Private Non-Negotiable Meditative Retreat

[Cadere]

Silver Rest
Kashyyyk

​

What a fall from grace - duelling Sith Lords, liberating Voss, surviving a battle with the Bryn'adul and now... he was grounded on Kashyyyk on 'meditative retreat'. Cas had sustained an injury to his rib during the Battle on Nar Kreeta, which was subsequently worsened as the Jedi Knight opted to carry on fighting until the battle was over as well as exerted himself beyond his limits within the Force. Okay, he wasn't completely un-self aware and could admit that it was partially his fault that he was in this situation... but it didn't make it any less annoying. Well, it wasn't all bad, as stir crazy as he was getting being stuck at Silver Rest, a few other Jedi that were injured in the battle were forced on meditative retreat too. Cas wasn't going to be the only one missing out.

After days and days... and days of bothering those in higher places than him, they finally relented and gave Cas some tasks to do while he was here. Unfortunately, the Kiffar was better off doing nothing as he was now stuck as temporary security officer at the Temple Library - great, the most excitement he'd be getting is chasing overdue library books and even worse? He had to help in Younglings' training after... was it too late to call Sam for that booty call? Probably.

Arriving late to the Temple Library, the Chief Librarian quickly stormed over to the Kiffar with a face as red as Dathomir. Cas' eyes darted around the room desperately as he gritted his teeth, cringing at what was about to come "Master Tynen, you're over an hour late." the Chief Librarian stated, her brows frowning and her tone harsh. Rubbing the back of his neck, Cas cast a sideways glance to nothing in particular, just trying to avoid eye contact, "My bad, my bad, I uh--" Cas trailed off thinking of a lie "--I overslept." she rolled her eyes at him, letting out 'tsk' sound before retaliating "I recall you begged and pleaded for something to do. You have something to do. Now get to it." she instructed Cas coldly before spinning around to walk off. "Wait!" he called out, stretching his arm out as he did so causing the Librarian to stop in her tracks "What do I even need to do?" the Kiffar asked sounding as clueless as one could possibly be.

Wordlessly, she slowly turned her head to cast him a sideways glance - her glare could even spook the Bryn'adul Ravager he faced. The Kiffar raised both arms in surrender, prompting the Librarian to turn her head forward and continue on her way. Looks like he needed to figure it out for himself...

Yula Perl

 

[Yula Perl]

Yula had always pictured her involvement with the Jedi as “on loan”. The rebels of the Outer Rim had a very different idea for what constituted a Force user—one of the “good” ones, anyway. She was here to keep watch over what remained of her family and support the Silver’s fight against the Sith and…whatever those things were on Nar Kreeta.

A near death experience had the Zeltron out of commission for anything vaguely physical, and she’d been caught hobbling towards her ship more than once. Begrudgingly, she’d accepted the Silver’s generous medical care and board. Her family name likely had something to do with their tolerance of her abrasive behavior. As such, she was pushed into yet another exercise to mold her into something more temperate.

“And that kids, is called the thumb rollover."

A group of wide-eyed younglings stared up at her from their cross-legged seating on the floor. The second oldest of five, the Masters thought that she’d at least be good with children. To her credit, Yula thought she was.

Snapping the knife shut, she grinned proudly at them. “Though in some parts of the galaxy, they call it the Y2K.”

Flipping the knife open again, she twirled it expertly around her finger causing several of the children to scoot back.

“Now, who wants to see a ‘double rollout’?”

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Was it possible to fall asleep standing up? This was one of the many burning questions Cas thought to himself during his wonderous time serving as the Temple Library's security officer. For the past few hours, the Kiffar didn't do much except wander the library and strike up conversations with random Padawans, Knights or Masters that came by... only to be promptly shushed by them.

Why did library security even exist? Another pressing question. Cas was hunched over, staring at a row of glowing holobooks, seemingly devoid of all life before he heard a familiar voice clear her throat "Master Tynen, your hours are over, you may leave now." within seconds, life seemed to return to the young Jedi Knight and he stood to his full height with energy returning to his baby browns, spinning around he met the Librarian's gaze with a broad smile and promptly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug "I'm never coming back here!" he exclaimed cheerfully before letting her go and darting outside of the library.

