The Autumn Breeze

[Azura Kadenza]

Azura sat under a tree, one quiet, windy but otherwise typical Autumn afternoon. She was still in her school uniform, seeing as school had ended two hours ago. No parents came to fetch her, as she lived at school. A boarding school to be exact. She had homework, and plenty of it, but it did not bother her at all. Homework was far from her train of thought, instead she was thinking of how she ended up setting under a random tree on top of a small and random hill and some park she swore she had never seen before.

Azura had ended up like this millions of times, from a very young age. She would loose focus of what ever she was doing, get distracted by something as insignificant as a butterfly, and simply wander off. Isn't it curious? Well she thinks it is. She knows she does this, but she cannot stop it or even predict it. She blames the Force of course. The Force has given her many privileges she never knew she had, but it was also a curse. She could read other people's emotions, and when ever someone was in a bad mood, she would blame herself.

She never made much friends, simply because she was too afraid of loosing them. Maybe if she had a friend, he or she could prevent her from wondering off so much just to get a peak of that soccer ball that flew past the classroom window, or that boy who was stalking that one girl in the bathroom. She was way too curious for her own good, maybe that's why nobody speaks to her. She's too nosy. Azura thinks so at least.

Today she had a feeling something big was going to happen, or significant in a way. And relating to her. The Force was telling her this, or her schizophrenia. One of the two. Now that she thought about, maybe her schizophrenia is making her think she has the Force? No, can't be. She was going to dwell on that next.

[member="Rae Jarrus"] [member="Emperor"]

 

[Koda Berus]

Today, Koda Berus, a Jedi Padawan who is strong in the force and doing rather well in training, was sent to a school on one of the planets nearby, to sense recruit force sensitives into the Jedi Academy. So here she was at he boarding school at 06:00 am with nothing. What felt like hours upon hours had gone by until she finally sensed something.

The person she sensed was strong in the force and their signature called to her like a wild animal. As soon as she sensed her person, a small smile crept upon her lips as she started following the signature. She was just happy to have finally found the signature.

She continued on, going downstairs, even leading her outdoors. The force signature was getting stronger. There were a few kids outside either studying, playing or talking with their friends. Koda continued walking until she came upon a tree.

"A tree?? Hmmm.."

she said under her breath. The tree had rather a big trunk, so she decided to go around it until she found a girl who possessed the force signature that was calling to her.

"Uhhm.. Hi. I'm Koda Berus."

she said nervously. This was actually the first time she'd been sent on a recruiting mission, so she just decided to start from the beginning with the young girl. She seemed to be about Koda's age, but she was unsure.

[member="Azura Kadenza"]

 

[Azura Kadenza]

"Uhhm.. Hi. I'm Koda Berus."

Azura slowly turned around to look at the girl that had just addressed her. Koda looked like every other girl here at school, so she would blend right in, except she wasn't wearing a uniform. She wondered for second,"Hello" she said. Azura had a very sleepy or uncaring disposition about her. Maybe it's because she thought Koda wasn't real.

Azura slowly sat up and walked over to Koda, with a blank and distant look on her face, and touched her shoulder. Azura smiled to know Koda was real, and just at that, Azura's boring mood turned into happiness,"Can I help you with anything?" Her first thought was that this girl needed some help studying, since Zura was a school tutor. In the past people went looking for her if she needed help,"Do you need help studding for the exams next week?"

 

[Koda Berus]

Koda smiled as the young girl came over and touched her shoulder. She guessed it was just her thing.. or she maybe thought Koda wasn't real, which was the case. As she then asked if Koda needed help on an exam, she gave a small giggle.

"Well, if I went to this school, I probably would, but that's not why I'm here."

she said, straightening up a little bit.

"You see, I'm a Jedi Padawan. The Jedi Academy is in need of force sensitives like you. I can tell you are quite strong in the force and we could definitely use a girl like you."

She continued. Koda just hoped Azura would accept the offer she was getting ready to finish giving.

"What do you say? Would you like to leave this school and train in the ways of a Jedi and learn in the ways of the force?"

Koda asked.

[member="Azura Kadenza"]

 

[Azura Kadenza]

Azura frowned at the offer. Normally, someone would've freaked out and foamed at the mouth at the offering to join the Jedi, but not Azura. She wasn't particularly fond of Force-based factions like the Jedi. They have been causing wars for thousands of years and she wanted no part of it. She was however a bit interested in learning to use her abilities.

"Thanks for the offer. But no. The Jedi and the Sith are the bane of all existence, to put it plain. It's all too complicated for me and I don't want to get involved. I'm sorry you're a Jedi though"

Azura was blunt, she called it for what it is, or what she thought at least. But it looked as if this girl had traveled far just to meet her, so she didn't want to end their little meeting on a negative note.

"So what did you say your name was?...."

