New Beginnings

[Jsc]

Jedi Temple of Coruscant
[member="Janith Raru Kariton"]


Two days had gone by since Monica and Janith had spoken in the great hall. The police report was now closed and the investigation into Janith's involvement had been dropped. They identified the perps and were following up on the evidence too. Maybe in a week the police would have something. Maybe not. Meanwhile, Monica and Grant had been busy talking about Kariton and rescheduling their vacation. Both Monica and Grant had resigned with the NJO for a year of service. Both had been granted the rank of Jedi Master and allowed temple library access again. The usual.

While Monica and Grant spent most of their time at the Starport, living on their yacht, Janith would be settling into her new room. A women's dormitory on the lower levels of the Jedi Temple itself. It was a small room. Stone floors and a pull out bed. But it had it's own bathroom and clean linen everyday. Fresh pillows and an empty fish tank. The perfect little room for a fresh new start.

Monica would be by to check up on her student in a few minutes too. You could probably even hear her footsteps down the hall, right about now. Yep. Time to see how Padawan Kariton was settling in.

Day Three. Start.

 

[Janith Raru Kariton]

Janith would be putting down the final touches on her room, she would have her hood of and everything letting her longer hair wave around "Well.. you could say this is home.. I mean it is better then the.. womp rat infested inn I lived in by a mile.." Janith would be sitting on her bed looking at her new room in which she had set up very well in her opinion

"You know.. that fish tank would be very nice addition if I had some.. fish" Janith said laughing to herself..

Janith finally unpacked her photo of her parents and set it on the stool by her bed and smiled as she felt her room was finally complete. She would lastly then hear her master [member="Saint Monica"]'s footsteps approaching and stand right on up confident in the look of herself and her room as a hull.

 

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Swish. The door opened with gusto.

"Hello hello. Knock knock. Anybody home?"

Monica smiled as she stepped into the cozy little space. She looked as wild as ever too. A black trench coat wrapped in dark furs adorned her waist and her broad shoulders. Fuzzy black gloves and fuzzy black boots with two black lightsabers against her belt. Gods. Did Monica ever suffer from Peacock Complex or what. And blue hair too? Boy oh boy. Janith must have picked the strangest Jedi Mentor in the whole Temple. Huh.

"Ah... There she is. Heya girlfriend. How you holding up? Hehe."

It probably felt mighty religious in a Jedi Temple all day. Monica wondered if Kariton was adjusting.

[member="Janith Raru Kariton"]

 

[Janith Raru Kariton]

"Well um.. Its something new, I'm not used to this well.. everything from the nice living quarter to the um.. religious practices but its to the most part very very nice. also.. nice outfit, its very... well I really like it!" Janith would smile, happy to see a familiar face as she was going through quite a long day with the move.

"Whats the plan for today master?" saying with a cheerful expression she looked [member="Saint Monica"] straight in the eyes, oddly her eyes were brown now.

 

[Jsc]

She smiled,

"Well. I'm glad to see you are adjusting. Thanks for being brave. I know it can't be easy starting something like this at your age. But... I really am proud of you."

Monica blushed. She and Grant had never had children during the war. So Monica had the bad habit of fawning over her younger students sometimes. Especially the girls. Grant often had to remind Monica to watch her feelings. You can't be a good battle master if you're too scared to hurt the new kids. And Monica had been a very stern battle master once upon a time.

"Anyway. First, we're going to swing by Medicial. Doctor Azure wanted to take a blood sample. He's a very bright alien fellow, that doctor. But nobody else is better suited to figuring out just how much power you have stored inside your genes either. So... He'll run a few tests and hopefully have some answers for us later in the week. It's a very normal thing for new students. Don't worry."

She smiled and examined the room. It was bare but livable. Hardly the purple silks and fox fur pillows of Zeltros that Monica would have brought. But, not everybody had to be a diva to get their first apartment. It would do.

"Come on then. After the blood test we'll start some training on basic Jedi meditations. See if we can't help you get those emotions under control, yeah. Hehe."

