Teräs Käsi - an unlikely initiation

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus did not lack tenacity or patience - but a lack of protein and appropriate exercise couldn't be overcome by sheer willpower. But she'd give it her best shot.

Once more she dropped to the floor and lifted her body as high as it would go. Every time her arms gave out she would shake them out and go back to the position. She wouldn't stop until Tracyn told her to do so.

[member="Tracyn"]

 

[Alan]

"Now- you see you're unable to do it. Now, what I want you to do- is do push ups and sit ups until we reach the spaceport. Which is in about two hours. I'll bring you water in a bit."He stood up, flexing his back muscles, stretching himself out before walking back to the cockpit.



"I want you to hurt and feel every muscle in your body tear. Only then will you understand what it means to be dedicated to something."


[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus wasn’t sure if this was supposed to be a test of her will or even just her ability to see things through. But regardless she did what she was asked. And for four quite different reasons.

Firstly she wanted to learn Teräs Käsi. And she would do whatever it took. Next she realised how unfit she was and the exercise would actually do her good. Thirdly she wanted to succeed. Failure was never an option for her. And finally and most importantly? She’d given her word to Tracyn.

So she recited the Code – over and over – as she worked her muscles to jelly. First in her head and then out loud. Not once did she look to use the Force – she simply willed her muscles to conquer defeatism.

[member="Tracyn"]

 

[Alan]

The hours passed quickly for Tracyn, though it may have been gruelling for Corvus. He brought her water, but made no attempt to talk to her. He went back to the cockpit, and began to enter the atmosphere. The ship slowly lowered, and he made it a point to announce it over the intercom for her to prepare for landing. After getting the clearance to land (and not be shot down out of the sky, due to some of the portmasters were debating on whether or not to let him come back, since he was still believed dead in most places, but they relinquished when he confirmed his identity), he put it on autopilot. The ship began to lower, and Tracyn stood as the Ossus sun kissed his face again, through the radiation shielded glass of the Defender corvette.


Tracyn walked through the ship, placing the heavy brown jacket over his body again, and slipping in the beskar plates on his forearms and triceps and biceps, and the shins of his legs. Everything but the chest piece- which he gave to a fallen foe out of respect.


"I did not sense the force the entire time you were here- at least, you using it. So, we have about twenty minutes before we land. Not that we have to leave right when we land- but I would like to not be on the ship for an eternity. There's a shower near the med-bay. Go get rinsed up and get ready to go."


[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus ached. It wasn't the muscles she expected to ache that bothered her. It was the ones she didn't even know existed that caused most discomfort - and she knew that tomorrow it was going to hurt a heck of a lot more. And that she'd have to continue to work them if she was going to get any benefit from the exercise today.

But for now a shower beckoned. She nodded to Tracyn and thanked him. As she made her way to the med-bay (the easiest way to find the shower) she reflected on his words. She presumed she wasn't supposed to use the Force. Teräs Käsi was not a Force discipline, so she needed her body to be able to accomplish the things Tracyn was going to teach her without its use. But she wasn't sure if his words were a compliment or an admonishment. She certainly couldn't read him yet.

Showering was easier said than done. The hot water was soothing but she quite literally struggled to lift her hands high enough to wash her hair - the muscles simply refusing to work without excruciating pain. So a quick shower took longer than planned. She finished by running the water cold - to cool her body and hopefully slow the blood flow and reduce any possible swelling.

With no choice but to put her one and only set of clothes back on, she sprayed a liberal amount of deodorant around her and went to find Tracyn.

[member="Tracyn"]

 

[Alan]

Tracyn talked with the harbor master, his hands in his pockets and balancing himself on the balls of his feet, before slowly lumbering back forward.


"You know, a dead man has to pay fees."


Tracyn clucked his tongue and leaned his head back."Take it out of my personal account."


"The amount though..." The port authority member suddenly realized that money was little concern to Tracyn. Either Tracyn was bluffing, or he was comfortable it.


"My account."


"Shame your not still a Jedi, Ordo." Clearly the two knew each other somewhat.


