Private The Prodigies Of The Sword

[Iris Arani]

Times were changing. Again.

The Maw had been pushed back on Tython. But Tython brought it's own scars to Iris. Not physically, but mentally. The shade still weighed on her mind, hovering overhead like a guillotine. She'd been pushing it away, aside to focus on trying to be the best Jedi she could be. But it was always full of mistakes. Mistakes she couldn't keep making. The Empire were no longer allies. The Maw had a new Dark Lord that Valery herself had fought. And now Master Valery was named the Sword of the Jedi.

Time for playing around were gone. At least for the eldest of her Padawans.

Within the rebuilt temple on Coruscant Iris waited for her fellows. War was coming. Larger than before. They all needed to be prepared as possible. Her gaze fell to her gloved hand that was still missing her pinky. They couldn't suffer the same pain she'd gone through so many times. Not if she could help them. So she waited. With Valery's new duties, it only made sense for Iris to help train them both, right? She still had things she could show them. And maybe they'd learn from her mistakes.

Silas Westgard | Cailen Corso

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Coruscant
Objective: Meet with his fellow paddies
Attire: Clothing
Tags: Iris Arani / Cailen Corso

Blink and another piece of history would happen before your eyes

That's what it felt like for Silas in the last couple of months. First the war, historic battles, and now a Jedi who was his mentor becoming the very beating heart of the order. Time was going fast, almost too fast for his liking. A few weeks would spell the beginning of his 16th birthday, and in all honesty, he didn't know what to do for it. He hadn't celebrated an event like that for three years, long enough for him to forget what it truly felt like. That thought would have to wait for now, there were more pressing matters he needed to attend to.

Within one of the many training chambers, Silas finally walked in. His eyes stilled looked incredibly tired but he seemed to be more adamant in keeping awake compared to the form he showed at the ethics class. Smiling to Iris, he briefly bowed his head and stood before her "Afternoon Iris, I hope things have been well for you" he said warmly as he tucked both of his hands into the pockets of his jumpsuit.

"What do you have planned for us today if I may ask?

 

[Iris Arani]

"Things have been well enough. .. Master Valery is doing her own training as the new Sword. So while she's away, I'll be training you and Cailen. When he arrives we'll start, okay?"

Iris flashed a brief smile, but honestly she was the farthest thing from happy about it all. The trust from their master? Couldn't make her any happier. But the fact she was basically preparing them for war?

She never understood just how hard that was.

Silas Westgard | Cailen Corso

 

[Silas Westgard]

"It may be wise if we start now Iris, I'm quite unsure if Cailen will be appearing," he said to Iris, looking to the door with a slight frown before looking back to her. "Should we get started? we can always explain it to him if he does arrive" he suggested, curious as to what Iris was going to show to prepare for the upcoming war.

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris nodded in agreement. That'd be fine. She turned her gaze towards the room before clearing her throat. Right. She was the teacher now. "I'm going to show you how to meld your mind with others. It sounds weird, probably. But in a fight, being able to co-ordinate is key. This will show you how to without needing years of practice fighting beside someone. And even then, it's far better. Far more co-ordinated."

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

Silas stood more respectfully when Iris talked, his hands slowly going behind his back to listen more carefully as to what she was going to teach him "Mind meld... from what you have said is it used to connect with a partner and make yourselves in sync with every move?" If that was the case, it would certainly make things easier to work with someone he hadn't met before or didn't like for whatever reason.

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

"Yeah. You can use it with more than just one person, though, it does.. Meld a lot. Perspectives, minds, feelings. Unless you stay in control, it can backfire and only hinder everything you're doing. Your negative emotions can become theirs, and vice versa."

Iris let out a sigh. This was weird to explain from a teaching perspective. Trying to make sure he could understand it.

"If you're ready to begin, just sit down. Breath. It'll be a lot of meditation, really."

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

Silas slowly nodded and chose to be silent in order to let her explain further. Mind meld was an interesting power, in more ways than one it seemed to make all those that accepted it closer and trustworthy between each other's reactions. That alone made concerned the padawan.

"I'm ready," He said to Iris as he lowered himself to the floor and crossed his legs comfortably. Silas took a deep breath and looked to the fellow padawan for further instruction.

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

"Good. Now.. Feel. Pause your thoughts. Just reach out, focus on the world around us. On the temple. The Jedi here. Me. Focus on me. How I feel, how I am." She stilled her own thoughts, opened her mind. Relaxed. Breathed. "Make that you. Make you, me."

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

Silas took calm breaths as he let himself be taken along with the force. Everything was silent and peaceful between the two of them, providing a clean connection between the padawan. Not only that, but Silas also went beyond. He focused on all that resided within the temple, as well as the structure that surrounded them.