Monica motioned to the door. The Medical Bay was upstairs on the ground floor. They could walk and talk as they went.

[member="Janith Raru Kariton"]

 

[Janith Raru Kariton]

"Ha, its easy to be brave in a situation like this if you have a great master guiding you" Janith would smile joyously as she takes in the compliment.. "Thank you though its very nice of you to say".. Janith would blush to as it has been a long time since a mother figure or any mentor figure truly has been in her life, which to her emotions truly calmed her down.

As she finished talking she would begin making her way to the door and to the medical bay, which sparked a thought in her mind.. "Master Monica, what are they going to exactly to in the medical bay.. Its nothing bad right? just a simple blood test?.." Janith being a little on edge would begin pan icing but then later chill down.

"And what was this talk about the meditation.. do you really think It will be able to control my emotions?"

After all of Janith's rambling she would finally give some time to [member="Saint Monica"] to let out a word as for half of the way walking to the medical bay she would not stop talking. It was truly obvious that Janith was simply exited for her first day.. as it was true she had a dis taste for the force, the thought of being a Jedi one day did come as a real treat to the city going smuggler girl in which was use to being looked down on in a regular day basis.

 

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Monica stepped into the elevator and hit G for ground floor.

"It's just a simple blood test dear. They'll draw some blood from your arm and use it to craft a proper medical record for you. It's for if you are ever hurt and need blood. That sort of thing. Naturally, all new recruits go through it. It takes about fifteen minutes and doesn't even make you dizzy. Hehe."

Monica paused to consider another issue. Ah, yes. We'll have to fix that too.

"Oh. And please do call me Master Roberts. The name Monica is actually a title in the ways of my people. It means 'she alone'. However, my Jedi name is Karen Roberts. Thusly. Please call me Master Roberts. It is the most correct translation for today."

She shrugged. It was obvious really. The more planets and cultures you visit as a Jedi, the more names you eventually pick up. Some call you savior. Others, defiler or witch. Naturally Monica didn't use those names. Ugh. After all. Nobody wants to introduce themselves as The Blue Haired She-devil From Outer Space. Bleh.

...Well. On second thought. Maybe HK-36 would. That scoundrel. He loved all the rotten names more than the gold ones. Silly droid.

"Anyway. As to the meditation. Yes. Jedi meditations have been used for thousands of years to help a Force Sensitive being control their inner most thoughts and feelings. Indeed. Grandmasters of meditation have even been able to control their own body temperature and sleep patterns while meditating. A technique we Jedi call Trance. Of course... For now you and I will just focus on breathing and positive thought patterns. That should be enough to keep you busy all week. Mm."

She smiled. Janith was in for a treat.

*ding*

"Ground floor. Ladies first."

[member="Janith Raru Kariton"]

 

[Janith Raru Kariton]

"Thank you" Janith would step out the door walking past [member="Saint Monica"] towards the medical bay.

"So.. Master Roberts.. Thats a very nice name, Will I be Padawan Janith or Padawan Kariton?" Janith jokingly smiled as this hole system of calling people master or being called a Padawan was all very new to her.

Janith looked at the medical bay being scared on what shes about to learn about herself and her future. Truly what she feared the most was that she'd learn she was a freak of nature or some other unworldly creation. Hopefully, it would only turn out positve.

On the bright side, Janith was very much exited for the Meditation training as, controlling her emotions was a skill she wished on controlling all her life.

"I really cant wait for the meditation training master, as new to me as everything is, it all feels somewhat amazing, so thank you for taking me in as your padawan." Janith simply smiled

Janith and Monica would finally arrive in the medical bay as Janith finished speaking.

 

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"Give it time dear. All things in their time. All things in their place."

Be mindful of the present. As old Kenobi would have said. A Jedi's place is in the now. Not worrying about the future. Not vexed over their past. They remain. An anchor to the Force. Such is what Janith would come to learn. In good time.

"Ah! Here we are. Hello Doctor?"

"Perfect timing!"

