Slowly Digested Over One Thousand Years!

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Vorian Adasca"]

The Silver Temple, Voss-ka
Early Afternoon

Since being knighted, Dune Rhur hadn't spent much time on Voss. As of late he'd been to Ryloth, Ziost and Korriban on various expeditions. The Assembly hadn't told him explicitly that he had to train Padawan learners nor take one on himself. However, they did remind him that a Jedi's duty extended that way too.

Thusly, when asked to work privately with a young prospect, he'd accepted. He was actually looking forward to this opportunity more than expected. He'd helped his fellows as a Padawan, but not in any position of authority. Well, he thought, not authority but rather as a full Jedi. It carried an extra responsibility to do well by the learner.

The training courtyard was quiet as he sat in meditation, awaiting his student. A breeze blew gently and the sun shined making it a perfect 21 degrees. You couldn't have asked for better weather.

 

[Tyberius Fel]

Creme and earth Jedi robes bellowing him in a sudden gust of wind, Vorian Adasca navigated down the various intersecting corridors and halls of the immense Silver Sanctum Academy. The Arkanian Jedi's total white eyes peered out from a window to the rustling grasses, multi-colored flowers and swaying trees of the planet. Voss is certainly beautiful, Vorian concluded to himself. Even though he almost leapt for joy when he was informed that he would be undergoing a personal lesson with a Jedi Knight by the name of 'Dune Rhur,' Vorian couldn't help but by side tracked by the wondrous expanses of nature that drew his gaze at every window and viewport. To think, this bounty of nature once bespoiled by the Sith! Pulling himself away, Vorian placed a longing hand upon the railing separating himself from the wild forests and likely untold amounts of documented species, and moved down the winding staircase that led to the courtyard.

There, sat a Bith -- certainly Dune Rhur -- in what appeared to be meditation. The sun beamed down on Vorian's back, warming him every so slightly, a sensation perfectly balanced by the gentle breeze of wind. What weather! Approaching the Jedi Knight slowly, Vorian patiently folded his hands and waited. Vorian never appreciated it when others interrupted his meditation, so decided not to inflict the annoyance on the Bith.

Besides, the planet was pleasant enough that he could bear idly standing for any length of time.

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Vorian Adasca"]

"Come in," the Bith said without preamble as he rose up to his feet. "You're early but that's not a bad thing."

He watched the young male approach him in the centre and observed his cautious, measured pace. A thinker then, not full of cocksure arrogance as some new apprentices were. That boded well for the youth, he decided. It was always good to consider other beings in the galaxy and remember your place amongst them.

"You're Vorian," it wasn't a question as the Jedi unhooked the hilt of a training saber and handed it too him. "I can tell you've not had much martial training. Don't worry, we all begin at the same place." Leaving him there in the centre, Dune moved a few paces off and unhooked his own training weapon.

Thumbing the activatior, the yellow blade hissed to life as he took the middle guard. "This is the middle guard position of Shii-Cho, the First form of traditional Jedi martial arts."

"Note that my dominant side is forward, my hilt is at my belt line and tilted at fourty-five degrees upwards. My feet are shoulder width apart and there is a slight bend in my knees."

"Now, I'd like for you to imitate this position, please. Remember, your dominant hand in on top of the hilt."

 

[Tyberius Fel]

"Yes, Master." Responded the young Padawan obediently. A brief moment of concentration and a flick of the wrist brought the lightsaber hilt into the palm of Vorian Adasca. Vorian considered himself a scholar and a utilizer of the force first and foremost, making the Bith Jedi Knight correct in his assumption of the boy largely lacking significant martial training. Unlike many of the new Padawans Vorian which had seen recruited into the order more often in their late teens to their mid twenties than not, the Arkanian had been trained from childhood as a Initiate in the 'traditional' manner of Jedi education -- which included tutelage in the first of saber forms.

Thus, Vorian Adasca snapped sharply into the middle guard of shii-cho without much difficulty or error, nearly following his directions exactly.

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Vorian Adasca"]

The Bith nodded approvingly at Vorian's posture.

"Good, I see you've had some tutelage with a blade."

He walked around the Arkanian and examined his stance in minute detail.

"Not bad at all, though you should loosen your grip just a bit. Too tight fatigues your forearms and makes you too rigid."

