Jedi Temple - One Faithful Day

[To'pau Namman]

To'pau took a deep breath, as he prepared for the mornings exercises. He had awoken early this morning to prepare in for the Jedi Masters visit in advance. When his fellow initiates had entered the mess hall to see him already wide awake and eating; they'd just chuckled and taken their regular places.

It was nothing out of the ordinary to see To'pau up before everyone else. They quickly ate their simplistic, yet nourishing meals and moved to take their proper places in the training courtyard. They had been informed of the Jedi Masters visit to the Temple weeks before. And though no had said a word about an apprenticeship, rumors were still everywhere.

To'pau was not one to hold much credence in rumors, but he could not help but prepare for the Jedi Masters visit. They did not know exactly who was coming to train them for the day, but everyone was sure it must be someone of great importance. Inside, To'pau eagerly hoped this would be the day that he would be chosen; and he would attempt to show his best.

To'pau was already 14, much older then most of the young initiates who stayed at the temple. He only had a few more months before he would be considered to old to continue his place as a Masters Padawan. If he turned 15 and was still without a master, the instructors of the temple would find another home for him that would be more suited to his talents. Or at least that is what they had told him.

This is why To'pau hoped that he today would be his lucky day, and he said as much to his fellow initiates as they spoke in hushed tones. All of them eagerly awaiting the arrival of the venerable Jedi Master that would be instructing them today. Suddenly, everyone's excited talking and laughter slowly quieted as they heard footsteps. They all bowed their heads towards the Master that just entered the training grounds as a sign of respect; and To'pau eagerly looked to study the person who might just be his saving grace.

[member="Coci Heavenshield"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@To'pau Namman

"Good Morning Padawans", she said entering training room. Her black eyes only briefly looking over all the initiates who seemed eager to begin training, which is good, they are going to need it. Walking over to the wall to hang up her outer robes, Coci prepared the room.

Dimming the lights to give a calming atmosphere in which the initiates could focus more, she moved to the centre of the room. "This morning we will train in the skill of Telekinesis. Some of you will have a natural talent in this, others will not but we shall start to advance your skills more".

But Coci had other reasons for being here today and for the lesson she had prepared. In the centre of the room in small piles are the components to construct a lightsaber minus the focusing crystals. A lesson in TK will involve the ability to use it and for the more advanced to use it for preparations for when they will venture with her to construct their own working saber. As all initiates are only given training sabers, if she chooses a Padawan today, they will need one.

"Please choose a pile of components and begin", firstly she will see the level of the initiates in this skill before structuring a more focused class.

 

[To'pau Namman]

Coci Heavenshield: "Good Morning Padawans. This morning we will train in the skill of Telekinesis. Some of you will have a natural talent in this, others will not; but we shall start to advance your skills some more. Please choose a pile of components and begin."

The other initiates and To'pau listened to her speak respectfully, and they all turned their heads to stare at the various piles of different lightsaber components. At her insistence, they all turned and moved to start on their task. To'pau was among the first to reach the piles, and he began to work on his task immediately.

Though his connection to the force could be tenuous at certain times, To'pau had never let that stop him. In his tenure at the Jedi Temple, he had read many books and transcripts drafted together by the various different Jedi and Librarians that passed through the years. He was not unfamiliar with Telekinesis, having read about it many times.

To'pau took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He cleared his mind and focused on the connection that he had been attempting to hone for the past ten years of his life. At first he felt nothing, but his fears were quickly soothed as he felt a tugging sensation towards the back of his mind. Eyes still shut, he concentrated solely on his task, oblivious to the efforts of his fellow initiates, and the watchful eye of the Jedi Master.

He envisioned the delicate peices of the Lightsaber coming together, and though his eyes were closed he knew that everything was coming into place. A minute or so passed by as he continued to compose the lightsaber, various pieces sometimes idling in mid air as he considered the ways that he could go about the task. He knew through the books he had read and the instructors in the academy that no Lightsaber was the exactly the same as another, and that a Jedi's Lightsaber reflected the personality of its owner.