Doctor Azure greeted them. He was a male Nautolan. A fishy species with green skin and long head tails. Though, most people just noticed the large black orbs they used for eyes. Like permanent sunglasses. Impossible to tell where the poor doctor was focused. Good grief.

"Doctor, this is Padawan Kariton. She's here for her blood test."

"Yes yes. Wonderful wonderful. Hello Padawan Kariton. I am Knight Azure. ...Well. Doctor really. ...Here. Sit. Sit. Goodness girl, please sit. It's a lovely chair. I promise."

The green Jedi flirted about the room with great energy. Grabbing this, putting away that. His mind seemed to be in a million places at once. Brilliant fellow. Sorta crazy. But, mostly brilliant.

He finally arrived at Janith's side with a large pen. Or, a blood gatherer really. One prick and it would begin drawing up her blood. Just the thing for testing a new Jedi's potential.

"Now now. Sit still Padawan. This will only take a moment. Mind the pain yes. It's only prick by human standards."

He paused to sniff the air. As if fascinated by the sudden smell of new arrivals. Then, he continued.

"So... How goes your first week with us Padawan Kariton. How are you finding the Temple, hmm?"

Perhaps he merely sought to draw mind away from the exam. Hard to say with aliens.

[member="Janith Raru Kariton"]

 

[Janith Raru Kariton]

As Janith took in the pen or prick, she would flinch a bit as she truly despised needles, nor anything sharp by that book. But nor the less, tried to ignore the pain

"Well, its quite wonderful here.. Its way better then the Coruscant lower levels.. less umm.. unpleasant rift raft up here haha" Janith sarcastically joked but then smiled after.

"So um, whats it like being the doctor of the Jedi temple, must be alot of work I'm guessing hm? and you really keep this room clean for a medical room so props to you" She would continue to doddle as she wanted to ignore the thought of the needle in her arm

Strange enough as the "blood" of her arms it would either rapidly disperse or suddenly multiply showing some sort of regenerative ability but in the end the fluid or "blood" wood begin dispersing until it was simply a small drop as its main connection would be separated from it.

"So, Master Roberts where do you stay when your not at the temple? I've been wondering that.." Janith would just simply ask to really blow of some time as the liquid or "blood" coming out finished off.

 

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Doctor Azure would blink both pair of eyelids as Janith's blood did tricks all it's own. He even cocked his fishy head and wondered aloud,

"Fascinating."

Monica paused to inquire of him with her eyes. He twerked his head sideways again and blinked to her,

"Never seen a human do that before."

"Do what before Doctor?" Monica shrugged.

"Why..." Azure leaned in very close to Kariton, "...Be so very, very special. Mm."

He quick pulled away and took the pen with him. Watching as Janith's wound healed all on it's own. Amazing!

"Doctor?" Monica stammered.

"It's nothing. I'll have a full report written up for you and the Jedi Council in a week. ...Welp! That's all. Exam complete. Excellent work Padawan. You can go now. Ta ta."

Monica seemed as baffled as ever. The good doctor was always a bit strange, but this? She had know idea what was going on now. Bah.

"Very well. Come along Janith. Let's not bother the doctor. I'm sure he has many patients to attend to."

Azure's black orbs never left the blood sample as he dangled it in the air,

"Indeed Master Roberts. So much to do." He tapped the pen with his webbed finger, "...So little time."

Monica frowned and ushered Janith that it was time to leave. They would get no answers today. Just the frantic energy and mutterings of a half-fish, half-man biological expert.

Weird.

[member="Janith Raru Kariton"]

 

[Janith Raru Kariton]

Giggling, Janith would smile as the doctors excitement over a simple blood test truly made her wonder.. why? It was only her blood. right? But the reality was all of the temple and its inhabitants truly fascinated Janith as she never thought she'd be a Jedi, nor thought she would enjoy the thought of being a Jedi.

Only then Janith would take [member="Saint Monica"] signal and follow behind her waving good by to the crazy doctor

From here, chills would race into Janith as she knew her training would begin here, marking the real beginning of her life.

