have been able to become one of the top of the Order's hierarchy (at least as Teynara understood it!), so a balance must have been found somewhere. Although if her husband is still a Jedi Knight, wouldn't that make her his superior? That would no doubt make for some odd interpersonal dynamics - a couple in one instance, superior and subordinate in another. Sounds complicated, and probably a little messy, too.

"Jumping through time as you have, I'm almost surprised you didn't step away from the Jedi," the young woman added conversationally, swapping to a different line of thought. "Seeing that everything you worked for back in the past having not changed the future as dramatically as you might have wanted...wouldn't you want to live a normal life, unencumbered by such concerns as light and darkness?" Something told her that a peaceful life of that sort might now be further out of reach than it had been a few weeks ago...but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, was it?

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"He is."

Valery's lips spread further into a smile as her mind drifted to his journey as a Jedi. He came from a very different background and his rise within the Order couldn't be more different either. Still, they had found each other and connected in a way that she couldn't have ever believed to even be possible.

"It can be difficult when we're both away from home. He and I both serve on the Council too, so there are times when we're extremely busy. But we've found a balance that keeps us together and offers us time to spend with our children, too." Having experienced a life without a partner and close bonds, she couldn't imagine a world without him and the kids anymore. If it wasn't for the ongoing war, she'd be living her best life right now.

"Hmm."

Valery paused for a moment and turned her gaze back to the Padawan. She was asking some very good questions — a promising fact for a new student at the Temple.

"After he and I found the Temple in ruin, I ended up moving to a remote Temple for about a year. I had very little contact with the outside world and spent all of my time in meditation or helping out the locals who lived near that Temple in the mountains. I was conflicted about returning because I felt there was no purpose to anything anymore." She chuckled and shook her head a little.

"But in the end, I realized that it's always worth fighting for what we believe in. I do what I do, so it's not just me who might one day enjoy a time without war. Even if that peace won't last forever."

Teynara Jeralyr ​

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

Valery Noble​

Children as well as a husband. How does she manage it? One thing was certain: there were more layers to this Jedi Master than might be found on the largest of onions. You could probably spend a few years trying to understand her and the way she lives, and still not have any real idea. In some respects, that was something that Teynara could only admire - on the other hand, it did make her worry that all Jedi were supposed to be this way. And she did say she trained as a child. Starting out as an adult, how much longer would it take for me to become like her?

Still, she'd known from the start that this wouldn't be like training for an office job. She wasn't just going to be shown where to find everything and expected to work it all out for herself thereafter - as she understood it, Jedi training was a far more prolonged and complex process, not to be managed in a day. And if I'm right, it's more than just learning new things, but integrating them into yourself for the long-term. That would be the more difficult part: Teynara had never had trouble picking up information, but it was a whole other thing to turn theory into practice.

That Valery had spent the better part of a year meditating was a good indication of what she had ahead of her - although, as much as she liked the idea of sitting peacefully and drifting through her thoughts, she knew that overthinking was a particular habit of hers. And something tells me that's not an ideal trait for a Jedi, since they have to think and react quickly, rather than sitting there for hours and working their way through a problem. She sighed softly. This wasn't going to be easy, was it?

"I haven't bumped into that feeling of futility yet, though my parents have spoken about it a time or two," the young woman said softly, her tone a little more contemplative than before. "I suppose even if nothing we do actually changes anything, striving for the possibility seems like a reasonable use of our lives." She shrugged, a nonchalent gesture that caused her hair to bob a little around her shoulders. "We might not get to enjoy that peace you speak of, but maybe others will."

That being said...looking at the Temple, you'd not have thought of conflict, violence, famine or disease. It struck her as tranquil in a very solid way, as if it had indeed been here for thousands of years and stood the test of time. For all Valery says about the place having once been in ruins, you wouldn't know to look at it. And maybe that was the point, too: things might fall and go wrong, but they could always be rebuilt and made better.