Unsure of what that exactly meant, To'pau simply went with what he felt was right. After nearly five minutes of constant meditating and working at his task, he finished and dropped the finished Lightsaber into his hand. As he looked around the various piles each being worked on by an initiate, he realized he had done well enough. He had been one of the first to finish, though the group he was apart of primarily consisted of those younger then him.

[member="Coci Heavenshield"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@To'pau Namman

[SIZE=12pt]Coci remained still toward the back of the room. She watched each of the initiates as they worked on the components, all at different stages of skill with TK, but none of them extraordinary in the ability. This is to be expected considering their ages, and one of them on the cusp of entering apprenticeship. He had done better than the rest, worked with consideration for his task before attempting the assignment. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]As his saber dropped into his hand, Coci nodded her approval to a job well done. But she waited until all the students had completed their sabers. Not all had constructed the saber to the point it would ignite, but this lesson was not about that and in time they all would have the ability to deftly construction a saber. Once they had finished Coci stepped forward and examined each one of the saber, giving approval or advice when required. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“Well done everyone”,[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt] she finally addressed the class. “Now I would like you to take them apart and place them back in a pile before you. Then we will move onto the next part of the lesson”. She walked over to the wide doors on the side of the room, and opened them. The view through the doors overlooks the Temple gardens, this area built with the purpose of training in TK. Coci walked out onto the veranda and took in a deep breath while she waited for the students. [/SIZE]

 

[To'pau Namman]

[SIZE=12pt]Coci Heavenshield:[/SIZE] "Well done everyone”, she finally addressed the class. “Now I would like you to take them apart and place them back in a pile before you. Then we will move onto the next part of the lesson."

[SIZE=12pt]The initiates simply nodded their heads, and turned back to the task at hand. The mood in the temple had lightened considerably after the first few minutes of them working on the Lightsabers. The Jedi Master who was instructing them today had a certain awe about her, that put everyone at ease and made them forget the need to make everything into a constant competition so that they could impress her.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Everyone finished the task of dismantling their Lightsaber faster then the original task of assembling it. The initiates then turned and stepped outside into the open garden of the temple to continue the next step of their instruction. Several of the human initiates were sweating due to the effort they had exerted into assembling and disassembling the Lightsabers in such a short amount of time.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Though To'pau and a few others were more experienced then some of the younglings, even he felt some weariness setting in. Taking a step outside into the Temple Gardens was exactly what he and evidently some of the others had needed. The nice cool Ocean breeze wafted across the garden courtyard, and everyone took a deep breath; simply taking in the beautiful environment which they called home. Even when To'pau was eventually picked by a Jedi Knight or Master to be apprenticed to, he would always miss the Temple which he had called home for many years. It was truly a place with no equal across the Galaxy.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]One of the younger and more bold initiates stepped forward to the Jedi Master and asked her what task they would be performing next. To'pau simply watched and patiently waited. The one thing that To'pau could say for certainty, is that coping with his lack of natural aptitude in controlling the force had certainly granted him with patience. And a lot of it. He stayed quiet as the rest of the initiates joked and laughed with each other, albeit in hushed tones out of respect for their Jedi teacher.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt][member="Coci Heavenshield"][/SIZE] [member="Coci Heavenshield"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@To'pau Namman

As the students gathered around on the veranda, Coci indicated toward the pebbled garden designed for the purpose of training in telekinesis.

​

"The last group of students worked here and designed this pattern by the end of the lesson", she said raising her hand and in a sweeping motion the white peddles shimmered in their place before the pattern was erased completely. Coci hand remained extended, the students would see her fingers slightly moving as she applied TK on several pebbles lifting then in the air, she rotated her hand with her palm upward, her fingers still moving she began to rotate them mid air and bring them toward her until only a meter from her.

She began to make them dance, and twist until forming a circular motion slowly at first before making the pebble move faster and faster until the white of the pebbles blurred into one. Then she lowered her hand and placed the pebbles on the ground one after the other, placing a pebble on top of the other in a small tower.

"I would like you all to gather pebbles and create your own design using TK only, them as a group replace the pebbles in a complete design across the entire garden". Coci moved to a long bench by the wall and watched.