"So Master Roberts.. What was it like for you being a Padawan.. can you relate to me or.. is it true your journey is your unique tale" Janith wondered as she truly wanted to know who her master really is.. Ironic as Janith did not even know she was.

Janith would then finally leave the medical bay with [member="Saint Monica"] heading to the elevator to head to wherever the training would take place.

This was it. page one, chapter one as they say.

 

[Jsc]

"The dojo is just up one level. There is a balcony that overlooks the great hall. It's the perfect place to start."

Monica hit the elevator button and let the doors close behind them. She nodded to Janith's question in kind.

"I was never actually a Padawan myself. I was conscripted to the Corellian Green Robes as a child. So I grew up as a monk mostly. A Jedi monk, yes. But still. I didn't actually hold any official rank until I came to Coruscant nearly fifteen years ago. Back then, Master Watts noticed my potential on a mission to Tython and Knighted me immediately. I've been an 'official Jedi' on-and-off ever since. For... Oh... About five different Orders now, you could say."

The door swished open and Monica lead them out. They were indeed on a wide marble balcony. A vast view of the hall below them.

"It's hardly the traditional story. I know. But when you set your mind to something? It just sticks, ya know. I've always known I was a Jedi. Even when that title didn't actually mean anything anymore. I guess... I'm just bad with titles and all that, ya know. I mean. Deep down. We are, what we are. Why bother with a hundred different labels for it, eh?"

She shrugged. It was a big galaxy. Maybe Kariton would understand in time. After all. The more you travel the more diverse and wild the galaxy gets. Even for a Force User.

"Anyway. Here we are. Room 201. Just above the hall. ...I know. It's a bit noisy with all the people down below but. Well. That's why I like it here. Reminds you of the company. Hehe."

She pushed open the doors to the traditional dojo-style training room. Bare walls, wooden benches, straw mats, and hidden compartments for storing equipment. It was perfect. It just breathed history.

"Mmm. Just look at that. A whole wide room just for us. Man. Brings back memories."

Monica smiled and pointed to the side bench,

"Tit-tat now. Shoes off dear. Let's be polite. Oh... And do give a formal bow to the center when you enter the mat. A sign of respect to the battlegrounds. All in good form. We must mind our manners. Tradition becomes us. Naturally."

Now. It was time to begin.

[member="Janith Raru Kariton"]

 

[Janith Raru Kariton]

"And um.. ok" Janith would take her shoes of an move to the center of the room to bow, after bowing she would move to where [member="Saint Monica"] was standing.

"Your life seems really interesting Master, what war did you say you were in.. I forgot to ask you and well.." Janith paused for a bit

"whats the plan Master Roberts?" Janith would stand respectively and hold her hands together..

The thought of being in the Jedi temple again boggled her mind as she lived the life of a restaurant waitress with her adopted parent.. She knew she was 'something special' but nothing like a Jedi.

On the other part her mind was starting think..

Even if this 'Jedi meditation' could calm her.. how will it prevent the real anger of her.. and what does Master Roberts have planned for her future, could Monica truly train her...

 

[Jsc]

Monica removed her trench coat and her matching tek-boots. Then she wrapped a simple brown sash around her waist. Her black scaled bodyglove's only decoration. An old symbol in an alien culture. She bowed and returned to the center of the mat. Then gave a slight bow to Janith.

"Please sit."

Together they sat down on the straw mat. In the center of the quiet dojo.

"Janith. The first act of a Jedi Padawan's training is to grasp meditation. This means learning to open oneself up to the Force and to feel it flowing through you. We practice meditation that we might be able to let the Force speak to us whenever we need it most. For while the Force can speak to us at any time? It is up to us as Jedi to learn how to hear it."

"Indeed. We teach ourselves to 'hear' the Force by putting aside the loud noises and constant activity of our own conscious, and unconscious, mind. We calm our bodies and place aside our thoughts so that Force might influence us more fully. We accomplish this by sitting down. Closing our eyes. Steady our breathing and our posture. Then we let our subconscious mind rise up and pass away from the theater of our mind."

