Private On Wayward Wings

[Kahlil Noble]

The time of hands off and distance was over. There was no more letting his Padawan's grow on their own without him so they might find themselves, not with the looming danger still in the shadows. He'd give them the space they needed, but it certainly wasn't going to be as much as it had been. Especially for Katherine. What she was couldn't be ignored, not if she didn't want to be prosecuted by her fellows when the conflict with the Sith returned. She needed more training, more understanding, more preparation.

Kahlil stood in one of the training rooms, hands behind his back, a calm smile on his face. They'd been at it for a couple hours now. Simple lightsaber training, learning how best to utilize both her blade and her wings. Flight such as what she had gave her a distinct advantage, and weakness. He clicked a button, reactivating the training droids around the room.

"Again. Remember to keep your wingspan small. They're large targets. Extend them only ever enough to move how you need to, but don't give them a chance to take them out."

Katherine Holt

 

[Katherine Holt]

“Yes, Master.”

Katherine let out a pained groan as she leaned down to pick up her training lightsaber. Each time she had been struck in the wings, it had been an almost debilitating pain. Kahlil had noted it being similar to the sensitivity Twi’leks and Togrutas had towards their lekku. Which made it even more crucial for her to learn how to control them in the middle of a fight.

But it sure didn’t help that her wings seemingly had a mind of their own.

Whenever Katherine panicked, made a move to defend herself, either one or both wings would curl around her in a protective shell. Which would be a handy reflex…if her wings weren’t just bone and feathers.

She took a deep breath, before slipping into a basic stance she had been practising. Fortunately, at this point Katherine was easily able to keep her balance with her wings. If it hadn’t been for Valery, Katherine knew she’d likely still be losing her balance.

The droids began to slowly approach Katherine from multiple sides. A mix of standard bi-pedal droids, along with training remotes. The enemy can come in different forms during a fight, you must be prepared to manage attacks from afar and up close.

Katherine’s eyes were focused on the remotes mostly, but tried to keep the others in her peripheral vision. Only for one of the bi-pedal droids to suddenly rush her. The redhead Padawan quickly turned, raising her lightsaber to intercept the sword. One of the remotes suddenly stopped whirling around, a warning enough for Katherine.

Try as she might, she couldn’t quite stop her left wing from instinctively unfurling to wrap around her. No, I need to get control over this!

She forcefully pivoted her body around, pulling her left side away from the remote as it fired a shot. Katherine swung her lightsaber up just in time to deflect it, but left her right side exposed.

Kahlil Noble​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

It all came to an abrupt end as Kahlil flipped the off switch. Frustration. He could feel it in the air, and it was enough for him to end the lesson, at least, the physical part of it. He smiled faintly, dipping his head.

"You're getting better. But you're putting a lot of pressure on yourself. It's leaving you open, distracted." Case in point when she left her side open. He motioned for her to sit, which he did himself.

"Tell me what's going on."

Katherine Holt

 

[Katherine Holt]

It was at the last moment that Katherine realised her mistake. Too late for her to try and counter it. She tried to move, but the sharp sudden movement wrestled against the weight of her wings. Instead, the redhead Padawan scrunched her eyes closed and braced for the pain that would follow.

Except…it never arrived.

Katherine opened her eyes to see the droid had frozen midswing, holding it for a few moments longer before it shifted back into standby mode. She looked over at Kahlil, controller in hand.

The initial feeling of panic dissolved into shame and disappointment, at herself.

She let out an exasperated sigh, the blade of her training lightsaber fizzling out as her arms slumped to her sides. Katherine turned to face her Master, watching as he walked over to a nearby bench, but she didn’t join him.

“...It’s nothing. I just need to practise.”

Kahlil Noble​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil raised a brow right up, but he didn't say anything at first. Instead he just looked away. If she didn't want him to know there was something, she didn't need it to be written all over her face how upset she was. Eventually he just chuckled as he shook his head.

"It's not just that, I'm sure. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. But you should still sit. Relax. We aren't the Sith, you can take a breather."

Katherine Holt

 

[Katherine Holt]

Katherine didn’t question it, clipping the training hilt to her belt before practically flopping down into a seated position right where she had been standing. Okay, maybe she was a little bit tired.

Silence fell as the redhead stared down at the floor, seemingly embroiled in an internal debate. To say Katherine was regularly a swirl of emotions would be an understatement. But compared to when Kahlil first met her on that ship, she was at least now trying to wrestle some semblance of control.

“What am I, Master?” She asked, looking up at Kahlil. “What am I supposed to be?”

It wasn’t the exact thing that had been weighing on Katherine, but it was something.

The mention of Sith had caught her attention, and it reminded her of something she had learned, or rather came to a conclusion towards. Amongst the book recommendations from Lily Decoria , Katherine had come to learn about the history between the two Orders. Especially that of their more recent conflicts with one another.

It had been a while since the last, things had gotten too quiet.

And as much as Katherine was ignorant to a lot of things, even she couldn’t shake the feeling there was something hanging in the air.