 

[To'pau Namman]

Coci Heavenshield: "The last group of students worked here and designed this pattern by the end of the lesson. I would like you all to gather pebbles and create your own design using TK only, them as a group replace the pebbles in a complete design across the entire garden."

To'pau and the rest of the initiates watched in awe, at the seemingly effortless movements by the Jedi Master, which would leave them gasping for breath on a good day; providing they could even pull said movements off in such a technical matter. The different patterns that had been constructed in the sands of the garden were quickly wiped away, and To'pau was left wondering what he could possibly do that would be noteworthy enough to catch a Masters attention; a master who had been watching initiates perform the same task countless times over.

He approached the garden rather hesitantly, and tested his powers of Telekinesis on a few stray pebbles. Sure enough, they responded to his will, and moved around in the air. He quickly stopped his efforts for fear of over exerting himself. He knew he could do what was being asked of him, but using the force to manipulate the pebbles was not the most difficult part of the task. The most difficult part of the task would be to create something worth looking at. Something that was actually good.

Well after most of the students had started on their gardens, To'pau was still thinking. As the time for him to finish up slowly ticked down, he just shrugged his shoulders. 'This is useless.' He closed his eyes and lifted up the various pebbles that he would use to craft his creation. He began to place the pebbles in the garden, and various patterns were drawn into the ground. He let the force guide his actions, and he didn't even bother trying to paint a picture of what he wanted in his mind. He simply placed pebble after pebble and drew pattern after pattern.

As soon as everything seemed right, To'pau severed his connection and opened his eyes to survey his work. Once he stopped meditating, he realized how much the exercise had tired him out. He stared upon the fruits of his labor, and after a few moments of studying it, he decided he was happy with what he had managed to due under the circumstances.

​

The pebbles had been stacked up in various piles across the sand, varying in size and shape. Different designs and patterns consisting of swirling circles and rolling hills. The patterns were sprawled across the Garden, in both a minimalistic but beautiful way. He did not look at the other work that had been done by the initiates, confident in his own ability which had been guided by the force; though not to the point of arrogance.

Several of his fellow initiates praised him and his work, and he thanked each of them in turn with a smile on his face. Despite his fatigued state, he was quite proud of what he'd accomplished and he turned to the Jedi Master to see what she had thought of his and the other initiates finished work and whether or not they had been up to par with what she had expected of their class.

[member="Coci Heavenshield"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@To'pau Namman


As each of the students performed their tasks, Coci stood and walked the edge of the gardens to take notice more carefully. The students are at differing levels and it showed, but most of them would progress with this skill by application. And some of them are still very young. But regardless of this, they all worked well.

Her black eyes would find their way to one Padawan. His determination to complete the lesson apparent and unguarded through the force. A sense of frustration within him but he would not give up. To'pau Namman she believed his name to be, a young Hysalrian, with greyish green skin, she had not seen to many of his kin in the past.

The students had completed the lesson, and stood back to show off their patterns. "Good Padawans, with time and patience and further training, you will all grow more proficient in telekinesis. I do recommend that you train privately until such time as you acquire a master. Always train, do not wait but be ready for your calling as Jedi".


They had all done very well and Coci smiled. This would be enough for today and she dismissed them. As they left the lesson back through the room, Coci followed them to gather her robes. Only To'pau had remained behind which was opportune.

"Padawan Namman, if you please, I would like a word".

 

[To'pau Namman]

Coci Heavenshield: "Padawan Namman, if you please, I would like a word."

To'pau turned, shocked out of his trance by the Masters words. He had drifted off slightly, weary from his task. The cool breeze and chirping of the birds had nearly made him fall asleep. He looked around, slightly worried to find that all the other initiates had left and he was alone in the Garden with the Master who had instructed them.

To'pau Namman: Not wasting any time, To'pau movied into action. He turned to face Coci and he bowed his head respectfully, embarrassed that he had half dozed off during her lesson. He decided it would be best not to mention it. "Yes Master? What is it that you require of me?"

[member="Coci Heavenshield"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@To'pau Namman


Coci stood looking at her datapad, she had retrieved the Temple file on the young apprentice and was reviewing it.