The apprentice did so quickly and Dune nodded. In keeping with the tradition of his species, he'd been enhanced physically. It would make his physical tuition somewhat easier. However, the hardest parts to come wouldn't be physical in nature.

"As you've had training, I'd like to see what you know."

 

[Tyberius Fel]

With a nod, Vorian inhaled a calming breath, loosened his grip on the hilt of his lightsaber and began to swing at the air with careful, precise, practiced movements. To his Jedi Instructor, it would soon become apparent that while though Vorian had a perfectly correct technique, he simply lacked any notable skill with a blade, his reflexes quick but unable to fully take advantage of the swiftness of a lightsaber. After a moment of practicing swatting at the imaginary body zones of a enemy target and performing the various marks of contact, such as the Sun Djem and Cho Mok.

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Vorian Adasca"]

Watching, Dune saw an academic knowledge of the blade. It would make for a good foundation. His skills were rudimentary but not sloppy and that already helped him. Too many assumed a sword was hack and slash but it was far from it.

"Thank you. Whoever trained you did well enough, considering. I suspect they themselves lacked the Force but made up for it with skill and experience."

"Shii-Cho is the first form of lightsaber combat. Some consider it to be...below them. Understand, however, that without the beginning there is no end. Many of the movements will be very similar to those already displayed. Observe."

He began the Shii-Cho velocity he'd been taught almost twenty years ago. Six movements in all, three blocks and three slashes. He did so as a measured pace so that Vorian could commit the details in his mind. After a few moments, he extinguished the training saber.

" I would like for you to demonstrate these movements pattern I have displayed. There's no rush to complete them in a specific amount of time. If you want to repeat a particular movement, please do so before moving on."

There was no shame in a learner correcting themselves or being corrected. It showed the path of learning and Dune relished that chance. Sadly, his own mistakes might prove to be fatal so therefore opportunities to learn were fewer. He wished he was still a Padawan, sometimes.

 

[Tyberius Fel]

Indeed, there was no shame in improving on one's self by being corrected. Failure was only failure if one did not learn from it, a guideline that Vorian lived by. As the Jedi Bith tutored Vorian, shored up the weaknesses and flaws in his grip, Vorian began to feel as if his saber technique was improving somewhat. While he felt as if he would never become anywhere near a famed saber master, every Jedi did well to know how to defend himself if the worst of situations came to bear, as they often did in this chaotic galaxy of warfare and turmoil.
The Arkanian Jedi continued to strike at the air, incorporating and demonstrating the various techniques and strikes that Dune Rhur had taught him. Eventually though, some sweat began to pool within the confines of his Jedi robings, the tendrils of fatigue probing at his muscles. As if not to over exert himself, Vorian took a moment to rest, lowering his training lightsaber parallel to the ground, his pale skin breathed in the soft glow of it's emerald plasma containment field. "You're quite a experienced duelist, if I may be so bold as to state, Master Rhur." Acknowledged Vorian impressively.
At this point, his shoulders and back began to straighten up once more, lactic acid banished from his muscles. A genetically enhanced physiology had it's advantages, especially in the sphere of recovering from fatigue.

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Vorian Adasca"]

Dune had Vorian make subtle adjustments, but truthfully, the youth handled his weapon reasonably well. It was mainly posture in order to not overextended and to be as efficient as possible. The Bith's job was made easier by the learner's preternatural physical capabilities. If he worked at it, in eight to ten years, Vorian would strike fear in the hearts of the most powerful Sith Lord.

Naturally, Dune wasn't going to tell him that. An inflated ego wouldn't serve him very well. He smiled at the Padawan's comment. "I'm not a true master of the lightsaber, Vorian."

"I'm mainly versed in the third form because I feel taking of lives is wasteful. In truth, having to resort to violence at all is something of a failure, I feel. It's unavoidable sometimes." He paused for a moment, remembering a duel as a Padawan with a Sith where he barely escaped alive. His thigh still bore a scar where the war blade had bitten in. Not even bacta treatment had removed it but it served as a reminder.

"At any rate, your technique will correct itself with supervised practice. Just as important is your ability to trust in the Force. This is a main principal of the first form, letting the Force guide you. Therefore, our next step is an old method that's still very effective."