"Right now, you feel at peace..." he said, but that wouldn't be the same for Silas. He'd be uncharatiscally nervous about having his feelings on show, especially with how he had felt recently.

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris blinked open her eyes. And frowned. His nerves, his hesitation, she was able to pick that up with all too much ease. She shook her head, slowly. ".. The meld will put out minds together. If you're unsure or nervous or feel there are things you don't want to share, we should stop here. Being able to sense one another will at least help you understand intention and let you react quicker, if not as fast as if you were in the meld."

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

Silas sighed and slowly opened his eyes to Iris with a look of disappointment. He was still cautious of how he was going to feel doing this. considering his emotions had been all over the place recently "I'm sorry Iris, my head has just been all over the place recently" he said honestly to the fellow padawan "Can I just have a few moments to recollect my thoughts?" the boy asked her, willing to continue the training after a short break.

"I want to do this, truthfully. I just need some time..."

Iris Arani ​

 

[Iris Arani]

"You don't have to be sorry, Silas. We're.. You're still a kid. A teenager. We both are. If your head isn't all over the place then there's something wrong." Iris chuckled. Trying to bring back some clam to them both. No, this was okay. She had her own things she didn't really want to share, now that she thought about it. It was always more difficult to know emotion than to not.

".. How are you feeling? With Val- With Master Noble's training?"

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

"Yea, I guess you're right about that," he said back with a shy smile back to Iris. She always had a way to make people happy again, as well as calm within themselves. That's one of the things she liked most about her, she had a true heart of a Jedi and only developed that through Valery's warm teaching. She certainly was going to be one heck of a teacher one day.

"It's hard, Obviously. But I feel like I'm doing well and keeping up with what she is throwing at me. In ways, it's just me that's dragging myself down..."

Iris Arani ​

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris nodded slowly before she just flopped back onto the ground. Sprawled out and groaning loud. "Ahhh. I'm glad you're able to keep up. I feel like my arms are going to fall off every time we start our sessions. She hits sooo hard. I get why, but sometimes I wish she'd hold back, just a little, y'know?" She stared up at the ceiling before letting out a giggle. "At least it helps us get stronger. Much stronger. I didn't expect it to be this effective."

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

"Yea, you can say that again. My arms are almost numb by the time we're finished with training, but I know it's all worth it. She's tough to do us a favor. As you said, without it we wouldn't be anywhere near as prepared" he said with a brief smile of reassurance to the girl, his head looking up to the ceiling too in thought. Valery probably didn't enjoy being so hard on them, but she knew what she had to do in order for them to survive in the harsh reality of being a Jedi.

They seemed to forget she was like them once.

"You've been with her for a while haven't you?" he said as he looked back over to Iris "What are you going to do when you become knight? take on a padawan of your own?"

Iris Arani ​

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris laughed and nodded. At least they seemed to have the same experience with their master. In that bit of training, anyway. The odds they had the same exact lesson plan were.. Pretty low, yeah. She kept her gaze up on the ceiling, still all smiles and laughter. At least until the question. The smile dimmed some as she thought on it. She had been, hadn't she? One of Valery's Padawans. Not the oldest, no.

"I'm.. Not sure. I should, shouldn't I? Master already has so many of us, and there are still more without Master's. I should give back what I was fortunate enough to have. And yet, I'm really not sure. What do you think? When you become a Knight, will you?"

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

"In my eyes, you'd make a great teacher, especially to the kids. They'd be very curious of the force through your paintings" he said honestly, keeping his eyes on the roof for now as they both released a chuckle "And you're right, there are quite a few padawans who don't have a master right now. You'd be perfect for that"

Silas pondered for a second when she asked if he'd ever take on a padawan of his own, but it was already clear what his answer was going to be "Of course, it would be an honor to teach the next generation of Jedi. Although, I'd only really have one and focus on them alone. I feel having more than that would be too much for me..." teaching kids was a big commitment, so having one was good enough for him. It was just a marvel to Silas how Valery managed to do it with four.

"That's if I ever become a knight though, who knows what will happen in the next few years"

Iris Arani ​

 

[Iris Arani]

"I guess they would be curious, wouldn't they? Heh. I bet I could figure out some kind of lesson with it all." She eventually sat up, shrugging her shoulders. "You want to try that again, now? See if you can start your own meld?"

Silas Westgard

 

[Silas Westgard]

Silas nodded to Iris cautiously and repersinoined himself to make himself comfier, refolding his legs and facing Iris with a bit more confidence now "Let's do it" he said with a smile and a final deep breath to relax his body. The teen slowly shut his eyes and allowed the force to flow through him with ease, emotions far different than the ones they sensed earlier.

Iris Arani​