"First, though, I suppose you have to start learning how to become like you, so that it's possible to help." Teynara looked momentarily nonplussed at the thought, despite the fact it was what she had come here to do in the first place. "There's so much conflicting information about the Jedi floating around...it's hard to know how you'd get from here to there."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"That's the hope," Valery said with a smile.

"I can live with the fact that I'm putting my life at risk, knowing it secures the futures of others. Even if we don't end the wars and even if peace inevitably breaks apart, not doing anything means there won't ever be peace at all." Now that she had her family — her children — she knew just how important it was to leave the Galaxy a better place than she found it. If not for her own joy during times of peace, it'd at least help her loved ones.

"Become like me?"

Valery chuckled and understood that the girl was still trying to understand what it meant to be a Jedi. Where her training would start and what she needed to work towards.

"Where we go as Jedi isn't the same for all of us. We're defenders of the peace, but that's a very broad concept. Some of us, such as myself, specialize in defending people, but others focus their lives on the pursuit of knowledge and sharing that knowledge with fellow Jedi. Some dedicate themselves to becoming a Healer, and others learn how to work in the Shadows to acquire information deep behind enemy lines."

There was no one path of the Jedi.

"We all have a certain basis, though. We learn the basics of lightsaber combat, certain abilities with the Force, and our philosophy. That's where you'll start, and from there, we can help you find the right path for you."

Teynara Jeralyr ​

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

Valery Noble​

To refer to being a Jedi as a "broad concept" wasn't as reassuring as Valery no doubt intended it to be. Perhaps she meant to suggest that there were so many possibilities available...but Teynara understood it to be a dizzying array of choices that she simply wasn't qualified to make. How can you possibly choose which path to take when you're struggling to find where to start? No doubt that knowledge would come with time...but for the moment, it all felt absurdly elusive.

Still, Valery had been kind enough to narrow that down: lightsaber combat, certain abilities with "the Force", whatever that was, and philosophy. The combat sounded dangerous, but probably the part that most people would be most familiar with: the Holonet was filled with images of Jedi waving their lightswords around, so the two things were often thought of as synonymous. The Force...well, she'd heard of the term, of course, but nobody was ever clear on what exactly it was. Some spoke of it in the awed tones to which one might refer to a deity, or supernatural being. Others acted as if it was just a metaphor, or a nebulous concept without clear definition, always held in the abstract. So, as always, an answer leads to yet more questions...

The philosophy, though, that sounded like something she would be able to wrap her head around. Overthinking was probably Teynara's most developed skill, so the idea of being to examine lots of different philosophical issues sounded...well, she wasn't going to say "fun", but at least engaging in one way or another. And it was firmer ground, at least: the other two sides didn't feel like something she had any real experience of, but debate and contemplation...absolutely!

"It all sounds like I have a lot to learn," the young woman noted, being sure to keep the anxiety out of her voice. It wasn't that she hated learning - in truth, she'd rather enjoyed her education - but just that it felt like she was at the bottom of a very steep hill, and would be at risk of tumbling down it only shortly after taking a few first steps. "May I ask: why did you choose to specialise as you have? You said you spend your time defending people: what prompted you to go in that direction instead of another?"

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"My Master once told me: The path of a Jedi, is that of an eternal student."

Valery eyed the younger girl and chuckled, "There is a lot to learn, and even when you feel like you've finally learned what you were asked to study, there is still far, far more. It can seem daunting, but you'll learn to see it as exciting." The Galaxy and its people, history and science was immensely interesting. The Force was just as complex, and even Jedi who had lived hundreds of years hadn't been able to fully understand it.

Each Jedi specialized and focused their time on learning those things that helped them or interested them the most. Together, it made the Jedi a wise group of people.

"At first, I went with that route because of my Master. He was the head of the Jedi Guardians and an experienced lightsaber instructor. I looked up to him, and wanted to be just like him." She couldn't help but smile, as she thought back to those early days of her own training. It was such a different time, but some things never really changed.