"Bite me Nolan."


Tracyn walked back to the ship, and his nose was accosted by deodorant."You smell like you're ready to go."


[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

"You preferred I smelled like stale sweat? Anyways, he called you Ordo but you said your name was Tracyn. So where now?"

There was no recrimination in her voice - not even curiosity. Just a statement he could choose to reply to or not.

[member="Tracyn"]

 

[Alan]

"Go check in with the Jedi at a comm station. Better yet, go get a speeder. Tell them Tracyn asked you to. Get something fast."


He didn't answer the question about his name, smirking instead.


[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded and wandered off, looking somewhat out of place. Not dressed like a Jedi, she appeared to be what she really was - a young girl.

From Tracyn's perspective, the negotiation to get a speeder would have appeared long and drawn-out. Finally he would have seen her point in Tracyn's direction. This seemed to speed up the process and she bowed to the man and returned.

"Said he's got a V-Wing we can borrow. Asked me to make sure you returned it not only in one piece - but all the parts in the right place too. Do you have some sort of reputation around here?" She smiled as she didn't take the question seriously.

"So where are we headed?"

[member="Tracyn"]

 

[Alan]

(The notification failed, didn't see it until today)


"Reputation in different ways."


Again, Tracyn left question's answer enigmatic and not a lot of information given to the young Jedi girl. The speeder negotiation went better than expected- he partially sent her over to avoid a stern talking to over last time.

"Like I said, you're going to go notify the Order that you're here on Ossus- checking in to make sure you made it here safely and are no longer washing dishes and getting mugged will be important to someone somewhere."


Suddenly, Tracyn had a craving had a cigar- just like when [member="Kiskla Grayson"] first met him. Going back to Jedi temples brought old temptations back tenfold.


"Then, we can begin seriously."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus did as Tracyn instructed. This was her first time on Ossus and the size of the Jedi Academy took her broth away. That library must be ten times the size of the one on Corellia.

She explained her situation - that she was formerly a Green Jedi and wanted to join the Academy here. No she didn't have a Master assigned. Yes, she'd gladly accept Knight Bouqi to be her Master. Yes, she needed Padawan robes. No, she didn't have a lightsaber. Yes, she literally only had the clothes she stood up in. No she didn't know when she'd be back. Yes, it would probably be soon.

Finally she returned to Tracyn. "All sorted. Very thorough. I've been assigned to a Knight Bouqi. I have no idea who he or she is, but I'm sure it will be a good match. Anyway, I'm ready to begin...seriously." She smiled at him, eagerness written all over her face.

[member="Tracyn"]

(ooc - No worries - they're hit and miss sometimes)

 

[Alan]

"Bouqi is good. Tell him I said hello. Also, that I'm still dead and that I won't be paying any taxes anytime soon."


Tracyn rolled his hips back, then cracked his back. He looked over the landscape that the temple rested on, and the familiar twitch for a cigar happened again. He clucked his tongue.



"Now? Now I'm going to get you physically ready to take on the art. We'll start in twenty. Go find some exercise gear."


[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Exercise gear? Where was she going to get exercise gear? Corvus headed back to the Academy and asked around.

Twenty minutes later, she returned - with jogging sweats one size too big for her and shoes one size too small. She smiled at Tracyn as she rolled up. "I may not win any competitions for best dressed but they're practical. Which is another way of saying that I'm ready."

[member="Tracyn"]

 

[Alan]

Tracyn glanced around, finding a nearby bench. He leaned back for a moment, then leaned forward, placing his hands on his knees. He glanced around, then his eyes drifted to a nearby beaten path. He remembered the distance- close to 3 miles. Glancing at his timepiece on his wrist, he turned towards [member="Corvus Raaf"].



"Run it in less than 28 minutes. Take it to the old meditation garden with the plaque of the old Jedi code on it, and the old Jedi master statues, then turn back."


He inclined his head at her.


"I expect you to succeed."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus half-closed her eyes as she looked at @Tracyn. Was he yanking her chain? Dismissing this thought as disrespectful, she nodded and set off.