The slightly younger girl didn't give the other a chance to respond, because of a brief moment of staring into her soul, Azura continued,"...it's Koda right? Koda...Koda....B-B......Berus?"

"You came from half way across the galaxy just to see me? Or recruit me to be exact? What's it like in space?" She asked with a sweet smile, seemingly forgetting she was just asked to join the Jedi, and simply changing the subject.

 

[Koda Berus]

Koda was actually quite surprised that this girl backed down from the offer. She thought that she would've wanted out of that school and divulge more into her wild side of the force and at least try and figure out how to use it.

"Well, once they spell it out for ya, it's not that bad. I was the same way when I first joined.. though I was rather forced to, not really having any other place to go. I knew I was force sensitive, but all I was interested at the time was graffiti and hijacking peoples' wallets. Anyway.. your choice. I thought you would have wanted to have freedom of all the schoolwork."

she responded. Koda was a rather sassy and arrogant person, but this girl made her feel bad if she spoke a foul word to her. She seemed so innocent. Then she asked Koda her name. She was about to respond before Azura then took a few tries at her name before getting it right.

"Yes, my name is Koda Berus. I don't believe I got your name though.."

The 17 year old gave a small smile to Azura as she gave a pause waiting for her to respond. She then started asking about space.

"Well, yes. The Jedi have been watching you for quite some time. Creepy right?"

She giggled.

"But yeah, they sent me to finally see if you'd want to come back with me. I used to travel between the two same planets for a while during my smuggling period. But I've been able to explore more since, and I have to tell you, it's an amazing feeling to see all of those stars."

she responded.

[member="Azura Kadenza"]

 

[Azura Kadenza]

"Yes, my name is Koda Berus. I don't believe I got your name though.."

Azura replied to her with a sleepy expression on her face,"I'm Az...Az..." She went white in the face, and for the life of her couldn't remember her name. Her face started to sweat as she got nervous for some reason. She was visibly getting rather uncomfortable and shy, evident by the fact that she was uneasily playing with her hair and constantly turning to the side to look at some other students.

"Um....UM!!!" For a second it looked as if she was going to well up and cry, but then she calmed down again and stopped shivering,"..I-I'm Azura. Az...Azura Kadenza. N-Nice to meet you..."

She was glad to see Koda hadn't simply walked off in disgust at Azura's inability to recall her name, but she herself was still feeling quite embarrassed and her face was still pale.

"But yeah, they sent me to finally see if you'd want to come back with me. I used to travel between the two same planets for a while during my smuggling period. But I've been able to explore more since, and I have to tell you, it's an amazing feeling to see all of those stars."

"Oh! Is that so?"

Azura rubbed the back of her head and tried to smile,"Space sounds kinda dangerous to me, but I'd still like to see the stars..." She lowered her hand and held it in the other and looked around again. A couple of students were still walking about and some were studying, no teachers around.

"I don't want to make this trip of yours for nothing...y-you can sleep in my room tonight if you want...it's weekend so I have no class tomorrow"

 

[Koda Berus]

When the girl was having trouble recalling her name, Koda had gotten a little bit worried. She almost thought she was going to pass out with how pale she was getting. When she finally recalled her name to be Azura Kadenza, Koda put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a small smile.

"It's nice to meet you Azura."

she responded. Koda was usually spiteful, but the Jedi training she had been taught, tamed her a little bit, so she at least had respect for others.

When Azura responded, Koda smiled.

"Well, it's not dangerous at all. It's really only dangerous if there's something wrong with your ship or if you're fighting midair. It's really quite peaceful. If I ever get frustrated, or if something's bothering me, I go up there and meditate. It always seems to help."

She said. It was kinda noticeable to Koda that Azura was still nervous, but she didn't make it known that she knew she was. When Azura offered Koda to stay in her room for the night, another small smile came upon her face.

"That would be very much appreciated."

Koda responded. She honestly hadn't expected a suggestion like that and truly appreciated it.

[member="Azura Kadenza"]

 

[Azura Kadenza]

"That's...that's great"

Azura smiled, then walked back to the tree she was sitting by and picked up her school bag and slung it over her shoulder, as well as a pink teddy bear sitting next to it. She walked back over to Koda and gently took her hand in her hers and started to pull her into a nearby school corridor,"Come. I'll take you so long"

The two started to draw the attention of some students, most appeared to be looking at Koda, and not just the male students for that matter. At first Azura didn't seem to care, or even notice, but she did address it eventually after a while,"You should probably put on a uniform, even if it's just for the afternoon"

The two arrived at the girls dormitories and stopped at what appeared to be Azura's room. She pressed a button beside the door and it slid open, and she pulled Koda in. Azura then threw her bag into a corner and dived onto her bed with her teddy bear in her arms, and spoke with her head in the pillow.

