In Brightest Day

[Matsu Ike]

The jedi masters arms stretched out while she was looking over at the temple, here she could work with a lot more and she was in training mode, prepared for what might become anything with a student of one of her former students. A chance to get him to well do anything here, she only knew the padawan Joshua had was green and not in the skin tone like some others. She could work with that and she had taught Joshua... he hopefully knew how to use her methods of practice and learning how to understand the force. With a look on her face where she was going the jedi master herself was standing around.

Her small frame in the jedi robes as they radiated the lightside of the force itself with her, the agena was coursing throughout the fabric gicing it a semi sentience that she was able to connect with it. The jet black outer robes that were form fitted to her size, with white inner robes and the sleeves short, tight over the gloves. Her lightsabers visible on her hip while she held them with their gleaming hilts, the disc blade of her sabers pulsating with the baas crystal at the small of her back. Her hair coming down to the small of her back in a tightly braided ponytail when she turned her head.

The small scars on her face and chin visible compared to the rest of her body when the ground under her boots crunched a little with the heels digging in when she turned with them. "Well now for him to arrive." She was curious about all of it, something that they would be able to use it in to learn." She was giving it all a chance until she had her other pieces of equipment, robes fluttering in the breeze that was set up and designed until she stopped to look over another section of the area. Construction was continuing to see it all, the engineers and force artisans were designing something special.

 

[Mason Raxsted]

Mason walked along the worn path, making his way sluggishly to the place he was to meet Master Ike. He wasn't sure if he'd ever been so exhausted in his entire life. The training regiment he was enduring was like nothing he'd ever experienced. From the physicality of his endurance and saber training to the mental stress of his Force lessons, he felt ready to collapse. Sleep was never elusive at night, instead threatening to come find him at inconvenient times. Before coming this way he'd had a few minutes to stop by the temple's mess hall. ​Thank the Force for caf,​ he thought to himself wryly.

Having already cleaned up from training earlier in the day, Mason hoped that tonight's training wouldn't be too​ grueling - though he'd deal with whatever came his way. This evening he wore a simple pair of black trousers with a loose fitting, long sleeved button down white shirt. Voss was a temperate planet, and as he strode up the path overlooking the temple a chill breeze cut through the sunlit evening. Rounding a bend in the path, he saw a woman he assumed was Master Ike, standing alone in a clearing.

He approached calmly, bowing his head slightly as a sign of respect. "Master Ike," he said calmly, "I am Jedi Padawan Mason Raxted. It's an honor to meet you."

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mason Raxsted"]

She raised her head to look at him with a nod of her head. Interested in seeing him for the first time really and it didn't hurt. She would have to move around to gret him here before speaking. "Yes and welcome padawan." Matsu waited a moment and her nose lightly twitched as she could catch a spare scent. At first walking and then speaking. "Ah caf, I prefer tea but I suppose we can begin." She offered a small smile mostly to lighten the mood before heading forward and motioning with her hand. The gloves there until she moved her fingers. "We shall begin with the most basics, what have you been taught so far so I am not just repeating the lessons and making it something less interesting to learn."

 

[Mason Raxsted]

It occurred to Mason that many Jedi, especially traditional Jedi, might not be so keen on caf. Many saw it as a mildly addictive drug and thought it was something the Jedi should avoid. He hoped he hadn't burned a bridge already, here, but it couldn't be helped. She motioned him forward, so he began to walk with her, his hands clasping behind his back as they strode toward wherever she had in mind.

"I'm afraid to say that my training has been ... inconsistent," he said, making his word choice carefully. "I travelled for a time with a Jedi Knight who offered some training in mental aspects of the Force; reading and calming others, helping them to see a new point of view - those sorts of things. However, we spent little time in areas such as telekinesis or even enhancing senses. I've proved quite adept in using the Force to alter others' emotional states, which I know comes with some danger, but I really have very little skill outside of that."

He knew he was woefully behind other students of his age, and that embarrassed him. However, he knew lying about it would do no good whatsoever, so he decided to hold nothing back.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mason Raxsted"]

She was watching him as he spoke, with all of the force energy here around the planet she could see some other parts of it now. Her engineers and artisans were hard at work as she checked off a few things on her datapad when they appeared from her wrist. THe chevron pad displaying a small thing before she spoke. "Well we'll find a nice place to start in just a moment." She was waiting and pointed up as she felt it before it came out of hyperspace, the library was on its massive circuit around space. to stay mobile and prepared for anything on random courses and destinations. The sleek black shape of it, massive in size and scale compared to what others could see and have around the galaxy.

