Private Lessons of the Ascendancy

[Zinayn]

Zinayn had carefully prepared the training room for his new trainee not just to be optimized for combat simulations but also give the room some Chiss decor. A poster of a groundlion mid-roar native to Naporar Prime dominated one wall, while a mysterious Chiss nightdragon took up another. Aknoby would be the first Chiss he'd met in around a decade. Although he rarely showed emotion or felt its thrum in his chest, like most Chiss, Zinayn could feel the anticipation building within. He had been a mentor to many of the students of the Lilaste Order, so teaching the young boy the ways of the Force and lightsaber combat wasn't what he was excited about. He was looking forward to talking about the Chiss Ascendancy he'd grown up in and inquiring about Aknoby's own experiences. The boy was young, so Zinayn doubted he had been around or even remembered anything about Csilla's destruction and the Ascendancy's demise. Though, on second thought, he had heard something about Aknoby's memory...

He'd find out soon enough. Zinayn could sense Aknoby's presence approaching. His eyes flicked to the table nearby to double check that he'd brought his lightsaber before he folded his hands behind his back and faced the door to greet his kin, a slight smile on his face.

Aknoby

 

[Aknoby]

Aknoby is extremely anxious. Since waking up with no memory, this is the first time he will speak to a Chiss. Reading about and seeing photos and videos of the Chiss Ascendency had caused certain emotions that took him by surprise: melancholy, longing, a dose of pride, but soon after, a strong sadness overcame him because he couldn't remember why he felt all this. Now he was going to meet a member of the Diarchy who is a Chiss like him. His stomach churned, and he did the breathing exercises he learned from Laphisto to calm himself. He stopped in front of the training room door and took one last deep breath before entering.

He stopped and looked at the room, losing his breath for a few seconds. It stirred something deep inside him, as if memories were finally about to explode, and indeed some did, in fragmented flashes that didn't make much sense: a flag, soldiers, a military parade he was watching, perhaps?

He took another deep breath and looked at Zinayn.

"I'm sorry, I..."

He paused for a few seconds, thinking about how to say it, but he saw no reason to beat around the bush.

"I have amnesia."

Zinayn

 

[Zinayn]

So that's what Zinayn had heard about the boy's memory. He involuntarily raised an eyebrow at the boy's blunt greeting before nodding understandingly and smiling at his reaction to the Chiss wallpapers. "Amnesia. I see. Do you remember anything about your younger days? Your parents? Where you grew up?" he asked with a warm tone that he usually never used.

Zinayn had walked into this thinking he might give a small briefing on Chiss tradition to hopefully have it carry on to the next generation. Now that he knew Aknoby remembered next to nothing about his Chiss heritage, that would probably change to a long lesson about Chiss traditions and history. If the boy would have the patience to stick around for it, of course. For a split second, he compared himself to his Sky-Walker teachers back on Csilla. The boring class sessions and monotonous tone the teacher used while drilling procedure into his head had given him fleeting thoughts of defenestrating him from the top floor of the academy. Now, Zinayn was in the teaching position, and he could only hope his student would actually be interested in learning about his people and their culture.

A part of him doubted that Aknoby would be patient or interested enough to hear what the older Chiss had to say, but Zinayn did have hope that he could pass down Chiss traditions. Really, it was the most important thing to him in this moment. The Ascendancy was gone and their people were scattered. Even though the Chiss species likely wasn't close from being extinct from the galaxy, the thought of losing their identity was painful to think of. Zinayn had seen videos of young Chiss across the stars partying, getting intoxicated, committing petty crimes, and ending up in prison. What had happened to the stone-cold discipline the Ascendancy's Chiss were known for? Had it really disappeared within one generation?

That thought alone motivated Zinayn in the moment to share the values of the true Chiss of the Ascendancy with this member of the next generation in hopes of retaining that discipline, intellect, caution, honor, and above all: loyalty to one's family. It occurred to him now that he no longer had the Irizi family to be loyal to. No Patriarch to revere or cousins to defend. But their values lived on in him. Despite the fact that his blood-related family was gone, scattered to the solar winds of the galaxy or destroyed on Csilla, his loyalty now belonged to the Diarchy. In that way, he kept the Ascendancy alive.

Aknoby

 

[Aknoby]

The young Chiss shakes his head but remains thoughtful.

"When I came in here, I remembered seeing something, a military parade? I couldn't see their faces, I think I was very young, and about my family..."

He bites his lip, not having had the courage to tell anyone about this, not even Laphisto, and exhales heavily.

"When I woke up, there was only fire and rubble and metal. I can't remember those first few weeks very well. I was moving on autopilot to survive, and going on autopilot, she Force, until the moment when... I caused a problem in a space warehouse that Laphisto was guarding."

He scratches his red hair, something he noticed attracted the attention of people who had seen Chiss before, and looks at Zinayn.

"I think I can slowly recover my memory, and I would very much like to learn about our culture, please."

He speaks in a low tone with contained anxiety, looking at the older Chiss.

Zinayn

 

[Zinayn]

Zinayn's gaze couldn't help but fixate on Aknoby's vibrant red hair. Usually, Chiss had dark blue hair. Maybe the kid had dyed it.

He nodded slowly as the boy talked about the things he'd remembered upon entering the room. Images of destroyed buildings and thick smoke billowing into the air played at the forefront of his mind. It sounded like Aknoby's experience with the Maw's orbital bombardment of Csilla was similar to his. Thankfully, they'd both escaped.