"There is an extra uniform in my cupboard, it should fit you"

 

[Koda Berus]

When Azura went over to grab her bag, Koda made sure she hadn't set anything down before then looking up to Azura as she took Koda's hand. She smiled back as Azura led the way through the school.

As the girls walked through the school, Koda noticed that boys- and girls were watching them. As it started to get to her, using the force, she blocked out the stares and moved forward with Azura as if it was an empty hallway.

"That probably wouldn't be a bad idea."

she responded. Once they arrived to Azura's room, Koda was pulled in and directed to her cupboard where an extra uniform hung.

"Ok cool."

Koda responded as she walked over, opening the door to the cupboard and pulling out the uniform. She then walked into the bathroom and exchanged her usual clothes, to the uniform. Surprisingly, it fit her perfectly, which she was actually kinda proud of.

After she was changed, she pulled her hair into a ponytail and then came out with a small smile upon her face.

"It actually fits me perfectly."

she said looking over to Azura who was laying on her bed.

 

[Azura Kadenza]

Azura turned her head to face Koda, and smiled,"Good...you don't stand out anymore"

That came out weird.

"Um...anyways..." she sat up and crossed her legs on the bed and looked around her room, with a concerned look on her face. She put a finger on her chin and wondered for a moment,"I only have one bed...and it's not big enough to fit both of us"

"You can use it. I don't mind. I'll find another spot" Azura had something else in mind, but that could be left for another time. For now she needed to entertain her guest, or at least make conversation.

"Have you killed anyone before?"

 

[Koda Berus]

When Koda heard what Azura said when she revealed the uniform, she laughed. She was loving this girl. In a way, they were pretty similar.

Koda noticed the look on Azura's face and almost instantly realized what she was looking for. When she mentioned there was only one bed, Koda was about to respond until Azura said she could use the bed for the night.

"Are you sure? I'm used to sleeping on the floor."

she responded. If Azura insisted, she would just accept the offer and sleep in her bed.

Koda then heard a very interesting question. Azura had asked if Koda had ever killed anyone.

"Hmm.. a few times when I was on the streets, but they attacked me first for some reason. I've maybe killed four people. It was all in self defense though. It's mainly been droids though that I've run into."

she responded.

 

[Azura Kadenza]

"I'm quite used to sleeping in weird places too, so don't mind me. Use my bed" Azura replied, despite Koda's instance. It took her a while to fully process what she had asked Koda soon after, and got quite a shocking answer. Azura clearly regretted her rather bold question, evident by her pale face once again.

"Oh...maybe I shouldn't have asked....it sounds quite....I'm sorry! I don't know what's wrong with me! Please forgive me... I didn't mean to..."

She started to feel very guilty and looked as if she was going to well up. Her changing disposition was very frightening to some.

 

[Koda Berus]

Koda smiled with a small nod as Azura told her to sleep in her bed.

"Alright then."

she responded with a small smile. When Koda saw the fear in Azura's face after her question, a look of worry came across her own face and would try to calm her down.

"No, no-no.. really, it's ok. Don't be afraid.. please. I oddly enough get that question alot when people find out I'm a Jedi."

she responded. It was true. Many people were always curious as to if she'd ever killed someone, etc.

 

[Azura Kadenza]

Azura lightened up a bit and was somewhat relieved, but she was rubbing her arms and still clearly nervous,"That's one of the reasons why I don't want to become a Jedi. I don't think I can bring myself to killing someone. You Jedi seem to end up doing it at some point on your life"

Azura stared straight at Koda, which might be kind of disturbing,"I'm mean look how young you are. You're seventeen right?" Azura clearly had some secret skill when staring at people, as determining the age of a teenager is a near impossibility,"And too think I've met someone around my age who has already killed multiple individuals, whether they deserved it or not, it's a scary thought to me"

"Even if it's self defence... I don't really know what to think"

Azura was most certainly not judging Koda, which she may have been thinking, instead she was merely thinking out loud. It's a habit of hers. She quickly changed the subject and once again seemed to forget about what she was talking about before,"Do you have a lightsaber?"

 

[Koda Berus]

Hearing Azura's reason of why she couldn't become a Jedi, Koda nodded understanding completely.

"You know, I'm relating to you pretty well. Before knowing that I had a power, or the force, I preferred knocking people out. Even after I found out I was to become a Jedi. Even with knowing my attitude, I hated, hated, hated the idea of killing people. I still hate it. And killing isn't a Jedi's main intention. The Jedi are more tame than you think. Our bite can be worse than our bark, but I believe you are getting the Jedi mixed up with the Sith. The Sith spread the galaxy with darkness and death; the Jedi work to defeat that evil."

she explained. Koda understood Azura's fear. Part of Koda's problem from the start, was her fear of the same thing, but that was until she realized that the wrong beliefs had her brainwashed. Killing was never her first objective. That was only the last thing on her mind. As Azura seemed to peer into Koda's soul, a shiver went down her spine as she guessed her age to the T.