Matsu gave ait a moment before the feelin of the lightside enhanced wintrium within the hull appeared and she could feel it, the lightside artifacts and massive hanger that had been created for all of the ships. Her the Botany Bay with some of the last arkannes and force sensitive trees int he galaxy that had been saved and preserved. Different creatures that she was seeing when she started to enter it. "Welcome to my personal ship, this is the botany bay, it isn't the most pretty but it holds some creatures that have nearly gone extinct that feel the force and several species of plants as well. It is an ideal ship to train on.

She was leading the way into a training area within the ship that she would be able to work on with him safely. Staying there as the jakobeasts moved around and they were a small litter that had been on the ship and they loved when she came back. Stopping to pet them and have the open area of the garden itself near the trees and the waters of the well spring, allowing the force energies to flow off of them. "We can practice here, somewhere that isn't to dangerous while my engineers and artisans work on the crafting materials that are going into some of the reconstruction projects." She generally oversaw restoration of the old sites forgotten by other jedi.

 

[Mason Raxsted]

Mason continued walking with Master Ike, watching her work on her wrist datapad. He nodded in understanding as to finding a place to train, before stopping to see what she was pointing at in the sky. There overhead, he could see a massive black disc above the atmosphere of the planet Voss. He was stunned for a moment, wondering if an incredible invasion were taking place. But no, the master seemed incredibly calm, as if this was expected. Mason took a deep breath, quelling the spike of alarm that had risen inside of him. He'd heard stories of a massive library owned by the Silver Jedi, but had yet to see it. It was breathtakingly massive. He felt drawn to it. It seemed as though it called to him internally. ​The things I could learn on that station,​ he thought to himself wistfully. He knew he could retreat there to read and study for the rest of his life - there would be so much! He sighed as she started moving again, shaking his head in order to pull himself from his reverie.

He nodded in respect as they entered her personal ship, the Botany Bay​, appreciating the various creatures and artifacts she had collected on board. It seemed that on board the ship there was a flurry of activity, workers going this way and that. Not at all the calm, quiet atmosphere he would have expected. They passed through an area that contained a few creatures he was unfamiliar with, shimmering silver and white striped fur reflecting the artificial light of the room. The creatures had the beginnings of both horns and tusks, which combined with the rest of their body appeared as a mismatched collection of various animal parts. He shied away from them slightly, preferring to keep his distance at the moment.

"Of course, Master," he responded. "I'm very eager to continue my training with you."

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mason Raxsted"]

Matsu stood there where she could look at all of it with a grin on her face now. Slowly appearing before the jedi master turned around and her sabers on her hip slid out. To come and look at the padawan. "We'll begin with the basics then, how to besthodl your saber and focus the force to calm your mind and body. So you do not sever a limb." She was looking at it before the jedi masters hand tucked one of the blades into a small compartment on her belt to be out of sight and out of mind. She could get it later when she needed to move to using two blades if it got to that at all. For now just the one saber would do as it gleamed silver on the hilt.

 

[Mason Raxsted]

Mason watched as she removed two silver-hilted lightsabers. ​It's going to be that kind of lesson,​ he thought to himself wryly. He'd had a bit of training in saber combat, though not much. What small amount he'd had, however, he'd been told was promising. That set him at ease a bit, hope rising in him that he wouldn't make a total fool of himself. Placing one back out of sight on her belt, she held the other one before her. Mason wasn't quite sure if he was supposed to take the blade or just listen - though he did like the idea of not​ severing any limbs. That was a bit of a dealbreaker for him on this whole Jedi journey.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mason Raxsted"]

She was motioning for him to join her. "Take out your training saber and we can begin or your regular saber if you have it. The force is something that is needed to use a saber with skill. Awareness of your surroundings and perceptions that will come to you when you are calm and at peace." She wasn't just looking to teach him how to swing a blade she wanted him to understand what he was doing and why. To see the whole picture and go from there but also to understand that he might think some things and believe he is the first but a number have tried it before and it has failed or led to dangers.

 

[Mason Raxsted]

This hadn't been the lesson that Mason was expecting, but he shrugged as he reached behind his back and removed the practice saber from where it hung on a loop at his belt. He'd not really spent much time with it so far, so he was interested to see where this went. Something about saber practice did seem to click with him, unlike some of the other areas of his training. The metal cylinder felt cool in the palm of his hand, interspaced lines of black, rubber grip seeming to fit perfectly. It felt like it had been made specifically for him, despite the fact that it was an underpowered blade that would avoid any serious injury on behalf of the user. Depressing the button near the top, he activated the weapon, watching as a silvery blade extended outward. With a flourish of his wrist, he sent it in two arcs, one to either side of his body, as he again familiarized himself with the tool.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mason Raxsted"]

She was looking at him and the jedi master kept her face neutral when he activated the blade. She waited there a moment. "Activating the blade wasn't needed but if you insist. There is more that goes into a saber then just knowing how to swing it. A skilled jedi uses the force to guide their movements so that they can sense all around them and move in a way that covers from all sides instead of just what they can see." She stood there with her feet apart for a moment. Saber in one hand before she slid it between her two hands. Touching the hilt but not activating it. A grin coming to her face as she reached out with the force. "THe jedi ready stance is what you start with. Allow it to focus your mind and senses. Use it to feel the force flowing through your body and all around you."

