Private Master and Apprentice

[Jasper Kai'el]

Lonestar 1
Tags: Braze

Lightsaber
​

With a smirk, Jasper drew a second screwdriver from his pocket, twirling it in his hands. Now they both were armed and rested, energy flooding through their systems. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to give his student a brand new test.

"Right then, looks like you're ready," Jasper nodded. "Join me in the courtyard, yeah? We've got a bit of sparring to do."

He'd see Braze's mind sharpened yet.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jasper Kai'el

Braze poked the palm of his hand a few times with the tip of the screwdriver, twisting it playfully as he followed behind Jasper. Pausing to consider Jasper's words, he surveyed the room with a mischievous glint. Quickly, he stashed a few small household objects on his person: a butter knife from the dining table, an ornate letter opener from the desk, a pair of chopsticks tucked into his sleeve, and a few coasters slipped discreetly into his pockets.

Feeling ready for mischief, Braze padded outside, still trying to tie his hair back up.

"So who's breaking the bad news to Marissa Shoda if I accidentally ruin your pretty face old man~?"

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Lonestar 1
Tags: Braze

Lightsaber
​

"So who's breaking the bad news to Marissa Shoda if I accidentally ruin your pretty face old man~?"

"Pretty face and old man seem kind of contradictory," Jasper laughed. "Don't grab too much now. You'll have it all falling out of your pockets."

Jasper turned, beckoning for Braze to follow him out of the Lonestar 1 and into the courtyard proper. He twirled the screwdriver in his hand, moving to position himself on the other side of the space. His stance was casual, as though he were testing the comfort of the air around him more than preparing for a battle.

"Well then... at your leisure."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jasper Kai'el

Braze's mischievous smirk faded as Jasper spoke. "Hey, no fair—I was cheating first!" he quipped, his tone playful yet focused. Without missing a beat, Braze hurled the letter opener with precision, then darted to the right, swiftly following up with an attack using a screwdriver. It was clear from his movements that Braze had no intention of holding back.

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Braze

Lightsaber
​

"Oh come now, there's no cheating," Jasper laughed.

He deflected the incoming letter opener with ease, using the tip of the screwdriver to knock it away with lazy precision. Then he twirled the tool and met Braze's incoming blow, locking his 'weapon' with his student's.

"When it comes to proper combat all edges are the difference between life, death, and saving the lives of thousands," he stated. "If you have an advantage over your opponent, take it without hesitation."

Jasper had a few tricks up his sleeves, but he'd wait and see what Braze had to offer first.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jasper Kai'el

As their makeshift weapons locked, Braze's mind raced. Without warning, he attempted to jam his heel toward Jasper's groin, hoping to force the clash to break. Quickly stepping back, he slid his boot across the ground in a rough arc, trying to kick up dirt. With a subtle touch of wind manipulation, he aimed to send the swirling dust toward Jasper's eyes.

Braze smirked, "Guess I'll just have to try and take every advantage I can, right?"

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Braze

Lightsaber
​

Jasper wasted no time reacting, lifting his knee to block the incoming blow towards his nether regions. As the plume of dust came be lifted his hand, activating a rune scrawled out on one of his fingers: Breath. A small stream of air puffed out to split the stream of dust, sparing his eyes.

"You seem a little too enthusiastic about taking every advantage," Jasper remarked with a frown. "I didn't just say that for you."

The Jedi master lifted his hand, letting something else become known to the padawan. A jumper cable snaked out of his mechanic's pocket, part of his tool kit for starfighter maintenance. The cables leapt forwards and bound themselves tightly around the legs of the young Echani to hold him in place.

Then with a gentle hand Jasper would shove Braze to topple him.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jasper Kai'el

Braze's eyes widened in shock as the jumper cables snaked around his legs, tightening and holding him in place. He wobbled precariously for a moment before tipping over with a thud, a startled squeak escaping him as he hit the ground.

Flustered, he kicked and struggled to free himself from the cables, his face flushing red with a mix of embarrassment and indignation. "Wha—Hey!" he protested, trying to regain his composure as he worked to untangle his legs, but his efforts only seemed to make it more difficult.

With a heavy breath, Braze exhaled slowly and extended his hand toward Jasper. The two chopsticks he had hidden shot forward toward Jasper's face as Braze rolled backward, creating some distance. He planted his boots firmly on the ground, quickly untethering the cables. Standing up, he gripped one end of the jumper cable, swinging the heavier end like a chained weapon with a determined look in his eye.

"Yeah very funny. "

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Braze

Lightsaber
​

Jasper lifted his mechanical hand and caught the chopsticks between his fingers, letting Braze roll back to untangle himself before he began swinging the jumper cables like a flail. He couldn't help but let out a chuckle, twirling the chopsticks between his fingers as he waited for Braze to strike.

"Funny?" he noted, "I don't recall making any jokes."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jasper Kai'el

Braze knew brute force wouldn't be his ticket to victory—Jasper had both the size and muscle advantage. Braze would have to out think him.