Midway through sprinting his way to freedom, he slowed down to catch a breath, holding his injured rib and leaning against a nearby wall to stabilise himself "Alright, alright. I get it ribs, no running." the Kiffar said to himself while rolling his eyes. Walking his way to freedom while still clutching at his injured rib, he soon realised he had one more task to do - Cas promptly threw his head back and let out an annoyed groan before making his way over to the classes where Younglings studied.

Entering through the open doorway, Cas' eyes laid on a very attractive Zeltron teaching a class of Younglings. Was he supposed to be co-teaching or something? At least he didn't have to have full responsibility, training his own Padawan was enough. Attempting to make a cool-ish entrance, the Kiffar adjusted his position and leaned with his side against the doorway with his arms folded "Ooooh, a double rollout! I do!" he playfully proclaimed "Although, did I miss the memo or something? Have we traded in lightsabers for knives? I gotta say, not as effective... or cool looking." Cas quipped with a relaxed shrug.

Yula Perl

 

[Yula Perl]

The knife rolled over the back of her hand, and Yula’s fingers gripped the handle once more in time for a new voice—deeper than a youngling’s—to reverberate from the doorway.

On instinct, she grinned sheepishly. Busted. Teaching was not her forte, and even she knew that teaching children knife tricks was likely to earn a reprimand from the Masters.

Her smile turned brighter as the praise registered, and with her free hand, she motioned for the kids to give her an even wider berth. Flipping the knife open, she twirled it over her index finger several times, then back again, before letting go of the handle and sending the knife into a spin. After several revolutions, her hand snaked out to catch the knife—fortunately by the handle. She tilted her head to the newcomer in a gesture of greeting before rising to meet him. The younglings appeared to let out a collective breath.

“Well…” She rubbed the back of her head, tucking the sheathed knife into her pocket. “…I thought it would help the kids someday. Y’know, when they have to pose as underground smugglers to catch criminals. Jedi do that sort of thing, right?”

Yula looked him over. He was a Jedi, right? Would he report her? Maybe that was for the best—she didn’t exactly fill a comfortable role within the Silvers. He seemed friendly enough, so she went for the diplomatic approach. Extending a hand, she gave him a friendly smile and an introduction. “Name’s Yula. I used to run in the outer rim, but I’m from the colonies.” Her familial ties to the Silvers and personal guilt over not being able to protect her sisters had pulled her more corewards.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Cas stayed in the middle of the doorway and simply watched the Zeltron continue her demonstration with a childlike smile. Once it was concluded, he pushed himself from the doorway's side and entered the class to approach whoever this woman was and folded his arms as she explained her reasoning for teaching them about knives. "We do, yeah. Although, sounds like too much hassle for me personally." he confessed, although Cas noted something interesting, she spoke as if she wasn't of the Jedi - if so, why was she here?

The Zeltron introduced herself as Yula, shaking her hand, a sultry smile grew on his lips "Yula, huh? Pretty name for a pretty woman." he stated in a quiet but flirty manner, completely unaware of her relation to the Perl family and even then, the Perl family was a vague subject for him. Quickly, Cas realised his come on was lamer than most and shook his head in disappointment "... I can do better than that, usually. I promise." he quipped, displaying his own sheepish smile "I'm Cas - just your average Jedi, maybe a little bit on the better looking side, also the cooler side... as well as the more skilled side but it isn't a competition." Cas introduced himself, continuing to jest.

With introductions out of the way, Cas turned to face the class of Younglings and rested his hands behind his back before slightly leaning to the side, closer to Yula. Whispering, he asked "So, what exactly is the lesson plan? I'm just a sub. I'll feel redundant if we're teaching them about knives all day." continuing his quips. Although he had a Padawan of his own, Younglings were an entirely different ballpark - he wasn't sure if their impressionable little personalites were suited for his... unconventional way of Jedi-ing... nor did he feel responsible enough to overlook a group of kids and so, subconsciously, he counted the amount of Jedi-to-be in the room just in case he lost any.

There were fourteen currently...

