The journey to becoming a Jedi

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was nervous for a variety of reasons. Firstly a number of the people she'd met dismissed her as just another 'Force' user.

Then she'd been allocated to a Knight rather than a Master. Sure, he had a great reputation, but he wasn't a Master. Was that usual here or was it a reflection on her?

And finally, she still wondered if she'd made the right decision on returning to her training.

Before she had time for her nerves to get the better of her, she heard the approaching footsteps of [member=Zaren Bouqi].

 

[Zion Krayt]

The Jedi Knight approached the mess hall to where his newly assigned Padawan was awaiting him. He had been informed that she had formerly been a Corellian Jedi, or at least training to be one and she hadn't taken a few years off in her training... Other than that, he knew little.

She would only know him as Bishop, as was customary amongst the other Jedi in the Order, and he was certain there was no way she could know his actual name. Zaren had issues with trusting those he first meets, even if they are Jedi, but he still regarded them with a certain amount of courtesy and politeness.

"Padawan Raaf."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus bowed slightly and was momentarily lost for words. She flattened her robes involuntarily as she searched for inspiration.

"I apologise, as you have me at a disadvantage. I was told to meet my new Master here - Bishop. But..." Her pale cheeks flushed slightly before she continued. Her gaze shifted but at no point did she meet Bishop's eyes. "You see, my previous Master, Master Jareck, was both my Master and a Jedi Master. So I called him Master. I never thought to ask if the title Master referred to his rank or his role in my training..." By now, it was clear from her voice that she was getting flustered.

Taking a deep breath, she finally looked him in the eyes and blurted out, "What should I call you?"

[member=Zaren Bouqi]

 

[Zion Krayt]

"I understand that you were a Corellian Jedi. I'm not familiar with them. Do they have their own temple upon Corellia?" This would be a learning experience for the both of them. A Jedi always meant to be learning, even if they were a Master.

"You will refer to me as Master, since you are under my tutelage now. Master Bishop is satisfactory." He finished crisply. "How did your previous Master die?" He wasn't quite familiar with it, simply that he was dead and she hadn't been a Jedi for quite some time. Taking time or something similar.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was pleased that Master Bishop was a straight-talker. She knew she’d have to discuss her former Master eventually but Master Bishop’s no-nonsense manner put her at ease. He seemed the sort of Jedi she could learn from.

Flattening her already neat robes with the palms of her hands, she replied.”The Corellian Jedi tend to keep themselves to themselves, Master. They were somewhat independent from the Jedi Council. We, or rather, they have their own temple – which includes a small academy too. The teachings were the same, from what I’m led to believe. The only difference are the green robes.” She touched the hem of her brown tunic as if to illustrate the point.

”My training had been primarily academic at the point my Master, fomer Master died. I learned all about the Jedi Code and Lore but practical training had been limited. In fact it was during my first practical challenge that Master Jareck died. Corellia has many deep underwater caverns with orange lightsaber crystals. Finding one was always a task set for Padawans. When I was underground, a terrible electric storm hit the surface. Master Jareck was killed as he was out in the open.”

Master Bishop couldn't help but notice her hand went to her pocket during the recounting of the story and she appeared to grip something inside. What she carried there was an orange crystal that she found in the cave - the only link to her time as a Padawan on Corellia.

[member=Zaren Bouqi]

[member="Zaren Bouqi"]

 

[Zion Krayt]

"I have seen a Corellian Jedi Master, or at least a former one. He had been in our temple, his name was Arkus Zarran." He shrugged. He thought he may as well just share it, he had known only one Corellian Jedi, but now he could mark that up to two.

"I'm sorry to hear that your Master had experienced such a death." It sounded extremely painful to be fried whilst on the way to check upon your Padawan. "You never had time to complete your lightsaber." He stated thoughtfully. She was certainly young, but it was possible to make her a lightsaber at this point.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus reflected on Master Bishop's words for a few seconds. "I am familiar with the name of Master Zarran but I do not believe I have met him. Most of my time in the Temple was spent studying holocrons. Jedi history, Jedi lore, the Jedi code and such like. My former Master believed that knowledge was an often overlooked facet of a Jedi's training.

Corvus then opened her mouth as if to say something but clearly changed her mind. 'My thoughts as to the reason for his death are probably not best shared at this point in our relationship. Master Bishop seems trustworthy but now is not the time to test that.' Corvus relied heavily on her intuition - and it had yet to let her down.

"You are right Master, I did not complete a lightsaber. In fact, before coming to the Academy here, I relinquished all links to my former training. But for the robes I have been given, I have virtually nothing to call my own. Not that Jedi seek material wealth of course." Corvus added the last statement hurriedly, as if fearful she had given the wrong impression.

"How would you recommend we proceed, Master?" Again, she gave a slight bow of deference and respect.