 

[Mason Raxsted]

Deactivating the blade, Mason relaxed and then tightened his fingers around the cylindrical hilt several times, acclimating himself with its contours. He knew it was just a practice blade, but it still felt natural in his hands. He didn't feel chagrined at her chiding - she hadn't offered him much by way of instructions, so he'd extrapolated. Deactivating the blade was hardly an inconvenience, and so he shrugged it off and prepared to move on with his lesson. He watched the way she positioned her body; the placement of her feet, the tautness of various muscle groups in contrast with the relaxation of others. He watched her breathe deeply, reaching out to the Force. He did his best to mimic her stance and then closed his eyes, breathing deeply to calm his nerves. As always, the ocean-like vastness of the Force was easily found. It washed over him, permeated him. He felt at peace - calm and stalwart, as if time flowed around him. He was something greater. He always felt a hint of the infinite when the Force flooded him, like a mountain that stood unmoving as nature changed around it. He also had a tendency to wax poetic in those moments.

He stood patiently still, awaiting his next instructions.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mason Raxsted"]

She could sense and feel the force around both of them, here and now though as she was feeling the force the jedi master allowed it to breathe throughout her body. She let the energies build and crash over her before she spoke to calm her mind and body. THe warmth of the robes themselves came to her and she could feel them. THe special synthweave that had been developed used pontite and solari crystals, for a jedi it was mental focus and warmth that calmed them down. Allowinggreater connection and ease to using the force even in the most stressful of time before she inhaled and then exhaled with her grip being both firm but still loose so she wasn't white knuckled.

"The force is not something many I have seen look to, they are too sure of themselves and their own skill they discount the capabilities that come from opening their mind to the possibilities. THey are quick with their lightsaber." She was looking at some parts of it for now until she moved the hilt in her hands and shifted it to one hand. "Often times the mere sight of your saber, visible to others will be enough to deter them, as a skilled jedi knows that to ignite their blade means they must be prepared to take a life... or in some cases to be engaged in something. Slicing through security doors should only be done if you can't get through with normal means."

 

[Mason Raxsted]

Mason nodded, listenening to the Jedi Master. She spoke of action without thought, without guidance from the Force. Some felt that they were sufficient in themselves, or that unthought out action was preferable to waiting. Some were simply impulsive, quick to use force or violence where there were other ways. Mason understood this - from both sides.

"Yes, master," he said quietly, still awaiting instructions as he allowed the Force to flow through him.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mason Raxsted"]

"Now once we begin, focus on the force. Stay there and once you are ready ignite your blade and move around. Let your senses expand outwards towards me and everything around here." She stayed there and didn't move but let the force flow throughout her body. Almost setting it aside as she was prepared for anything that could come. She didn't know how to best describe it but it was a natural state, with almost ultra levels of capabilities if you knew how to do it. Almost turning reflexes and precognition into something that almost resembled uncanny reflexes. Matsu herself allowed one of the drones to come and it attacked for a moment as her body moved when she was speaking. "It is harder to explain, easier to show in some cases but for a jedi it is something that ancient jedi knew how to do and appear as true masters of the blade."

 

[Mason Raxsted]

Eyes closing slightly, Mason regulated his breathing - slowing down. He slowed his body, consciously slowing his heart rate. Passion was the enemy of focus. He knew this, and so he worked hard to clear his thoughts and his emotions - to find peace; only peace. In slow, deliberate movements, he raised the gripped hilt of the blade out to his right before depressing the activation toggle on the cool handle. In contrast to his slow deliberate movements, the blade leapt outward with great speed - the familiar snap-hiss​ echoing through the small room. Eyes closed, he began to hear the soft whirring of practice drones in the room. Extending his senses outward, he took in the feel​ of the room. With enhanced Force senses, he couldn't see the room in his mind's eye - no, that wasn't it at all. It wasn't like a second sight, not like a holodrama where the hero had sonar-like vision; no, it wasn't that at all. Instead, it was as if he could feel​ the boundaries of the room. He could feel the obstacles in his path. He could even feel the presence of the Jedi Master who occupied the room with him. None of these things were moving - or at least, not moving much. The drones were a different story, however. They zipped around him like bees around a hive, changing elevation and angles. None attacked yet, as his blade wasn't in the ready position. Feeling that he was as focused as he was going to be, he brought his blade in front of him.