Yula Perl

 

[Yula Perl]

She couldn’t help but snort at his attempt to flirt, snickering genially as he pulled it back. “I was named after my grandmother, so I’ll be sure to tell her that!”

Her grin stretched wider at his introduction, pleased that this one didn’t appear too much of a goody-two-shoes. Yula’s idea of what made a proper Jedi was rather narrow, and Cas’ playful pride was appreciated.

“Good to meet you, Cas.”

When he leaned closer and asked her what they had planned for the day, she hesitated before shrugging lightly. “I was told lightsaber forms, but…” Yula gave him a guilty smile. “…I’ve never taught them. I mean, I used to watch my little sisters but—” She gestured to the room of wide-eyed younglings, all of whom were staring idly at their “teachers” in wait. It unnerved Yula, being so used to a house of unruly siblings. Fourteen young Jedi were far more well-behaved than a single Kyra Perl .

“—this is different. Why are they all so calm?” She muttered back. The children’s patience exceeded that of her own.

“I sort of learned, uh, on the job.” The ‘Jedi’ who’d trained her in the Outer Rim didn’t have a particularly methodical approach.

“Any ideas, Cas?” She fluttered her lashes, hoping he'd have something.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Cas playfully rubbed the back of his neck, half-smiling at Yula's revalation about her name "Mind giving me her details then?" he joked, flashing her a playful wink. Thankfully, they built a good rapport swiftly.

Yula confessed she was supposed to be teaching lightsaber forms and hadn't had experience teaching it to others. The mention of her sisters and her "learning on the job" brought an inquisitive look to his face as he raised his eyebrow - who exactly was this woman? Following her gesture to the group of Younglings, he smirked and cast her a sideways look "Didn't you hear? Jedi Younglings are 100-year-olds trapped in children's bodies - hold on, that sounded grosser than expected." he quipped, facepalming and letting out a small chuckle.

With a crack of his neck and interlacing his fingers together as he stretched them out "Aaaaaalright, I got this." Cas confidentally stated out loud as he took a step forward, standing ahead of Yula. As a Jedi Guardian, Cas focused heavily on lightsaber combat and had knowledge of all lightsaber forms but was proficient in Ataru and Shien. Taking out his lightsaber, the Kiffar flicked it into the air and asked "Okay, kids - what lightsaber form do you want to learn about first?" before the lightsaber landed back into his hand.

In unison, the Younglings declared 'Ataru' which brought a smirk to the Jedi Knight's face "Good choice." looking over his shoulder, Cas' eyes met Yula's emeralds "Watch and learn." he whispered, winking at her again. "Okay, basic rundown: Ataru, the Way of the Hawk-Bat is an aggression form... probably the most aggressive." the Kiffar illuminated, igniting the amber blade as he said so and with a few fast paced waves of the humming blade he continued "Mixing speed, strength and agility practioners always have to be on the offensive - constantly calling upon the Force to to flow through our bodies and enhance our physical characteristics. Watch:" Cas executed his lecture with wide, fast and powerful swings enhancing its intensity with the Force.

Before he winced and halted abruptly as his injured rib flared up again, Cas bent over slightly clutching at his side "Ow, ow, ow! This isn't part of the lecture... ugh, my point still stands though." he hissed, deactivating his lightsaber "Another word of advice... when you're injured, don't fight on the injury."

Yula Perl

 

[Yula Perl]

“Yeah?” Yula said, a bemused look crossing her face as she cleared the way for Cas’s instruction with a sweeping gesture of her arms. “By all means.” She’d learned much of her saber play from Dax Perl and Coren Starchaser , but their ability to teach hadn’t rubbed off on her.

Ataru…Ataru…which one was that again? Soresu, that was the defensive one her mother had mastered, then there was that dueling one. Either way, Yula figured she wouldn’t have to strain her memory much as Cas looked over his shoulder at her. She met his wink with a sharp grin, taking a step back to watch his demonstration. Her eyes followed the warm glow of the tawny blade as she actually listened to Cas’ explanation.

Which was a feat for her, but the fact that he was interesting and easy on the eyes probably helped.