[member="Zaren Bouqi"]

 

[Zion Krayt]

When she said she was familiar with the name of Zarran he frowned. That didn't seem likely. Zaren wasn't from this period of time, in fact, he had come from a period of time that was far ahead within the future. He was from a time in the 2010ABY's it didn't seem likely that she knew of Arkus Zarran, or even the Zarran name since their name hadn't originally been Zarran. "No, you're not familiar with him at all." He said in reply of her statement about Zarran, it just wasn't possible unless she were lying on purpose.

"Speak freely with me, Corvus. There are several Jedi in our Order who hide things, and are materially wealthy as you put it." There was no point in sugar coating it or whatever she hoped to accomplish by sneaking in an add-on to her reply.

"How should we proceed? That depends on where your Master had left off. I would prefer to not visit lessons that you already know of."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus seemed genuinely flustered by her Master's words. To her credit, she recovered her composure quickly. "I must be mistaken Master, I am sorry."

Corvus didn't know why the dismissal stung. Perhaps because Master Jareck had never been so blunt. But Master Jareck was dead and Master Bishop was to teach her now. She remembered she was just a young girl and not to be as silly as to take offence at every rebuke. Plus, she remembered the teaching that "a Jedi does not cling to the past."

Corvus wondered if her Master was testing her already when he mentioned that some Jedi were materially wealthy.

"'I wear my robe so that I am warm; I carry my lightsaber so that I am safe; and I keep enough credits for my next meal, so that I am not hungry. If the Force wants me to have more, it finds a way of letting me know.' Master Kagoro said those words in the Old Republic Era. I was just assuring you that I do not covet material things." Corvus' tone was matter of fact. There was no emotion in her voice, no questioining or challenge. She was just repeating some of her teachings.

"In terms of my teachings Master, I have covered all academic aspects of training, but I had not completed any of the physical trials. I think my former Master knew that was what I wanted most of all, so he made sure they came last." For the first time a small smile played on her lips before her face returned to its former neutral state.

"And thank you for encouraging me to talk freely. I hope you do not come to regret that allowance." There it was again, a hint of a cheeky smile.

[member="Zaren Bouqi"]

 

[Zion Krayt]

When she accepted his correction, although clearly not happily, he was happy to see that she didn't try to argue it. It aggravated him when a Jedi would argue with one with more experience, or even speak of something they didn't know. Especially when they were younger than him. Not that Zaren Bouqi was old, it was simply that he had experienced things that he was certain many Jedi of this time would never come close to.

When she gave him the quote, he simply shrugged his shoulders in response. In truth, he didn't care what a Master Kagoro had said, the past was long gone, and they were in this time. The Jedi Order had changed quite significantly since the Old Republic Era, but even so, what she said made sense. "And I was just telling you that there are Jedi who have more material possessions than others. That doesn't make you less of a Jedi, it simply gives you more tools to use." He said and he blinked several times in rapid succession.

"You have completed all academic aspects of training?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "All you are lacking is the experience then." He finished off his own question. He shrugged his shoulders in response while he thought of some questions. "Tell me, of the third line in the Jedi Code. What is it trying to say, and how does it speak to you?" It had been a popular topic to have theory lessons upon when he was a Padawan. He wondered if she would find similar answers to him.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus thought for a few seconds before answering. She wanted to say that the Jedi Code is significantly older than the teachings of Master Kagoro, yet were still considered relevant. This puzzled her but felt it inappropriate to share those thoughts just yet.

Instead she replied, "There is no passion, there is serenity. To me this is linked to the concept that a Jedi should be self-disciplined. Conquering arrogance and overconfidence is part of this. Only then can a Jedi truly begin to understand the true meaning of honour."

"I have also heard it described as understanding how to react in times of extreme stress when a Jedi might be tempted to react strongly. That a Jedi must draw his weapon only in defense is an expression of this. While emotions and intuition must be understood and utilized in a Jedi's daily life, he must never act rashly. Passionate use of power leads to the dark side. A Jedi must always act with a calm hand and an even temper."


[member="Zaren Bouqi"]

 

[Zion Krayt]

"What do you think of passion however? Do you believe a Jedi should be passionate? Whether about their teaching, their fighting abilities, or simply their duty as a Jedi? Or is that acceptable, but other applications are not?" She quoted words of past Jedi from the Older Republic well enough, but could she answer for herself? That was the point of this, he didn't want an Apprentice that could read from a datapad and give him answers that way, he had been that way for a short period of time, but soon his own wants took that over.

The want to protect his friends.

"Let's talk scenarios." This is something that he had enjoyed when he had been a Padawan. It helped people to think of themselves in the future, or in their current state.