"Then I learned that I had an affinity for lightsaber dueling and I dedicated a lot of time to it. I started going on assignments, and what motivated me the most, was to stand in the face of danger. At the time, I loved the thrill of it, but as I got older and more experienced, I started to appreciate the impact it had on other people more than the adrenaline."

"Now, I do what I do, so people who can't protect themselves aren't left vulnerable."

Teynara Jeralyr ​

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

Valery Noble​

An eternal student? For reasons that she suspected few would understand, Teynara found that thought oddly comforting: the beauty of always having something to learn, and the belief that such learning was a journey rather than a destination...it made her feel less uneasy about the fact that she was just starting out, ultimately knowing very little about where she would go from here, or how her life would progress from this point onward. At least knowing that it didn't matter was helpful - whether her progress was slow or fast wasn't worrying, because there'd always be something more to work on over the horizon.

The idea that it might all be daunting hadn't crossed her mind, at least not in that regard. Yes, there was a lot to learn, and perhaps that even seemed insurmountable - but she was determined not to let that stop her. I wouldn't have come if I wasn't certain I could work towards becoming what they are. It might be the work of a lifetime, but as Valery's words had suggested, it was a burden worth the effort.

Teynara wasn't sure what a "Jedi Guardian" was, but by the sounds of it, they were the ones to step in front of others when violence or danger threatened - which described Master Valery's role (at least as she'd explained it) rather perfectly. Perhaps she was one of those heroes that the Holonet always spoke of: the Jedi that would deliberately place themselves in the firing line to be of service to others. That was a thing truly worthy of admiration - moreso since Valery acted as if it weren't a big deal.

"I assume the field work you mention is the sort of thing you do only after you've learned the basics?", she asked calmly, reflecting on what Valery had said about her own training. "It sounds like being a Jedi is dangerous work, so I would think throwing myself into that without preparation might not be a good idea." The girl smiled wryly, wondering exactly what sort of trouble she might end up in. You can wear the robes and reside in a Temple, but none of that makes you a Jedi, does it? "But I'd like to serve where I can."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"Oh yes."

Valery chuckled and tried her best to look reassuring, "As a Padawan, you'll be assigned to a Knight or Master and it's their job to gauge what you're ready for. To bring you along on assignments to learn and be exposed to the Galaxy, but not bring you into situations you're not at all ready for." It was a careful balance. On one hand, they couldn't throw their Padawans into dangerous missions that easily could have them killed. But shield them from the real world too much and they'll never be ready to be out there alone.

Just like with her more typical training on Temple grounds, Valery always sought to push her students just outside their comfort zone. Expand their horizons but without completely overwhelming her.

She hoped that Teynara's future Master would do the same.

"You have a lot of choices to make when it comes to how you serve." Valery looked at the girl and smiled. She had asked a lot of questions, but now it was time for Valery to learn more about her. "Do you already have an idea what might interest you? Sometimes, even our hobbies or general interests can help determine our path."

Teynara Jeralyr ​

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

| Valery Noble |​

Assigned to a Master? That was a surprise, too: the idea of having a single teacher had never really occurred to her. Teynara knew well enough that Jedi worked together, and the Holonet had often shown them in pairs out in the field - often one older paired with a younger Jedi - but it hadn't occurred to her that this was normal and indicative of something other than just a regular approach. So you end up being taught directly by an older Jedi until you're ready to manage on your own? In some respects, she had to imagine that would be a burden on the teacher - whoever she ended up assigned to was going to have a challenge on their hands, or so she suspected.

It had to be a strange thing, trusting your learning and even your safety to another person in that way - particularly since it sounded like you were assigned a teacher by the Jedi Council rather than simply choosing someone from among those that you'd get to know. That would make it pretty awkward at first, you'd think. I wonder what happens if you didn't get along so well? Most of the Jedi she'd bumped into so far had been amiable, if occasionally a little emotionally-distant, so she couldn't say there were any that she outright disliked...but the possibility always remained. Maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing, though: if you can learn from someone you don't get along with, you'd be ready for anything that the galaxy could throw at you.

