New Beginings

[Turin Val Kur]

It had been years since he had taken on a student. Maybe his last one ending in failure had shaken his resolve, but he couldn't allow for that to hamper what he could offer to a new generation of Jedi. Where he was from, the Sith had all but devoured the world with a small army of Jedi and droids being the only thing that stood between them and complete Galactic Domination. Here, the Sith were but a nuisance that cropped up every once in a while. Because of this, most of the Jedi and governments and regular people thought nothing of the Sith and their influence. Or at least it seemed that way. They were more comfortable with small actions against the Sith and other unjust factions and content with this.

He was not.

But he was a minority again in this new Jedi Order. As his boots clicked along the durasteel panels of the starship he and many other Jedi called home he recalled how his warnings of the Sith had put him in a position where it was difficult to aid his comrades. He had learned his lesson. He would let the Sith come, but this time he wouldn't be relegated to a space station deep in the Outer Rim when the strike came. He would be ready.

And so would his padawan.

The doors slid open revealing a room where several Masters and Knights were meeting their Padawans for the first time. This would be their first meeting.

[member="Karren Trask"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Turin Val Kur"]

She hated the Praxuem ship. To her it was gaudy and much to impersonal. Karren preferred the harder things in life. Bitter alcohol, hard missions and the most gruelling assignments. Here felt too plushy for her and she felt herself growing too soft the longer she stayed. Despite several missions she had run for the Rebellion and the Alliance, plus a plethora of lessons most Jedi would not approve of she still could not break ranks with the order.

Something drew her back every time. And for the hungry girl now, it was Turin, offering his services as a teacher. Her path as a sentinel and healer was now long behind her, whether she chose to admit it or not. She had a new purpose in the Galaxy, and that purpose was to meet evil in all its forms head on. As he entered he'd catch sight of a small woman, with her thumbs tucked into her belt. Her shoulders were rolled back,her hair in a single braid on her left side. She was clad in dull brown robes and a simple tunic with a Sasori Bracelet that Kiriko had given to her on Csilla.

She pivoted, and her eyes snapped open, meditations breaking. An stern gaze met Turins own.

"Master Val Kur. A pleasure to meet you at last."

 

[Turin Val Kur]

"Same to you, Padawan Trask."

Their eyes met and he could tell that she too saw the Jedi Order as something of a handicap to the Jedi's true purpose. Eradicating the darkness within the Galaxy. Unlike many of the other Jedi on the Praxeum ship Turin looked ready for battle. Old Galactic Republic Jedi armor under black robes along with several lightsabers at his waist screamed Jedi Guardian. His long black hair was kept in a ponytail that fell near the center of his back and a bandage on his cheek maybe gave clues as to what he did in his spare time. He looked down at his new Padawan's waist and took note of the lightsaber before nodding his head towards the exit of the hall they were in.

"Walk with me."

[member="Karren Trask"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Turin Val Kur"]

Jedi armor and multiple lightsaber betrayed her new teachers leaning. As he spoke she rolled her eyes over him, sizing up his appearance, wondering what secrets of the force he knew. The armor was nice and she raised an impressed eyebrow in a little arc. The lightsabers seemed one too many. Her own reluctance for using the weapon was highlighted in the DL-44 in a leather holster at her right hip. Plus the pouches of Tibbana magazines lined in a neat row next to her own saber.

"Very well," She replied, keeping a nuetral tone. She nodded and fell in left of Turin, one pace back. Both of her thumbs came un-tucked and she clasped her hands behind her back loosely as they strode from the chamber.

​

Finally I can get away from these annoying Padawans on this annoying ship.​

She hoped they would leave, a fact the Master might diving from the tenseness of her jaw and tautness of her muscles. She longed for the cockpit of her X-Wing more than ever now. For the thrill of righteous battle against the darkness.

At least that makes sense. Now to hear his pitch on things. Be calm. Be respectful​

​

Aren't I always?​

​

....​

​

No.​

 

[Turin Val Kur]

"I'm sorry to say that if you were hoping for a Master that could get you a good word in with the Council I am not that Master." The long halls of the Praxeum ship were a winding maze. Even he got lost on the massive ship from time to time, but today there was a single place he wanted to get to before it got too busy. "Most of the Jedi here find my thoughts on injustice and the Sith to be...a little extreme."

The pair were headed for the gymnasium. He needed to get a feel for what she could do with a Jedi's true weapon, or if she could even handle herself in a fight. He did have a mission for them to do, but the way the Galaxy moved, not much could be done at this point outside of picking up the trail behind the destruction.
[member="Karren Trask"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Turin Val Kur"]

Karren nodded, keeping her hands clasped as they crossed the threshold of the Gym naisum. It was a wide open dome, with sterile white walls. Across them were a few vines, snaking their way up from the edges where rows of them had been planted. she breathed deep, letting the earthy smell invigorate her.

She was a fan of places like these.

The force flowed through her body as she opened up her stance a bit and then cracked her knuckles. She stepped forwards, pivoted and then faced Turin directly.

"I understand completely Master Kur. A seat at the Council is not nor will ever be my priority. I walk a thin line between darkness and light, and my own views I am sure are much more extreme in some ways than yours, though perhaps with a few nuances in different subjects."

She left out the part about her trips to Dathomir, to see the Jensaraai and training with a woman from the Cult of Uriel. Well it was a cult like organization. Yumi too, was decidedly left out. she did not trust him with that knowledge just yet, though if he dug deep anough and had attention to detail he might discover some deep seated darker aspects of the young Jedi.

"I fly for the alliance, The Rebellion and Command a ground force in the GA known as the Silver Suns. I am proficient enough in Shien and few force abilites, though I will not profess to be a Master or even a Knight at these things. I'll take whatever teachings you feel fit and pass whatever trials you deem neccessary."