As if there was a powder keg somewhere out there in the galaxy, just waiting to explode.

Kahlil Noble​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Hmm.. That's a tough question to answer. The one who had a hand in making you probably had some plans in mind on who you'd be and what you'd do. A loyal soldier, perhaps? A general? An assassin?" He rubbed at his chin, seeming to think it through. There were all sorts of options in that. "When I was made, they had all sorts of grand plans for me. None of which I wanted, though." Becoming a vessel for his father, becoming a Sith. None of it was something he wanted to do with his life.

"So.. Rather than wonder what you are, why not think about what you want to be?"

Katherine Holt

 

[Katherine Holt]

“Yeah…I suppose that was quite the loaded question, wasn’t it?” She looked up and over to Kahlil, a sheepish smile on her face. At least they were properly conversing now, in comparison to how she had been found. It probably felt like pulling teeth to get her to talk at length.

The idea that someone or the someones that made her into this, had specific intents for her, made Katherine shudder. Her parents were the ones who made her, and she was just meant to be an ordinary young girl, not…whatever she was now.

A Sithspawn Jedi?

It was one hell of an oxymoron.

Katherine thought about the question posed by her Master, and let out a sigh. She slumped backwards, falling into what looked more a ‘lounging’ position, her wings propping her up a bit.

Wait…

“You said you were…made too?” She lifted her head up, looking at Kahlil with a confused expression.

Kahlil Noble​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Mm. I'm a clone. My original was nearly killed by our sister when we were four, but I wasn't really made to replace him. I was an experiment to become a sort of.. Vessel, yeah. For my father's soul if he ever needed a new body."

Kahlil shrugged just a little. It was a fact of his life he'd long accepted. A fact that he had to, if he wanted to reconnect to the Force and become the Jedi Master he was now. "It's what they wanted me to be. But I'm certainly not now."

Katherine Holt

 

[Katherine Holt]

Katherine blinked.

Her Master was a…clone? On one hand, she made a mental note to research what a ‘clone’ was. The archives probably had something on the subject, and if not then the HoloNet would be the next best thing. On the other, she stared at Kahlil as if it was going to better her understanding of what he had said. But to her, he looked no different than any other flesh and blood person.

“I…what’s that like? I mean, being a clone ‘n’ all? Is it…strange?”

The Padawan quickly clamped her mouth shut, realising she had spoken her thoughts out loud. She let out a sheepish chuckle, her cheeks burning red with embarrassment.

Kahlil Noble​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Nothing, really. I'm just.. Me."

Kahlil shrugged indifferently. He didn't have trouble accepting himself simply because he'd made himself who he was. A Jedi, a husband, a father. He'd long picked that path, so what did it matter if he was a clone or not?

"But that's my point. You're you, whatever you want that to be. Don't ever let someone try to tell you otherwise."

Katherine Holt

 

[Katherine Holt]

She watched her Master closely, as he answered her question. She almost mistook his shrug for nonchalance. And perhaps there was some element of it, but it wasn’t at the forefront. Rather, it was clear to Kat that he had come to terms and acceptance of what his origins were.

Katherine’s head tilted slightly, as she fell into thought. Other than the obvious, what were their differences? Kahlil had a duty, friends, a family, those that he loved and cherished. Whereas she had none of that, aside from the few friends she had made since arriving.

Was that why her Master had insisted she’d try and make friends. To form bonds and find a path that she wanted to follow?

“I suppose finding what I want to be isn't going to be a simple thing, is it?” She looked over at Kahlil, already knowing the answer. Katherine sighed, leaning back against her wings again. She remained silent for a few moments, before she tucked her legs back, and using her wings as a springboard, jumped up onto her feet.

“Okay, let’s try this again.” She said, determination clear in her voice.

Kahlil Noble​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Depends, really. Finding it by yourself is the hard way. Finding who you are by learning who others are is easier." He did raise a brow as she utilized her wings to jump back up to her feet. They were stronger than he'd assumed. Grant it, she flew with them right? Kahlil reached up to rub his chin, watching her in a moment of contemplation and silence. Then smiled. She was ready to go again. Good.

A click of the switch had the drones come back to life, slipping to and fro in the air around them.

"Good."

Once they were done, though, he'd have something else to talk to her about with those wings. Maybe they could actually be used as a shield after all.

Katherine Holt

 

[Katherine Holt]

Katherine shifted into a stance, her feet slid across the floor. It was a typical stance learned by every Padawan, but hers was slightly different. In order to compensate for her wings, just as Valery had taught her.

Modify your stance, distribute the weight of your wings so you don’t topple when moving quickly.

The Padawan closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she focused her mind. She pushed away any other thoughts that weren’t about the here and now, of the droids that were presently floating in the air. Listening to the slight hum they made as they shifted back and forth, combined with the low thrum of her training lightsaber.

Her eyes snapped open as she swung her blade up to deflect the first shot, then the second and third. None of them were returned to sender, but they were being intercepted. Katherine’s eyes were focused on one drone, but kept the others in her peripheral vision.