Then came the magic words Zinayn had been hoping for. The kid wanted to learn about his heritage. The values of the Ascendancy wouldn't die with him, it seemed. If Aknoby took well to them, of course. "I'm glad to hear that you want to learn more about the Ascendancy. You know, when I found the Lilaste Order, I was surprised to see that their values were similar to ours. Surprised that the military discipline of the Order could even stand on the same podium as the Ascendancy. You understand why discipline is important, yes? We must not allow ourselves to be affected by anything that would distract us from our goal. Discipline leads to hard work, and hard work many times leads to success.

"This principle applies to training, for example. What I am going to teach you today may be a struggle at first. But when you stay dedicated to your mission, and you keep trying, you will understand in time." Zinayn took a step towards the table where he'd been sitting before and grabbed his lightsaber before beckoning Aknoby further into the room.

"I will be teaching you Niman today. A form that I find myself using most of the time. The purpose of Niman was to combine Forms I through V into a more balanced form. As such, Niman has no outstanding strengths or weaknesses. There are two main things that students struggle with using this form. First, due to the less intensive training required to master the bladework, Niman users incorporate the Force into their attacks. Secondly, because Niman is not a very strict form, you need to be quick to improvise on the battlefield, as there are no rote responses for you fall back on in a fast-paced battle.

"Speaking of the second difficulty, that leads me to my other point. We Chiss tend to be very intelligent. In the Ascendancy, our people used that intelligence both in the military and in the political arena. Our military commanders were the best in the galaxy. Their smarts allowed them to see the battlefield in a way that others could not, and allowed them to improvise strategies on the fly. That is what you'll need to master Niman," he said, spinning his lightsaber hilt in his hand. "Any questions before we begin?"

Aknoby

 

[Aknoby]

He noticed the older Chiss's curious gaze at his hair, but for now he remained quiet, listening thoughtfully, nodding his head affirmatively but calmly when the question about discipline was asked.

When Zinayn explained Niman, he became interested but also made a face that showed he understood the difficulty. His best form was Ataru, followed by Shiem, and having learned Makashi, he could only imagine how this could be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, he knew three of the five forms that Niman used, but on the other, the training itself seemed complicated.

He sighed a little.

"Well, I know a little Makashi, Shiem, and quite a bit of Ataru. Does that make it any easier? And about our culture, I would like to learn as much as possible. Maybe that will help me,Master Zinayn?? I only remember that my name is Aknoby and that I must be about 15 or something like that, and..."

He gives a mischievous smile.
"My hair is naturally this color, as are my eyebrows and other body hair."

Zinayn

 

[Zinayn]

Zinayn's eyes wandered to the poster of the Chiss nightdragon as he listened to Aknoby. "Knowledge of other lightsaber forms does make Niman easier since it is a mix of five different forms. Though, it could also be a weakness. Remember that Niman requires constant focus on creating attacks and defenses. It isn't like the other forms in the way that you can turn your mind off and fall back on muscle memory. Niman needs you to be present in the battle."

"I do believe that our values as Chiss can help us in battle. Especially with Niman, our advanced intellect allows us to strategize feints and counters quicker than others, as well as other tricky moves that can deceive our opponents.," he said. Lowering his tone, he continued, "While I certainly think highly of the Ascendancy, it did have its flaws. One of which being the constant infighting and subterfuge among the Aristocra. Our intellect should be used to deceive foes, not allies. While I am here to teach you bladework, battle is not simply about how strong you are in the Force or your skills with your blade. Your mind matters far more than those aspects. A well placed trap or a well timed distraction can turn the tide of a battle, as you can see if you study Chiss military history like I have.

"I will teach you not only powers of the Force and skills with a lightsaber, but how to utterly outsmart your opponent and get them in the position you want them. But first, I must analyze your saberwork as it is now." Zinayn pressed a button and one part of the wall slid open. A chrome droid rolled smoothly out of its chamber and stopped on the middle of the mat in the center of the room. A second later, a hidden hilt in its hand ignited and a blade of emerald light sprang forth, filling the room with a steady hum. "Show me your lightsaber prowess, Aknoby. Oh, and do remember to turn your lightsaber to training mode. I don't get paid enough money to pay for a replacement droid if you break this one."

Aknoby

 

[Aknoby]

Aknoby looks curious as he hears the description of the Niman form.

"I see, that's why it's harder to master, and I think I understand why."

He says in Cheunh with a smile, the words coming out naturally, even though the boy's fragmented memory had not forgotten his mother tongue.

He watches the droid enter, while drawing his lightsaber and bringing the golden blade to life. He quickly moves a finger again to put it in training mode.

"I can ask Commander Laphisto for a new droid. If it's for my training, he'll just consider that I'll probably break your droid sooner or later."

He says with a smile, after giving the droid the more formal Makashi form greeting, he positions himself in the footwork of that form, attacking the robot with a lunge. He starts off looking like he has fallen back on muscle memory, but he soon notices the speed and the way Aknoby moves. he doesn't use, at least for now, Ataru's acrobatics, but he mixes Ataru's strength with Makashi's refinement, moving faster deliberately, changing the rhythms of his lunges and even making some cuts.

He doesn't just move back and forth like form 2, but moves diagonally and sideways to the droid, quickly like form 4. He seems to glide due to his increased reflexes and speed typical of Ataru.

The targets he aims at on the droid are varied, typically aiming at Makashi's hands, but he also aims at the legs when moving around the droid. He moves faster and faster, starting to sweat, and perhaps to Zinayn's astonishment and even concern, he uses some erratic juyo movements.

At one point, he uses the force on the droid's legs to hit it in the head, causing the droid to stop as if it had been uprooted.

Zinayn