 

[Turin Val Kur]

"Both sides?" He admitted, he saw some benefits from learning how the enemy received and utilized their power. But as someone who had walked that path before and lost many he deemed dear to him in the process he knew better than to let those lines blur into one, for if they did, one always came out darker than they intended. With a knowing sigh he looked towards the wall and levitated a pair of training sabers to them and let one hover in front of his apprentice.

"Interesting. One does not vanquish the darkness by adding it to the light," his training saber activated, a purple blade with a higher pitched hum than usual. "But we'll keep philosophical debates for another time. My main concern is whether or not you can defend yourself. I expect you learned something of Form I prior to becoming a Padawan, let me see your best ready stance, Form II." Even if she hadn't learned the Forms in their entirety, she should have at least the basest of basics down.

[member="Karren Trask"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Turin Val Kur"]

She nodded, grinning as he spoke. Form two was something she was intimately familiar with. It was the form she'd learnt after so many beatings using Shien as her primary. Makashi, the duellers art.

"Perhaps. But one might be able to fight fire with fire. It's been done before. I read about a certain woman named Ashin Varanin in the archives. Went by the name of Ajiera Cradei or something for a time. Dark Jedi Master who fought darkness with darkness."

Karren unholstered her lightsaber from the small of her back in one swift motion. It hung loose in her right hand. Then she turned, exposing only her right side, hip and toe pointed to Turin. The other foot slid back and sideways, giving her a stable base. As her eyes met his her blade ignited, brilliant emerald springing to life with a thrum.

"Not every situation allows us to hang flawless in the light. Even Jedi are fallible, we are people after all. Why not use the emotions that don't suit us in time of peace, towards the enemies of that peace."

She lifted her right arm, blade straight as an extension of her arm, elbows locked. Her eyes closed a centi-meter more, and she breathed deep, letting her chest rise and fall in a rythm as the force surged in....

She would wait for her opening, and then begin her attack...

 

[Turin Val Kur]

She was ready for a duel, he could tell from the spark in her eye. She was eager to vanquish the darkness, he could tell that much. But her role models seemed questionable to say the least. He had read of this Galaxy's Ashin. In his own timeline she had been a ruthless Sith Alchemist alongside Isley Verd. Only Velok's Light and sacrifice was able to vanquish the pair. But not before they gave the Sith Empire secrets that no man should have access to. Not before their Eternal Army spread across the Galaxy.

It seemed the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

He sighed, skulking around her like a Nexu ready to pounce on its prey. Luckily for her, he was not interested in a duel. Not at this point, and not with that stance. He modeled a near perfect, or at least, perfect enough for a a Padawan to hopefully catch subtle differences between their own stance and his.

"You're tense," a swift buzz to Karren's ankle, the stun function had been lowered to the point of a dull pain, similar to being struck with a stick. "Here. You're too tense here. How are you supposed to pivot and face me with a carbonite frozen joint like that?" He twirled his training saber out of habit. "I've read up about this timeline's Ashin. She was a masterful Jedi in her time, and an even stronger Dark Lord. She did fight the darkness with darkness. Ultimately though it was the Light that was able to deal the final blow to the Sith Empire and Ashin succumbed to the Darkness, letting it consume whatever was left leaving. The Dark Side eats away at its practitioners. No one who follows their ways is long for this world and they often do more harm than good, regardless of where their goals lie."

He zapped her back.

"And here too, you're bending your back too much. Don't straighten too much though."

[member="Karren Trask"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Turin Val Kur"]

Karren grimaced at the blow, straightening her stance and loosening the elbow. As he moved her eyes stayed locked to the fore, taking in every word. It was true by all accounts that the darkside did corrupt. Every usage was a blasphemy that tore physical life from the practitioner. Her mind went to the teachings of the Nightsister Alchemy verses.

​

Something of equal value lost, for something of equal value gained.​

"There are some parts that are questionable but the idea itself has some merit. How does one always stay in the light anyways? Injustice is rampant among the galaxy. I can't always walk the straight path. In fact I haven't. The Darkside when in battle feels so....good. And even now I don't feel any lingering effects. Not consciously anyways. I am my own person, still upholding the ideals of the code, even if loosely."

She loosened her grip as well, flexing her fingers to readjust her hand around the hilt. Then she nodded.

"How does this look?"

 

[Turin Val Kur]

"The Dark side doesn't just effect you, it effects the people and things around you. It worries me that you claim to have dabbled in the Darkside." Turin had seen firsthand what the Dark side can do, even to the purest of hearts and convictions. Flashes of a war best forgotten went through his head and he sighed before taking a second look at his apprentice.

"The Dark side will always feel 'good', just like breaking a window or bottle feels 'good' when you're angry or frustrated. I won't deny that passion is an important thing to carry with you, especially in battle. A passionless being can never hope to win a fight as it is those passions that push you to see another day. The Dark Side however," he trailed off, a dark shadow cast over his eyes as if he was looking into some far off place.

Remembering where he was he took a final look and nodded, satisfied.

"Looks good." He took his own stance in front of her. "Strike me."

[member="Karren Trask"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Turin Val Kur"]

"Fair enough then. I'll stay away from it.....for now."

It was a lie of course, but her testing of the Masters reaction was enough to tell her what she needed to know. she would not find an ally among the Jedi Order. And it was a pity, but she held no grudge.

My path is a longer more twisted road.​

She frowned, letting her brown brow furrow and then stepped forwards, propelling herself off her back foot. Instead of a straight up strike she V stepped left and forwards, to cross Turin's line of leverage and then struck. A quick flourish of her blade in a X shaped slice. Her wrist flicked the blade with delicacy and power, aiming to catch his unprotected side.