Monica gave an example. She sat up straight with her legs crossed, closed her eyes, and paced her breathing. In. And out. In. And out. In. And out. Creating a perfect rhythm.

"As you begin to meditate you will notice your bodies reactions and systems more fully. You will feel your heartbeat, your hunger for lunch time foods, and the weariness of your eyes from awakening in the morning. Your body will become loud and persistant. It will ask for things. Like for more exercise, more nutrition, more moisture, more sleep, more sexual gratification, and perhaps even reveal to you new aches and pains too."

"You must hear these things and then let them pass away. Tell your body thank you and then let it's requests subside. Look beyond the stillness and reach deep down into your own heart. Where you feel your emotions stirring. We're you feel your conscious sleeping. Here. Is where you will find the doorway into the Force. At the center of your being. At the warm center of your heart."

Monica opened her eyes and nodded.

"I can show you to the door Janith Karition. But only you, can open it."

She nodded and closed her eyes again.

"It is time. Close your eyes and steady your breathing. Listen to your mind begin to rise and then allow this too to pass away. Steady yourself at the edge of nothing and look deep inside for the power that courses through your veins. Feel it. Sense it. Let it come to you. Let the Force, flow through you."

Monica smiled as she herself began to enter the Golden Paths. Deep in her own meditations now. She could see Janith now as if through the eyes of the Gods.

"I will be right here with you. Do not be afraid. These are your first steps. ...You may begin."

[member="Janith Raru Kariton"]

 

[Janith Raru Kariton]

Janith would be truly confused as all she was told.. it truly was Ironic as Janith was made from the force yet doubted the capabilities of it.

Janith breathed.. In.. and .. out... In and.. out... In and out and finally achieved a true cycle to the breathing. After calming herself through this she closed her eyes then opened them as a thought crossed her mind

"Master Roberts.. How will I know my 'bodily reactions', I dont get it.. I dont mean to doubt but How will I know if I need.. More exercise or... nutrition or moisture or sleep.. and what do you mean gratification.. I dont want to doubt your teachings as I've seen the force in action but all these things seem to be normal human needs.. what will the force know to do?

"And.. I'll try to do this but what am I supposed to fe-" Janith would finish talking as she realized she needed to be quiet and concentrate to herself to truly achieve a state of meditation..

She would begin trying to meditate.. loosing all strain of thought.. The force power originally omitting from her would finally calm down as she would achieve a sense of inner peace.. As Janith was first experiencing meditation, it would allow [member="Saint Monica"] to look into Janith's mind or the force making her as her mind as a whole and or the force making her would be in a metaphorical 'sleep mode' of the sorts..

 

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Monica would simply raise a finger to her lips. Ah ah. No questions now. Questions are the subconscious rising up to distract us with doubt already. You must pass these away. You must have faith. You must allow your anxieties to settle. You must leap into the unknown. Shhh. Quiet now. Calm. Serene. There are no questions. There is, The Force.

All in good time. All in good faith.

As Janith began to meditate deep into the currents of the Force. Monica would be watching from afar. Held aloft and high above on the Golden Paths. Monica's realm. The trappings of her mind's eye. A spirit, nay, an intelligence. Immersed in the golden currents of the world. From here Monica could meditate and watch Janith take her first steps into the Force.

"Tell me Janith. What do you see? How do you feel? ...What is the Force to you?"

[member="Janith Raru Kariton"]

 

[Janith Raru Kariton]

As the force began to truly join her as a whole she let out a large breath

"I see something.. A desert world.. temples.. statues of men with Light sabers but.. they do not look like Jedi.." Right as another thing happens she opens her eyes and looks at [member="Saint Monica"]

"Master what was that? What was it trying to show me?" Janith panicked as the dream felt so familiar yet it was nothing she had ever seen before..

As she calmed herself down she would simply just try to blow of the steam as she realized this would only work herself up into a small rage in where she cant control herself

 

[Jsc]

Korriban.