Without warning, Braze dropped to one knee, attempting to swing the jumper cable low, aiming to entangle Jasper's legs and slow him down. Using the momentum from the move, Braze darted to the side, faking a leg sweep before quickly shifting direction to circle around behind Jasper.

He saw his opportunity and went for it—lunging toward Jasper's mechanical hand. Braze attempted to drive the tip of his screwdriver into the wrist mechanisms, hoping to disrupt Jasper's grip or even momentarily disable the hand's functionality.

At the same time, Braze stayed low to the ground, using his smaller size to stay out of Jasper's reach, or to force Jasper to try and bend to reach him if he wanted to use his hands. His voice came out in a teasing quip, "Let's see how well that hand works when I'm done with it!"

With a smirk, Braze scooped up a few loose pebbles, flicking them toward Jasper's face in an effort to distract him long enough to gain the upper hand.

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Braze

Lightsaber
​

Jasper let his mind enter a flow state, processing the stimulation around him as he prepared to act. The jumper cable came at his legs, to which he lifted his foot, stomping the end of it to the ground with his boot. A fake sweep to the leg followed, which Jasper prepared to check with his own leg, but instead his student circled around him. Jasper maintained his footing.

A sudden strike came to his arm, wedging into the joint of his wrist. Then he found pebbles being tossed into his face, all while Braze was determined to stay low. Jasper let out a booming laughter, letting his eyes fall closed.

"Hey, that's a good one," he admitted. "Heads up!"

The Master grabbed hold of his mechanical wrist with his organic hand, releasing the prosthetic arm from its socket. With a speedy turn, guided by only his senses, Jasper spun just so to lightly bonk Braze on the head with the shoulder plate.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jasper Kai'el

Braze barely had time to react before the solid thud of Jasper's shoulder plate connected with the top of his head. Instinctively, he stepped back, wincing as his hand rubbed the spot where the metal struck. Even though it was light, it hurt more than he expected.

He took a few more steps back, his smirk quickly fading. As the sting settled in, he could feel the heat rising to his face, a noticeable flush spreading across the bridge of his nose and creeping up to the tips of his ears.

Sullen now, Braze avoided looking directly at Jasper, his hands still rubbing the sore spot. The embarrassment gnawed at him, and beneath the surface, something sharper stirred. His mood shifted, more upset now, and his gaze darkened with a narrowed little glare. He'd be more cautious, but there was a new edge to him—more vicious, more calculated.

His eyes flicked to Jasper's footing, and an idea formed. Instead of rushing in recklessly, Braze reached out with the Force, focusing on the ground beneath one of Jasper's feet.

With a subtle movement of his hand, Braze channeled the Force to lift the earth under Jasper's foot, creating a sudden shift in the terrain. The ground shifted just enough, hoping abruptly to shove his Master off balance, tipping him to one side.

At the same time, with a swift flick of his wrist, he summoned the jumper cables with the Force, guiding them through the air toward Jasper's organic hand. The cables snaked toward him, aiming to wrap around his wrist in a bid attempt at binding his movements.

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Braze

Lightsaber
​

As the earth began to shift below his feet, Jasper found his sure-fire footing to be less than capable of maintaining its position. He hadn't been expecting that at all. Then, as he wobbled to one side, the jumper-cable returned in force, snaking around his arm and binding it. The force behind it, even if it hadn't been intended by Braze, was more than enough to send the Jedi Master to the ground. He landed on his back with a rather dramatic fwump, kicking up a small cloud of dust.

Jasper, of course, took it in stride. By this point his face was bright red from how much he was laughing. His mechanical arm had slipped from his hand, laying on the ground next to him.

"Alright, alright, you got it," he wheezed, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow as he laughed. "I surrender."

Of course he could go for longer, but this was the productive beginning to a new side of Braze that was breaking out and beginning to flourish. He'd give him this one. It was only the first session after all. It was better to foster it than crush it down.

If only he could still have this much fun with combat.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jasper Kai'el

​

Braze blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected that to actually work. A grin spread across his face, an odd mix of astonishment and delight flickering in his eyes as Jasper's laughter filled the air.

Releasing his grip on the cable, Braze practically bounced toward Jasper, his steps light and full of energy. He stopped just out of reach, peering down at the Jedi Master, unsure whether to brag or just let the moment speak for itself. The excitement bubbling inside him was unmistakable, his previous bump forgotten in the flood of newfound confidence as a happy, ecstatic feeling flooded the smaller.

He shifted closer, crouching down with a wide smile and extending a hand. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice full of concern, though the laughter reassured him Jasper was very likely fine.

Still, he needed to make sure.

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Braze

Lightsaber
​

He shifted closer, crouching down with a wide smile and extending a hand. "Are you okay?"

"Never better," Jasper insisted, hopping up to his feet.

He hardly needed Braze to help him back up, but he still accepted his hand anyways. Jasper kicked his mechanical arm up to catch it, popping it back into its socket and removing the screwdriver lodged into the joint of the wrist. He handed the tool back to Braze before ruffling his hair.

"I think we can call it a day there," he reasoned. "That was a pretty productive session."

A slight grin spread across his face as he addressed his student.