"If the Supreme Chancellor was being held hostage by a powerful Sith Lord in his office and you were the only Jedi close enough to stop the Sith Lord from kidnapping or killing the Chancellor, what would you do? You can't wait for reinforcements either, there are none close enough, it is only you. Also, if this Sith Lord were to live he would kill millions, what would you do?"

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

"I believe I am a Padawan for a reason - because I am to learn. Therefore, I am not comfortable in giving an accurate answer to your question, Master. You see, it is easy for me to answer here, as we discuss the teachings of the Code, but in the situation - well, I cannot be sure how I would act."

"But you have asked for my opinion, so I would certainly intervene. Waiting for reinforcements would be pointless and achieve nothing. So I would do my duty to protect the Supreme Chancellor - by whatever means I have at my disposal. If that meant the death of the Sith Lord in battle, that would be an appropriate outcome.but I do not believe I would set out to kill him. Capture him, yes. But if I had to kill him, I would. It is for those with greater wisdom to decide his fate, should I capture him. But I suspect a Sith wouldn't be a willing captive and his death would be inevitable."

Corvus enjoyed the question. Master Bishop wasn't just asking for her understanding of the Code, he was asking her opinion. She found this helpful, and cared not if she didn't give a perfect answer. She gave the response that felt right to her.

[member="Zaren Bouqi"]

 

[Zion Krayt]

There was no way for him to judge what she had answered, it was simply a scenario, no one knew how t hey'd act if the situation actually came to pass. Zaren didn't know, but he'd like to think that he would have gone to protect the Supreme Chancellor, died, or killed the Sith Lord if he had to. But if he didn't do that, then he had no idea what he'd do.

Now, he was going to be asking her one that wasn't opinion... It was... Well she'll see.

"Four people are upon a staircase. A farmer, a soldier, a Jedi, and the Supreme Chancellor. In what order do they stand? From bottom being the least important, to the top."

Oh how he loved this question.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus considered the question for a few seconds. "I have to be honest in my answer. The problem is that, in my opinion, importance is a matter of relativity. In a world where people are starving, the farmer is the most important. In times of political unrest, the politician comes to the fore. When order is needed, the soldier will rise in priority. So my honest answer is twofold. Firstly, they are all people and no person is more important than any other. But if they had to be ranked, I would have to ask what the context was first."

"This may not be the answer you were expecting but it is the most honest answer I can give."

[member="Zaren Bouqi"]

 

[Zion Krayt]

"There is no context. The information on the situation is what you use to answer. The scenario doesn't need a setting, if it did then that would be the standard answer and there would be no purpose in asking you." He shook his head with an almost disappointed look upon his face. "What order will they be on the stairs?"

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

"Master, I answered as best I could with the information available and based upon how I viewed the question. If pressed for an answer and without context, I would say they all occupy the same step as no person is more important than any other."

Corvus answered quickly and with a slight frown.

[member="Zaren Bouqi"]

 

[Zion Krayt]

Zaren sighed and narrowed his eyes for a moment. "There is not meant to be a context to the situation. It is opinionated, and when I ask you to do something, you're meant to do it." He said after grinding his upper and lower row of teeth together. Needless to say, it annoyed him as to how long it took her to answer.

However, the answer had been worth it.

"Very good, Padawan Raaf. You're the first Padawan that I've met who answered it correctly."

He paused for a moment, thinking of the next question, most likely the last one, and he finally decided what to say.

"If there is a man saying that he has several Jedi, that are reported missing in the Jedi Order, and he claims to have them in his possession, how would you proceed?"

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was now in two minds. She found the previous question frustrating and felt her Master wasn't entirely pleased with her response - but he'd paused her and that felt odd to her.

His new question was even more frustrating than the previous one. Perhaps that was the plan? It was certainly a different approach to her home world but this early into her training, she wasn't sure she'd made the right decision in coming here. But then she wasn't here to enjoy herself, she was here to learn. And perhaps that made Master Bishop the best person to teach here. So she considered his question in earnest.

"OK, Master. For one man to be able to subdue a number of Jedi suggests he has a lot of power. So my first thought is to gain information, so I'd ask the man some questions to find out who he was and how he was able to have them in his possession."

If the first question was a little frustrating, this one was frustrating.

[member="Zaren Bouqi"]

 

[Zion Krayt]

The Jedi Knight chuckled at her response. That seemed like a standard answer from most Jedi, the man was clearly powerful if he was able to subdue multiple Jedi. But...

"Who said he had subdued them? The man simply said he had several Jedi in his possession. You don't know if he found them, saved them, or captured them himself." The Jedi Knight replied with a smile. With that, he shook his head at her. "The purpose of this is so that you do not make assumptions before leaping into a situation. I understand that sometimes there is no time to think a situation through and you decide that you must act to save the people who need saving." Zaren spoke from experience, experience that Corvus didn't have.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]