He had done saber practice before, though typically by way of a saber kata​, an almost choreographed series of movements designed to work your body while also training your muscles for crucial combat forms. He'd also done some sparring, and fared well in each of these two training types. Practicing with the drones was different, however. Mason found that extrapolating the movements of the drones was far more complicated than those of sentients. He found that he just couldn't think like a machine. This was a good thing for practice, as it forced him to rely on his enhanced Force senses rather than his people-reading abilities.

He shifted his blade slightly to the left as a drone turned in the air, presumably turning its practice blaster in his direction. Shifting the angle of his hands, he brought the blade to a forty-five degree angle relative the ground, shielding his face. The drone didn't fire, however - instead a drone behind him fired. His left calf stung from the hit, causing him to jump slightly. Losing concentration, he lost the position of the three drones around him, and nearly panicked as he sought through the Force for them.

He took a calming breath and located one, two, three​. He felt waves of danger rolling from the third drone. It wasn't intent - he couldn't read intent from machines. Instead, his unconscious mind translated what his sense took in, giving warning of impending danger. He swung his blade in a downward arc, deflecting an incoming lance harmlessly away into one of the walls. He smiled slightly, gaining a bit of confidence.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mason Raxsted"]

Matsu was standing there, watching it... staying at the ready while her body moved quickly almost as a blur when some fo the drones attacke dto get to the padawan. She allowed the force to guide her when she was pushing and then pulling herself around the room almost completely silently as she allowed the force to move her body before she was even thinking about it. Where they were it was a lot easier and what she wanted him to learn she could do here as a stray shot went past her body and went wide to dissipate. Training bolts before she was watching him and nodded in approval. he would be able to get it slowly at first but being able to dodge and move was just as important as knowing how to swing the blade.

 

[Mason Raxsted]

Mason continued to expand his senses, reading the room. He listened carefully to the sounds of the whirring servos inside of the training drones, he felt the static electricity that pulled at his hair and clothes when he neared desks, tables, or even chairs. He could feel the room in his senses, projecting a mental map of his surroundings as he continued the dance with the tiny, confounding objects.

He felt another stinging blow to the small of his back, temporarily blinding him mentally as he lost concentration. Taking a breath, he began to recompile the data from his senses into a useful mental picture. His alertness provided him with a momentary window of action, and before he even realized what he was doing he rolled across a table, narrowly avoiding another stinging lance. He landed on his feet and, without thinking, flourished his blade up in front of him in an arc that took it down in front of his body. He felt it connect with a second lance of light, his face instantly showing his satisfaction. Too soon, however, as a third lance struck him in his back right shoulder. He swore at himself under his breath, as he turned to face the direction the lance had just come from, again reaching out with his senses to catalog the location of the other two drones.

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Mason Raxsted"]

SHe could see it and moved quickly with a look on her face. Where they would be able to go and work on it as the force guided her body through the area, shimmering force around her body. More an aura when she dodged a shot easily before watching the padawan with a nod of her head. "God, you are doing well enough." He seemed to have the confidence but then that could ruin the effect and throw you off. As he likely had felt but she didn't want to just go... no you must be serious all of the time. She expected him to be willing to make a joke or something to go with it. Joshua was his master after all and that could be both a good thing and a bad thing if she was honest.

 

[Mason Raxsted]

Mason heard Master Ike speaking, but kept her voice in the back of his mind as he focused on the drones. Mechanically, he responded, "Thank you, master," as he continued to track their movement through subtly Force-enhanced senses. The game of cat-and-mouse continued for some time, though he wasn't sure how long. All the while, he noted Master Ike's movements. She moved lithely, rarely deflecting with her blade. Instead it was as if she were dancing with the drone's attacks, knowing where they would be and having planned her choreography in advance to avoid them.

Sweat dripped from Mason's face as he deactivated his blade. The drones immediately went inactive, freezing where they were.

"Master," he said, his voice showing his fatigue. "My lightsaber makes sense to me. It feels fluid and light, easy to wield and faster than I've ever been." He brought his hands up over his head, clasping his training saber's hilt in both hands. The position expanded his chest cavity and allowed him to breathe deeper, easier. "My body, on the other hand, feels slow and heavy. I'm not in bad shape, especially after Master DragonsFlame's training exercises. But I don't know how to move like you do. I feel like my body is three steps behind and my blade is the only thing making up for it. What am I doing wrong?"

[member="Matsu Ike"]