​

::NAME: To'pau Namman::
~LANGUAGE: Basic, Hysalrian
RANK: Trainee
SPECIES: Hysalrian
AGE: 14::

//Lightsaber Forms\\

Form V Shien / Djem So

::Abilities::

Alchaka
Force Healing
Hibernation Trance
Tapas
Morichro
Theran Force Listening
Force Sense
Precognition
Telemetry / Psychometry
Force Sight
Force Comprehend Speech

"You have an interesting record of force abilities on which we could expand and train you to be more proficient", she said not looking up. "In the lesson you revealed much to me. Although you are learning to control your force connect and abilities, you should a depth to your application that the others have yet to learn. You seem frustrated at time, which is only natural and a good thing and I can help you with that". She lifted her head and turned to face him.

"I would like to take you as my Padawan, if you so wish", she offered as she worked the datapad once more. She had arranged for To'pau to be moved out of the dormitories to Padawan residence within the Temple, on the upper floors.

"I will work you hard, and would encourage you to do so on your own as well". She stood awaiting his answer with a small smile.

 

[To'pau Namman]

To'pau stood silently while a violent battle raged inside of him. Despite his outward appearance of being calm and relaxed, he was in turmoil. Though Master Heavenshield only looked through her data pad for a few seconds, it stretched into minutes, and the minutes stretched into hours. He couldn't help but wonder why he had been called here out of all the other apprentices.

'Perhaps I am to be reprimanded for dosing off? But why does she have a data pad? What is she looking at?' -silence- 'Wait, what if she's looking at my file? Perhaps my performance left something to be desired and they've given up on me? Am I going to be sent home? What's going on!' As soon as Master Heavenshield began to speak, To'pau tried to keep the palpable relief off his face and refocus back onto what she was saying.

Coci Heavenshield: "You have an interesting record of force abilities on which we could expand and train you to be more proficient. In the lesson you revealed much to me. Although you are learning to control your force connect and abilities, you should a depth to your application that the others have yet to learn.

You seem frustrated at time, which is only natural and a good thing and I can help you with that. I would like to take you as my Padawan, if you so wish. I will work you hard, and would encourage you to do so on your own."

To'pau stared straight ahead at Master Heavenshield, his four eyes all blinking in unison. His mind was hard at work, attempting to decipher what she had said and whether or not To'pau had misheard her or not. After a few moments, To'pau decided he wasn't clinically insane. That was when the smiling started.

To'pau Namman: Stumbling over his words, To'pau struggled to keep his voice level and not blurt out the myriad of questions that had suddenly come into his mind. 'She just accepted you as her apprentice. It would not be wise to ruin the good first impression you've obviously left by appearing hasty and impatient.

"I..I am unsure of what to say Master. O-Of...Of course I wish it. Being your Padawan would be an honor; and I assure you that I will strive to reach the expectations you set for me and then some every day."

Still smiling, To'pau simply stood there. He was unsure of what to do next as today's events had completely blindsided him.

[member="Coci Heavenshield"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

@To'pau Namman

She offered her new Padawan a bow of respect to a Jedi. Rank means little when those that enter the way of the Jedi seek to serve and protect. "The honour is mind To'pau, to be able to teach is no less important then fighting the evils of the galaxy".

Coci moved to leave the room allowing time for To'pau to follower her, she will leave him for now so he can go find his new quarters.

"I have arranged for your accommodation in the Padawan quarters, go and pack what possession you have and report to the dormitory master, they will show you to your new room".

"For now, we depart and tomorrow I will begin your training. I shall arrange a room to do some work with your saber". She bowed deeper at the waist and left him to find his way.

 

[To'pau Namman]

To'pau simply nodded, and he watched as Coci, his new Master turned and moved to exit the Garden. Only after a few seconds did To'pau realize he was meant to follow. He quickly caught up to her and soaked in what she told him. He bowed in turn and watched as she walked away. He was left standing in the hallway alone for several seconds. Finally, he stirred and he headed to his dorm to pack his things so he could move into the Padawan quarters.

((OOC: Was a great RP. Thanks.))

[member="Coci Heavenshield"]