"I don't really know which direction I'd take, Master," she replied in response to Valery's question. It's always hard to work out what things are applicable and what aren't - much like when applying for work and they ask you about 'transferable skills', she thought with a faint smile curving her lips. "I've always enjoyed learning, and my parents always thought me something of a bookworm. But, equally, I enjoy staying active, sometimes with hiking or a little rock-climbing, I've always supposed that you need to try and balance out the aspects of your life as best you can."

She doubted that would be particularly helpful for Valery to advise her on where to go forward...but the truth was that Teynara didn't really have any idea herself. She'd always thought that Jedi would receive the same training at the start and branch out later as their skills developed - in much the same way as you'd do your undergraduate degree and specialise in post-grad. The idea that you might work towards that from the start was something of a revelation...and a slightly uncomfortable one, given that she wasn't really sure which way to go.

"I'm sorry if I'm not helpful in giving you insight there," Teynara added with a faintly remorseful smile, knowing fully well that she wasn't giving the older Jedi much to go on. "The only thing I can say declaratively is that I'm not a morning person - anyone that gets in the way of me and my first stimcaf of the day is probably going to find me a completely different person half an hour later," she added with a soft laugh at herself.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

Valery snickered at the comments about not being a morning person and took a turn in the Temple, leading the girl up to start getting across the massive bridge. It connected two parts of the mountains, separated by a waterfall running down the cliffs, underneath the bridge. The view into the valley around the Temple was fantastic, and with a careful eye, there was even a domed city visible on the horizon.

"You don't need to already know what you'd like to do. Your classes will help you figure out what you like, and your Master is also meant to offer advice about these choices. So, pick your Master carefully." It was always quite a daunting process to find a Master, but figuring out the right one was crucial.

Not that it was impossible to switch from one to another, but making a good first choice was still preferable.

"As for not being a morning person... well..." she smirked. "There are some classes early in the morning and Jedi duty might sometimes require you to get up before sunrise. So, make sure you got your stimcaf ready."

Valery paused halfway across the bridge and turned to face the valley.

"What do you think of the Temple so far? It's very different from most others, but many Jedi have called it home throughout history."

Teynara Jeralyr ​

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

| Valery Noble |​

Pick your Master carefully? Was that something she was going to be able to do? Teynara had gotten the impression that it would be down to the Order to assign her a teacher – the idea of picking one out herself hadn't occurred to her. Makes you wonder how you go about doing that. It seemed unlikely that they'd just parade a group of possible teachers in front of her and just expect that she would pick one. Yet another thing to figure out as I go along, I suppose. The Jedi didn't make this easy – but perhaps that was for the best. Anyone who couldn't handle it probably wouldn't manage further training.

The two of them kept walking – a good bout of physical exercise after being cooped up on a shuttle for quite some time – and Tey could feel her calves burning lightly with the strain as the tension eased its way out and the muscles of her legs warmed themselves up. In truth, she barely noticed this, focusing instead both on the conversation and the sights of this new planet – far beyond anything of her past experience.

The bridge on which they stood spanned a significant space, leaving her feeling as though they were hanging in mid-air, despite the sturdy and solid nature of the bridge itself. Hanging high up over the ground, she could see both the Temple and the valley in which it was contained – bright greenery as far as the eye could see, moderated only by the grey-white mountains and stone that ran alongside a bright waterfall and the pools into which it emptied. Beautiful, and so very different to what we have at home. It would be easy to find a sense of peace here.

"I've not seen enough of it to make a clear judgment, but it's lovely from what I can tell," she said, in response to the Master's question. She'd barely been on-planet an hour by this point, so it wouldn't really be right to judge either the Temple or the Jedi who occupied it...but there was plenty of anticipation to be had in looking forward to finding out. "You said you trained here originally, yes? I've not seen the other big temples yet – is it so very different to the others?"