Her vision was of Korriban. Monica knew this because she had been to that very valley herself once. With the Silver Jedi expeditionary team out of Voss palace. Yes. That was the place. Korriban. That whole planet. It was cursed. A nexus of shadows. A centerpoint of doom. The very opposite of everything Monica lived, and dreamed, and believed. Nay. Worse.

It was anathema.

Monica opened her eyes and looked long and hard at Janith Raru Kariton. Slow to speak. Even slower to understand.

"Janith. The place you were shown in your vision was Korriban. A homeworld of the Sith. A graveyard to their dead and memorial to all of their black deeds. The place you were shown is forbidden. It is a place where Jedi, do not go."

Of all the things that Monica had seen thus far. This vision upset her the worst. After all. Korriban called and beckoned only to the Sith. It was an inheritance of their blood. A mark of the dark side of the Force. A mark of the damned. Visions of Korriban were visions of doom. Visions that meant the Black Ones were looking for you.

But that wasn't the end of her worries either. Monica had also noticed that Janith was channeling the dark side naturally as well. Perhaps even more naturally than she could channel the light. Her anxiety. Her doubts. Her inability to control herself, her powers, or her emotions. The rage that seethed within her skin. These were all of the same signs that the great Sith Lords of old possessed in their infancy. It marked the beginning of the end for them too.

Shame. Perhaps it was no coincidence that Monica had found Janith sleeping in a pool of other men's blood too. Perhaps that was because she was a weapon after all? Yet. What kind? For what purpose? Mmm. Alas. Monica did not know.

...

Monica stood up quickly and brushed herself off.

"That's enough for now. Please stand."

It wasn't. But it would have to do.

"Padawan Kariton I'd like you go visit Master Kapaw today and request your first work assignment around the Temple. If you're going to live here you'll also need to work here. Master Kapaw has a list of jobs and assignments you can pick from. Whether that means working in the kitchens or sweeping out the hanger bay? There is always a task or two that needs a Padawan. He'll help you get settled. He's been training Padawans for much longer than I."

She nodded. Yes. That would keep her busy for her first week. It would give Doctor Azure and Monica time to figure out just what exactly Kariton was.

"And continue to practice your meditations. I noticed that you got a little worked up this time. Felt a little rage and quite a bit of doubt too. You'll need to practice for at least thirty minutes a day so you can discontinue those bad habits. Meditation is not about channeling dark emotions. Rage, hate, fear. These are the tools of the dark side of the Force. They will not help you control your powers. They will only make your outbursts worse."

There was harshness in Monica's voice when she had said that. Already Janith was flirting with the dark. Already she was believing that she could play with fire. That she could believe that her rage was a boon. A helper. Already she was letting her body define her choices. Define her reality of self. A pity too. That was a dark, dark path to craft for oneself indeed.

"Anyway. We will continue your training next week. After Doctor Azure has completed your test results and submitted the report to the Jedi Council. ...Until then? Work hard. Serve your fellow men. Practice to control your emotions. And visit the library often to study. After all? If you're going to be a Jedi you should at least know a little about them. Reading is the best way to remedy this. Enjoy."

Monica smiled and undid the sash at her waist.

"Questions then? If not. Class dismissed. Hehe."

[member="Janith Raru Kariton"]

 

[Janith Raru Kariton]

Janith would stand up, after hearing what [member="Saint Monica"] had to say about the the vision, Janith would put her head down.. Knowing something was wrong, as having a dream of the Sith home world would be a terrible sign to a Jedi.

"I will continue my Practice of meditation and will report to you about anything new that I find" Janith would pause for a moment

Breathing in then breathing out

"I'm sorry if this vision has been upsetting to you Master.." Janith would down and look away

"I'll also report to Master Kapaw"

Janith would from there look Monica in the eyes as she realized she had done something wrong..

"Goodbye Master Roberts" Janith would bow yet look back down and leave for the elevator to go to Master Kapaw.