But then she heard the click of the switch again, signalling the two bi-pedal droids to activate behind her. Katherine kept her attention on the drones, but was listening for the droids’ metal feet as they approached.

The first came at her with a stab of its sword, aiming for her right wing. Katherine however pivoted her body to the side, letting the blade slip past her. She brought up her lightsaber to block the second droid’s attack. The first came at her again, only for her wings to act in instinct once more. Only this time, the left wing curled in before shooting out like a spring, slamming into the droid and knocking it to the floor.

Kahlil Noble​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Your wings are strong indeed. No different than your arms or legs. You have to keep them safe, but like any martial artist they're fully capable of being used for offense, and defense." Something seemed to have clicked for her as she moved. The wings weren't just an obstacle to her anymore. They were a part of her like any other part. The more she got comfortable with them, the easier it'd be for her. They were a large target.

And that could be it's own advantage.

"Perhaps we should get you armor for those."

Katherine Holt

 

[Katherine Holt]

The idea of using armour over her wings had Katherine pause. “You think so?” She asked, losing her focus and not noticing one of the droids approaching from behind. However, as if proving a point, the overhead blow was intercepted by one of her wings.

It struck the top of it, along the sturdier part of the wing. Katherine hissed in pain, but she didn’t falter. Instead, she let out a small growl before spinning around and slamming the blade of her training lightsaber into the droid’s head. Sending it stumbling away in a daze.

The Padawan let out a sigh, turning to face Kahlil.

“Wouldn’t putting armour on my wings stop me from being able to fly?”

Kahlil Noble​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Depends on the armor, and your training with it. Like a soldier learns how to wear their own armor, you could learn how to move with some on. Asides, you're talking to me. I'm pretty good at making handy artifacts." He flashed a grin, even gave a thumbs up as he watched her handle the droids. She wasn't perfect, but she was getting better by the second in her control. "With the right runes, I could make you a charm to just help without needing real plates or such. Enhance them as a Matukai user might make their bodies hard as durasteel. There are ways."

Katherine Holt

 

[Katherine Holt]

Runes, Matukai.

They were words that Katherine wasn't wholly familiar with, but she was nonetheless fascinated to learn more about them. When she had first started training, she figured it would be all very traditional. Like how the stories of Jedi typically were. But learning under Kahlil had proven that false. Especially when it came to the artefacts he had created in the past.

With one of the droids in a daze, Katherine didn’t hesitate to take advantage. She moved in, sweeping her leg low to knock it further off balance. As one metal leg flew up, Katherine swung her training blade down into the droid’s chest, sending it crashing onto the floor. It paused for a moment before deactivating, signalling she had ‘beaten it’.

One down…

The Padawan turned to confront the last droid, but shifted quickly into the defence as the remotes began peppering her with shots. Katherine managed to block a few, but she had to duck and dodge others.

“But isn’t there a flaw with something like a charm? There’s potential it can be disabled in a battle. So perhaps a combination of the two might work?”

Kahlil Noble​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"That is true. We could take a mixed approached. Enhance already existing armor." Inwardly, he was already starting to figure out a design for something that could fit her wings without slowing her down or being uncomfortable. The fact he didn't have wings made that a bit difficult, but there was probably a way, right? Songsteel was already incredibly light, and was actually fairly tough. Especially against lightsabers.

"Yeah, I could see that working. Trust the Force on your surroundings, though." Another droid activated behind her, lifting a stun blaster to try and catch her off guard.

Katherine Holt

 

[Katherine Holt]

“Or design something entirely new, based on existing concepts.” Although that was far as Katherine’s thoughts went, as she returned her focus to the drones. Slowly but surely, she was deflecting more of their shots. Until Katherine finally struck true, and with a slightly angled swing her lightsaber, sent one of the bolts back at the drone that fired it. Electricity coursed through it for a moment, before it deactivated and dropped to the floor.

Katherine internally cheered, only for it to be interrupted as she felt something flare up in the back of her mind. Her Master’s words of advice settled in her mind just barely in time, allowing Katherine to dodge out of the way as the stun blast blew past where she had been standing previously.

The other droid was immediately on her, swinging its weapon at her with repeated strikes. Katherine raised her blade up, blocking them all, but also keeping an eye where the new droid was all the while. She could properly feel the adrenaline now, and made a move that was probably both bold and stupid.

Waiting for the right moment, Katherine dodged a strike and immediately deactivated her lightsaber. She grabbed the droid and forcefully shifted it in the way of the stun blaster. Using a mix of her own strength and the Force, she continued to push it towards the other droid, ensuring any stuns struck it instead.

All the while however, the remaining two drones were firing at her. Some of their non-lethal bolts went wide, but some were still hitting her wings. Katherine gritted her teeth, pushing through the pain as she got the two droids close enough.

Once they were, the Padawan used the Force to knock the first droid off its feet and into the second one, knocking them both down.

Kahlil Noble​