Perhaps things had gotten down to the point of being akin to small talk...but Tey had to recognise that Valery was doing a big thing for her in that respect, making her feel at ease even alongside a Jedi Master, which would help to tackle any of the nerves she felt, and perhaps make her feel at home. She felt grateful for this – in truth, it was very much better than she had expected so far.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"I'm glad your first impressions are positive. I want this Temple to feel peaceful to other Jedi." Coruscant is always so busy and crowded, Ilum is cold and inhospitable, and even Jakku and Ossus aren't the greatest planets to visit. Sure, New Cov has its dangerous jungle, but being inside the Temple is perfectly safe. The Beastmasters had made sure of it, and young Jedi typically don't visit without their Masters either.

Throughout its history, Valery could not recall a single incident.

"I was practically raised here, yes," Valery said with a smile. "At the time, the main Jedi Temple stood on Tython, but this was its own separate little Enclave. We were still tied to the Jedi Order, but our views were a little... different, in some ways." She hoped the girl wasn't going to ask about that just yet.

It wasn't always the most pleasant revelation.

"The other Temples are very different. Each one is built to be unique, fitting to its environment or the culture of that planet. Coruscant's Temple is very big and made of marble, stone and everything looks very clean. A perfect part of the Coruscant skyline. Ilum is built within icy mountains, meant to offer passage to those who go on their gathering."

"There are many others, but I won't spoil you with the details." She chuckled and held out her hand, as they soon reached the Gardens. With plants from across the Jungles and even other planets, it was perhaps her favorite place to be. In the center, Valery already had tea prepared on a little table too, so that's where she began to guide the younger woman.

"Do you want some tea? I've even got cookies."

Teynara Jeralyr ​

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

| Valery Noble |​

Tey had never turned down a cup of tea in her life, and whilst stimcaf was her beverage of choice in the mornings, there really were few things more conducive to calming the mind and relaxing the body than a cup of tea, regardless of whether it was herbal tea or one that was based around a stimulant like caffeine. That Valery had thought to do something like that made her feel much better about being here – particularly since she'd had a long trip through Hyperspace, and a cup of tea might be just the sort of thing to make her feel more at home in this strange place.

"Tea sounds wonderful, thank you," she said in reply, taking a seat at the table as was clearly intended. The garden they were to sit in felt simultaneously modern and yet ancient – that juxtaposition of cold stone and living plants all intertwined – and Tey had to admit that it was one of the prettier places that she had seen. Rather appropriate for a Jedi Temple, I think. "Almost makes it feel like I've come for a picnic rather than for a long course of training, but I like that we're not just rushing into it."

Of course, the Jedi that had initiated her had explained that their training program would likely last years – perhaps even a decade or so – before she might be considered a Jedi in full, able to be deployed out into the broader galaxy in order to best serve as the Order required. In some respects, that suggested that there was no real rush to move on...but, on the other hand, it might also mean that she had far too much to learn to be sitting drinking tea. And yet, I am going to do exactly that, because you have to make the most of an opportunity when it comes along.

"I take it, when you say that your views were different, you mean that there are lots of different thoughts on how to be a Jedi?", she asked after taking a seat, and arranging the hem of her skirt to rest more comfortably. "I suppose that would make sense: as you said, if everyone has a different path, there are probably lots of different ways to get to the same place." Whilst it did all sound rather complex, Tey had a feeling that it all worked out in the end – after all, for the Jedi to have so many Temples and enclaves and yet all work together as one organisation...they all had to share the same goals and desire to serve.

"It all sounds very complicated," she continued, "but I've always been a little suspicious of the idea of everything being simple. Makes me feel like I've missed something out," the young woman added with an amused smile. "And you're a warrior who greets new students and offers them tea, so there are clearly plenty of layers to you. Not so simple there, either."