He walked over to an equipment rack and selected a spherical droid whereupon he punched in a series of keys. The device floated up and towards the centre of the room. Dune drew a blindfold from his pocket and handed it to Vorian. "Without your eyes, you'll have to trust the Force to guide your blade. The remote will fire stun bolts; non-lethal but still quite painful."

He smiled reassuringly and he clapped the youth on the shoulder. "Shut out the doubt, Vorian. The Force is with you and it will aid you always if you allow it."

 

[Tyberius Fel]

A small twinge of doubt shot throughout the young Jedi Apprentice as the spherical droid buzzed to life and levitated into the air. Vorian was naturally gifted in the force, that much was certain, but never had he fully relied on it to such a extent as it replacing something as vital as his sight. As if sensing the Arkanian's inner apprehension, the Bith Jedi Knight offered a smile (as far as Vorian could tell) and a clasp on the shoulder. Vorian offered a nervous smile in return, lowering his head. "Thank you, master." Indeed, the fact that Dune believed in him bolstered Vorian's self confidence. But would it be enough? Do not fear failure. It is a stepping stone on the road to awe. Rolling his shoulders, the Jedi Apprentice first wrapped the piece of whitecloth around his eyes until he saw nothing but darkness, reaffirmed his grip on his lightsaber and finally, steeled himself.
His sharply attuned senses perceived the hot buzz of a stun bolt whizzing through the air. Vorian attempted to rotate on his heels to calmly deflect it, but misjudged the trajectory quite abit. Pain exploded from the contact of the stun bolt to his chest and spread throughout his body in aching waves. Again, he attempted to deflect another stun bolt, and again, missed. Soon enough, Vorian found himself panicked and swinging wildly in an attempt to fend off the painful sensation, which of course failed and in turn, made him even more panicked in a sort of vicious cycle.

It would soon become clear to Dune that perhaps Vorian would need some additional aid.

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Vorian Adasca"]

Dune cringed a little and he hit the pause button in order to get the situation under control. The stun bolts definitely hurt and the apprentice had been shot no less than three times. "Vorian, listen to me, you're not letting the Force guide you. You're trying to hear the remote because you cannot see it. There's no way you can move that fast without the Force."

"Take a few deep breaths and let yourself relax. Good, now stop thinking about it and stop attempting to hear or see. You'll feel the danger if you allow it to be sensed."

He hit the resume button and he spoke up again.

"Alright, ready yourself, I've started the remote again. This time, just do. And I forgot to mention: we're not in formal settings, so you can call me Dune."

 

[Tyberius Fel]

"As you wish, Master." Replied Vorian comically, despite the Bith's insistence of being referred to in an informal context.

Readjusting his grip on the handle of his lightsaber in the more loose style that Dune had advised, he focused briefly on returning his breathing to a calm, methodical manner and prepared himself for the next wave of bolts from the little circular droid of pain. Again, the burning sizzle reached his ears, and again did Vorian feel the insect-like sting of pain shoot throughout his body. This time however, Vorian occupied his mind on controlling his breathing and keeping his focus. Vorian compensated the tilt of his lightsaber beam to account for the direction of the stun bolts, once again attempting to defend himself. Another shock of pain alerted to another failure, but Vorian did not panic nor lose his meditative inner calmness. On the third shot, the Arkanian rotated his wrists to match the stun bolt. He felt the thrill of excitement seize his heart as he heard the bolt fly in the opposite direction, colliding harmlessly with some far flung wall or other obstacle that the blind Vorian could not distinguish.

"Did I get it master? I think I got it!" Chirped a exhilarated Vorian.

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Vorian Adasca"]

The bolts made Vorian wince but he didn't lose his composure this time. That was an important step, not crumbling under the assault. Then he angled his blade without hesitation and he sent the bolt away. Dune felt pride in the learner's accomplishment but it wasn't over for him just yet.

"Yes, you did. Well done, Vorian! It isn't done yet though, so keep your focus."

Now that he'd jumped the major hurdle of the first success, it should go smoother for him. Confidence was an important thing to have as much in the Force as yourself.