With Force Speed, the challenge wouldn't have even been worthy of that title. But she had to do this without using the Force. But still, nine-minute miles weren't too much of a challenge.

So she set off at a steady pace. There was no value in rushing, the Code taught her that. Finish first when finishing first means something. There would be no point in running the course as fast as she could and then find she was asked to do it again. She suspected this was not the end of the tests Tracyn had for her before they started learning techniques. But she dismissed these thoughts. They served no purpose and second-guessing just distracted her. So she decided to make use of the run. As she travelled the path she'd been set on, she took notice of her bearings. Of the various buildings, landmarks and places of interest. There was what looked like an old Meditation Pavilion. Could that be the same one Master Skywalker used all those years ago?

Reaching the statues of the Masters that she recognised by reputation and appearance, she turned around and headed back. Past the plaque again and back to Tracyn. Now somewhat out of breath, she glanced at the chronometer on the wall. Twenty-six minutes.

Shaking out her limbs, she bowed to Tracyn. "I am ready."

 

[Alan]

Tracyn had gotten a newspaper, and was laying on the bench. It was on a sort of electronic tablet, cheap and disposable. In the 30 minutes, he had also gotten coffee for himself. He sipped at it, and replied bluntly.


"You're not ready. Go walk it and meditate at one of the old gardens- and take a walk through the pavilion. Then meditate on the Jedi code, and come back to me. If I catch you running or doing anything else besides a slow wal-"He stopped and sipped at his coffee."k. I will personally run with you next time."



He waved his hand dismissively."Off you go. Find your center."



[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus bowed at Tracyn. From this point on she would take nothing for granted and make no assumptions.

So she took a slow walk along the same route as before. Patience was one of her few virtues and she suspected she was goings need it. So when she reached the gardens, she sat on the grass, cross-legged and closed her eyes. Connecting to the Force she allowed it to flow through her and was at one with it. Time passed but she had no context of how much before she gently returned to a conscious state and opened her eyes. The darkening skies suggested she'd been there for hours. She walked through the pavilion and stopped by the Jedi Code. Reflecting on the simple words - so often a conundrum for Jedi of all ages, she considered all she had learned about the Core and the pillars - and about what Tracyn had said and asked. She stood by her previous responses and felt that, in her heart, she was true to the Force.

And then she returned slowly to Tracyn, bowing to him as she arrived. "I have done as you asked. What should I do now?". Her tone was respectful and her face neutral.

[member="Tracyn"]

 

[Alan]

Tracyn was asleep in the chair when [member="Corvus Raaf"] came back. He was laying in a lounge-like chair, a foldable one that he had either bought, or had somewhere nearby. Two cups of coffee were nearby, and several newspapers stacked. He opened an eye, and smiled. He picked up the newspaper again, flicking the cheap tablet before it sparked to life. He glanced at her, then back to the readings.


"Did you find your center of being? You'll need it."


He inquired. Perhaps she did. Perhaps she needed to know what that was. Either way, he was instilling patience like no other teacher would for her. Patience was not learned through this lesson, it'd be learned because anything a person did after the most arbitrary and stupendously insignificant tasks that they'd be given would feel like a reprieve. So if she was patient now, she'd be a statue of patience after this.


"I hope you did. Free cups of coffee are running out."

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus listened to Tracyn and paused before responding. She wanted to be sure she spoke accurately and eloquently.

"Back on Corellia, my training was almost entirely theoretical - apart from some Form I instruction. So I spent every opportunity I could connecting with the Force. I learned the basics of Alchaka, Center of Being and Moving Meditation. It is for this reason I can say that, in my heart, I believe I am prepared and am at peace with the Force."

[member="Tracyn"]

 

[Alan]

Tracyn smiled, and stood up and faced the dwindling light."You've had a long day. Go get some sleep. I'll see you at first light."First light, did not have a specific time. He'd see if she had a good indication of timing. All of it- mattered. Everything that Tracyn did in the training. Mattered. He had a point to everything.


Hopefully she'd see that.


[member="Corvus Raaf"]