"Yes.. I am seventeen. Truth is though, like I said a minute ago, I hate killing people. Unless they become a threat and a stun doesn't keep them down, I have no choice at that point, because if I let something so rambunctious and such a threat to live and it's my duty to keep an eye on that person or animal, I'm held responsible if it hurts any friends or any of my other family in the Temple or anywhere. Killing is never the first thought in a Jedi's mind. It is the first in a Sith's mind, but never a Jedi's."

Koda responded. She knew and got the sense that Azura was in no way judging her, but like her, Koda spoke her mind. Once Azura changed the subject so abruptly, Koda shrugged it off and smiled, hearing what Azura asked.

"Yes. I actually have two. One is an icy blue and the other is green."

she replied.

 

[Azura Kadenza]

Azura felt like countering Koda on the whole killing thing and the duties as a Jedi, but she just kept quiet,"Can I see the blue one?" She said, asking for one of the lightsabers.

Once she received it, she fumbled around the metal shaft until she found the 'on' switch, and proceeded to turn the weapon on. Azura's face changed a bit as she got a slight jump out of the blade turning on, but her expression went blank soon after she started carefully waving it around.

"So this is the weapon of a Jedi and the Sith? It looks...nice..."

At least there are no blood splatters like with those disgusting vibro-blades, she thought to herself. Lightsabers don't cause bleeding, and is not as messy as traditional weaponry, which was something she was a slightly happy about. Azura started to get those feelings, the ones she associated with the Force. In other words she could sense something that no regular human could. She could sense the kyber crystal inside the lightsaber, which intrigued her a great deal. Now that she could sense that, she could also sense Koda.

She would often sense people, but at very unpredictable times. Somehow this lightsaber has triggered her ability to sense once again. Koda stood out among everyone else in the school, she had a light blue aura about her, but it was tainted. Very tainted. Azura could sense her own aura, which was a dull grey. She had done little to nothing in her life, she would never hurt or hate anyone, but she has a grave fear of nearly everything. So she wasn't tainted in the same way as Koda. Koda seems to have done some really questionable things, like killing, and maybe treaded too far into the Dark Side of the Force. Azura was simply not very willing to follow either the Light or the Dark, so her aura was dull.

It was somewhat interesting to think about. She turned the lightsaber off, handed it back and pulled her legs close to her while she sat on her bed,"Can you teach me some stuff about the Force? I want to learn something before you leave"

Maybe if Koda piqued her interesting enough, Azura might change her mind about earlier and join her.

 

[Koda Berus]

Koda could sense that Azura felt differently on the situation, but they both had their reasons. As Azura asked for her blue lightsaber, Koda gently pulled it from her belt, handing it to Azura, making sure that the top of the lightsaber was facing away from Azura. Koda smiled when she finally figured out how to ignite it. Azura's reaction was expected, but Koda always found it amusing, the reactions she would receive when igniting the lightsaber.

"Thank you. There are many ways to create the lightsaber. Not all of them look the same, as some have different styles. Mine have smaller handles than usual but they're twice as strong and I wrapped leather around them for extra grip."

she responded. Koda loved her lightsabers. They were uniquely herself and she liked it, because they had a little bit of everything. She very much so preferred lightsabers over the vibro blades. Lightsabers at least clauterized wounds while with vibro blades, you had to deal with listening to the enemy screaming and cursing up a storm the entire time.

As Azura turned off the lightsaber, there was a smooth hiss as the plasma sunk back into it's hilt. When she handed it back to Koda, she took it from her softly and placed it back onto her belt. Hearing what she said next, caused a small smile to come upon her face. She had never trained anyone before.. but here was her chance now.

"Sure. Plus, the Order gave me as long as I needed to find you, so I can stay as long as you want or need me to."

Koda said. Perhaps this was another chance to get Azura to come back with her.

 

[Azura Kadenza]

"Oh that's great" Azura replied with a sweet smile. She wondered for a moment, with a finger on her chin, about what to say,"What can you teach me...? Um... I want to levitate some objects. I hear Jedi and whatnot can do that"

She had never tried it, but she was well aware she had the full potential to do it,"Then maybe after that you can teach me to... um... sense things"

 

[Koda Berus]

Koda first listened to everything Azura was talking about before thinking and then speaking in a calm tone, returning the smile.

"Levitation comes easily to me. But first thing's first. If you want to levitate something, you have to learn to become one with the force first and learn to sense things first before you jump into levitating something, because in order to lift an object in the air, you have to be able to sense it."

she responded. Maybe this mission would give her a promotion to knight, but she wasn't worried about that. She had never taught anyone before unless it was in a different way.