"Good work, kid."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jasper Kai'el

​

He chuckled when Jasper casually lifted his own arm and reattached it. Braze beamed warmly as Jasper affectionately ruffled his hair. Braze reached up, gently catching Jasper's hand to keep it resting on his head a moment longer.

"When do you think you'll be able to retire?" Braze asked curiously.

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Sacorria, Kai'el Home
Tags: Braze

Lightsaber
​

Jasper was in a bit of a daze. The year had gone by in a blur, really, from being dragged away by those... spirits to fight that dark entity, whatever it was. His wounds had healed, but their effects lingered in a way that was going to take time to recover from. And, of course, he came home to a thousand things he had never expected. His little brother was a Knight, his dear friend had killed her Father, and now...

There was a little person. One that he had created. Jasper held him in his arms as he sat on the sofa of his living room, the tiny being asleep and swadled tightly in a blanket. He had fluffy blonde hair like him, and below those closed eyelids were the green eyes of his mother.

Cole.

As the door creeked open, Braze entering, Jasper didn't look up. He knew his son had arrived and simply let his own presence inform the Echani of his awareness. A soft sigh escaped the Jedi Master's chest.

"I feel awful..." he admitted. "I... really put you all through hell. And I know, you're probably going to give me the 'you were taken against your will' line, which is true... But I'm not really gonna stop blaming myself for a while... I should have been here to support you... That's ultimately a failure that falls on my shoulders."

He didn't exactly feel like he deserved to come back and be a father of three.

"I... am proud, though," he assured. "Of you. For taking initiative... and doing your best to keep everything together. I... I'm glad you came for me."

There was a lot he had to make up for now. Jasper had been whisked away from his family when it was most important for him to be present, and now he was going to do what he could to pick that burden up off their backs. So much seemed to balloon in his absence, all but reinforcing to him that he was needed....

And more importantly that he needed them. Jasper had his soul crushed in Firefist. He needed to put himself back together.

 

[Braze]

Jasper Kai'el

Braze looked Jasper over curiously and eyed the little creature in his warms a little warily... almost like he was afraid of it, or afraid that just looking at the tiny thing might break it. He was quiet as Jasper spoke walking over to peer at the Cole.

"I don't like the idea of letting go of people I love. " Braze stated simply as he looked up to Jasper as the crackling odd sound of his younger voice came from the vocoder in reply. "I'm just glad you're alright. " Braze added lightly.

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Braze

Lightsaber
​

"Yeah... I'm alright..."

Jasper sighed, sinking into the sofa a little. He felt his heart prick a little at the sound of the vocoder. The fact that he hadn't been there was eating away at his insides. There was a whirlwind inside of the Jedi Master that he fought to keep down. Even as he struggled to reign in his own mind, he kept composed. His face was gentle and patient, one that reassured any who saw it that Jasper gave everything to his duties first...

His family especially so.

"I, uh..." the Master began, but trailed off. His cheeks had begun to redden slightly as his organic hand moved run through Cole's hair gently. "I wasn't expecting to have... made a child. I suppose... there's a lesson there you can take away about being cautious if you like..."

Jasper bit at his lip a bit nervously as he looked down at what was, without a doubt, his own flesh and blood. He had created this. It was a lot to take in so quickly upon returning. Especially after he had spent months fighting that Ghost...

He looked at the way Braze gazed at the infant. The recognition of fragility... Jasper knew it well. He had been terrified to hold Cole at first.

"I can't go back to the Order yet," Jasper stated. "I... I need to make up for the time I lost. And I want to. You, Phyla, Marissa, Cole... you all deserve my availability."

He was laying down his weapons for a while. Jedi was going to be his secondary role, and father was going to become his primary. So, for a time, he'd have to get used to staying in the same place. That was fine... he was exhausted. There was a level of joy that came with such a notion...

Mostly. He was still a Jedi at heart after all.

"Does that sound fair to you?" Jasper asked. He turned back to Braze with a warm smile and glossy eyes. "Son?"

He wanted nothing more than to be in their lives again. Jasper's very essence seemed to crave it, like it was the only thing that could make him feel whole again. It was strange to not be called back to the Jedi, but he wasn't going to fight it.

This is what he needed.

 

[Braze]

Jasper Kai'el Braze was quiet as he listened and watched what Jasper was saying and doing. He was quiet for a time after seemingly contemplating what was shared just letting the silence stretch for a few long moments.

"Then don't go back. Do what you want to do... do what you need to do. It doesn't always have to be our responsibility. " Braze offered lightly. " You can't help others if your own ecosystem is falling apart and un stable. And that's okay. " Braze offered. "And You don't have to worry about me... Making poor choices.... I don't think I understand girls enough to even think about getting that far and I prefer the company of boys in general. " Braze added. "Considering my proclivities and habits There's probably a negative chance of that kinda thing. " Braze added. "And What ever sets your mind and heart at ease and lets you enjoy life a little is what sounds fair to me. You only get one life so you need to make it count. Don't torture yourself if you don't have to and take the time to enjoy the little things. "

He moved to settle down on a sofa and rested back gently looking up at Jasper.