 

[Tyberius Fel]

A broad smile split the pale features of the young Arkanian. With a renewed conviction, Vorian swung his lightsaber, sending the red stun bolts flying away from him in multiple directions as he deflected nearly every shot. Occasionally he would wince and grimace as one or two slipped through his defense, but it quickly became apparent that Vorian, after the initial struggle, took quickly to the art of parrying away weapons fire with the use of force and saber.

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Vorian Adasca"]

Off to the side, the Jedi watched him with hands folded in his sleeves. It was still rough around the edges but that was to be expected. The apprentice was turning aside most of the bolts. It boded well for the youth though this was the lowest setting. Then again, you couldn't expect a beginner to fend off higher levels and even multiple remotes.

Dune calmly stepped aside as a stray deflection made a beeline for him and hit the wall instead. He said nothing and continued to let his student work. Occupational hazards, he chuckled quietly at the thought. Such was the life of Jedi Knight where even your students attempted to inadvertently harm you.

 

[Tyberius Fel]

Unaware of having accidentally sent a stun bolt hurtling towards his tutor, Vorian flashed a white grin at his success. Now freely expending force energy within his muscles, sharpening his speed and senses, he decided that he would impress the Bith Jedi Knight. Subsequently, he adjusted his lightsaber subtly after every successful parry until the Arkanian managed to redirect a series of stun bolts back into the droid itself until it eventually malfunctioned.

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Vorian Adasca"]

"Vorian, be care-," he sighed heavily as the droid shorted out and crashed into the ground. The Temple's artisan division was going to be none too happy with him. In fact, the Aleena Master in charge was going to thoroughly lecture him. The diminutive grey alien core bore holes through duracrete with his frown, it had been reputed when he was a Padawan. It wasn't far from the truth.

"Please refrain from doing that again. As it stands, I'm going to have my hide singed for this."

He picked up the remote and placed it on the equipment rack for now. "Well, being as that option is off of the table, how about we work more on your defense." He unhooked his hilt and began to make adjustments to the intensity emitter, bringing it down to it's lowest setting. Now, itmheld as much power as Vorian's training weapon and couldn't do anything worse than leave a welt.

He thumbed on his lightsaber and it came alive with the distinctive snap-hiss. He said "You should take off your blindfold for this."

 

[Tyberius Fel]

Vorian tore the blindfold from the total white of his eyes, only to spot the warm glow of Dune's lightsaber which bathed the surrounding few feet around him the blue illumination."Adaegan crystal." The scholarly mind of Vorian noted outloud. Swallowing abit of apprehension, the Jedi Apprentice used the force to call his training hilt to his hand, igniting the emerald beam to buzzing life. You've done well so far. He is a Jedi Knight, he will best you, but you will walk away with new skills and new experiences to meditate upon. Standing in the firm opening position of Shii-Cho, the influence of Soresu was also quite evident in the manner of which the Arkanian held his lightsaber close to his body, in a defensive position designed to maximize coverage and simultaneously minimize the amount of energy expended.
Muscles tensed, Vorian awaited for his tutor to make the first move.

[member="Dune Rhur"]

 

[Dune Rhur]

[member="Vorian Adasca"]

"Relax, this is just a simple training drill, we aren't sparring just yet."

He took the same middle guard as the Arkanian.

"I'm going to attack you with the same body target zones and attacks you've already displayed. You in turn should defend with the appropriate block. Also, once again, relax. You won't be able to move very well when you're stiff."

He nodded towards his blue beam.

"I've set the intensity controls on the lowest setting so it will do no worse than those stun bolts. This isn't a fight or a competition so you can't lose."

With that, he began by attacking zone two at a very slow speed with a horizontal slash. If the apprentice showed enough aptitude, he'd speed up just a bit. For now, if was important to reinforce the teachings. Technique came before speed and strength, after all.

 

[Tyberius Fel]

Aren't sparring just yet.

Attempting to ignore the implication a impending Bith beatdown, the Jedi Apprentice flexed his muscles, rotating his wrists to meet the cobalt beam of the Jedi Knight's with a flash of emerald. For a brief moment, Vorian found it odd how easy it was for him to parry off the attacks and in the next immediate moment, realized that Dune was likely beginning 'easy.' Vorian managed to keep up with the slight ramp up in intensity, though he wondered how long it would be until Dune unleashed his full power.

[member="Dune Rhur"]