His technique was good, the saber work nice and crisp until he crumpled over in pain. Yula winced through her grin and closed the gap between them. “Easy there, old man. Maybe it’s time for a rest?” She laid the teasing tone on thick while gingerly patting the Knight’s shoulder, before turning towards the groups of concerned children. “It’s alright kids, he’s just…had a little too much to drink?”

That probably wasn’t helping.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

That was embarrassing, not only did he mess up in front of the Padawans but Yula as well. Not a great first impression there... Finally rising back up to his full height, he turned towards Yula and let out a fake laugh "Oh, ha-ha. I'm good, just moved my body wrong." he lied "Funny, calling me an old man when I couldda sworn you were the older one." the Kiffar surmised, smirking, before leaning into whisper "Older women are way more attractive."

Then his eyes suddenly widened when he looked back toward the class, a small gasp escaped his lips "Ohhhhhhh no..." Cas muttered to himself, gritting his teeth. Backing up slightly, Cas' brown eyes scanned the room before he eventually turned to Yula "Um, don't freak out but, uh, there were fourteen Younglings here last time I counted." Cas whispered, pausing to gather the internal courage to come to terms with what's happened "Now there's eleven..." he revealed as he let out a nervous chuckle.

"T-this has never happened before, I can assure you... probably because I've never taught a class of Younglings before..." the Kiffar admitted. Slapping the palm of his hand onto his face, Cas let out a worried groan "Oh, man - if Mathieu, Sakadi or Zemira find out I'll never hear the end of it." then he let his hand slide down before realising Yula was standing right next to him, laugh awkwardly he tried to save himself "Uh, of course, we have bigger problems right now."

Meanwhile, the Younglings stared on at Cas and Yula, completely unaware of the situation and eager to continue with the lesson.

Yula Perl

 

[Yula Perl]

The genial nature evaporated from Yula’s face and gave way to a look of mild panic.

“What? Really? Are you sure??” Her voice lowered to a harsh whisper as she turned her head this way and that, trying to account for all of the children. If mom found out she was so—

Wait, no. Ahaha.

Turning on her heel, she paced out of the room and nabbed a passing padawan from the halls. “Sorry about that, kids!” She smiled brightly at them, pushing the confused Chiss padawan forward by the sleeve of his robe. “Knight Tynen seems to have injured himself, so I’ll be escorting him to the Halls of Healing. Padawan...this guy will stay with you until we get back.” She gave the padawan an encouraging look that wouldn’t accept no for an answer. A moment later, she was shoving an 'injured' Cas out of the room.

“Okay, we can fix this.” Still, she was rubbing her temples as if staving off a headache. “Do you remember what they looked like?”

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

"Yes, Yula. I'm pretty sure." he whispered harshly and with panic, his nerves getting to him. How the hell did they lose THREE Younglings. The Jedi Knight began his internal panic and missed the fact that Yula had kidnapped a wandering Padawan, drafting them into taking over for them while they fixed their mess.

Not even realising he was the excuse for leaving, Cas turned to Yula with a scowl "Hey, watch it!" he exclaimed before finally being ushered out of the room. Cas nibbled at his fingers a bit as a river of thoughts streamed through his mind until Yula snapped him out of it, asking him if he remembered what the Younglings looked like. "Oh, uhhhhh..." he hummed as he stared up toward the ceiling, trying to recollect the faces of all the kids he counted earlier "Two were girls, a Togruta and human. The boy was a Mirialan." the Kiffar revealed.

"They couldn't have gotten far, right?" he asked, rhetorically, quickly Cas' eyes darted to a passing Padawan. He waved his gloved hand and called out to him "Hey, have you seen three Younglings anywhere? A Human, Togruta and Mirialan? About yay big?" he asked, lowering his hand beside his shin to express his point. The Padawan shrugged and continued on his way, Cas let out a defeated sigh and drooped his shoulders "Welp, I tried." he groaned.

Cas then stood upright, resting one hand on his hip while his gloved fingers hooked to his chin to help him ponder. "I remember the kids looking pretty mesmerised by my Ataru demonstration. It happens." he shamelessly complimented himself before continuing "What if they snuck off to train? Wanna try the Training Grounds, or the gymnasium?" Cas proposed, shrugging.

Yula Perl