Private The Reunion of the Brat and The Maverick

[Jax Thio]

Location: Jedi Temple, Coruscant
Equipment: Travelling Robes, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Promise Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Aveline Cuiléin

Jax walked towards the training room clearing his mind in the process. He needed to brush up on Djem-So as it was the next lesson he planned on teaching any interested Padawans. Speaking of Padawans, it been a while since Jax linked up with his apprentices. While Jax wasn't overly strict now and days in having Padawans travel with him, sometimes he wondered if his teachings were instilled into them. "I just hoped I passed on the right things to them." Jax mumbled. "I never had a great track record in creating Jedi after all."

The Jedi Master entered the training room and unclipped his Lightsaber. He wasn't good at being a Master, as much as Jax recalled only one apprentice was successful and even then she decided to forge her path. "Am I really cut out to be a teacher?" Jax wondered as he was about to activate his Lightsaber.

 

[Aveline Cuiléin]

Aveline was walking down the old temple training halls when she felt a presence she hadn't felt in a long time… One of her old teachers.

Deciding it was about time to catch up, she swung by.

"You, out of bed, this early? What's going on?" she joked as she entered with a smile. "Good to see you Jax"

Jax Thio

 

[Jax Thio]

Location: Courscant
Equipment: Travelling Robes, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Promise Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Aveline Cuiléin

"Aveline," Jax gave his old apprentice a warm smile. "It's been too long, It's good to see you." He missed Aveline greatly, during his self-exile, she was one of the few people who helped pull Jax away from the darkness that was churning inside of him. Aveline despite being a Padawan was all grown up and Jax was grinning like a proud father.

"I'm glad you came," Jax said. "We have a lot to talk about, you're almost a Jedi Knight while it is something to celebrate, the last hurdle is always the hardest to overcome. It's full of darkness and danger, the Force is calling me to oversee the last of your training. Our time to see ourselves as equals is drawing near but you still have a lot to learn before that can happen."

Jax smiled. "So," he asked. "Are you ready to take on more missions one more time apprentice?"

 

[Aveline Cuiléin]

«The day is fast approaching» she agreed with what she hoped came off as a humble smile. When one had as much power and ability as these young Jedi did, it was easy to give way to arrogance. It was a constant effort to remain some semblance of self-awareness and humility. «If I pass my trials» she said with a light chuckle. She would, in time, Force willing. «I am ready to see what comes next» Humility, yes, but not without confidence.

«I don't imagine making Knight will mean I stop learning. I'll probably always have a lot to learn»

«I go where the Council sends me. It's not about want. We serve, Jax» she said with what she hoped was a warm and comforting smile. As much as she wanted to run out on adventures fuelled by self-interest, she served a higher cause now. «We are not mavericks in some game. There are no solo pilots, we gotta pull together.» And spend their resources wisely.

What was it she had seen just as she came in? Was he practicing Djem So? «You know, you never did show me Form V.« was it time now? Her eyes examined his for his reaction. «What do you say? Your Djem So against my Ataru?» She looked at him with a glimpse of mischief in her eyes, testing his eagerness to give her another lesson

Jax Thio

 

[Jax Thio]

Location: Courscant, Jedi Temple
Equipment: Travelling Robes, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Promise Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Aveline Cuiléin

"Look at that," Jax said. "Aveline showing humility, where the hell was this when I trained ya?" Though Aveline and Jax had a tense relationship, the two of them went on many adventures, learning about the Force, themselves, and fighting evil doers. It was a shame that Jax wasn't there for the rest of Aveline's training but the time away from each other did them some good. Both of them were more mature, hardened from their experiences but Jax knew that they needed to reunite for one last push.

The Jedi Master smiled. "Only if you become a Jedi," he said taking out his Lightsaber the blue blade shown close to his face. "You're right you'll never stop learning when you become a Jedi Knight but UNTIL you become a Jedi Knight, you are still beholden to a Master."

He chuckled. "Don't tell me all that humility talk is a way for you to duck not having a Master." Jax said raising his blade over his head. "Let's make this interesting. If you win, then I won't pester you in training under a Master, but If I win, you and I are stuck together as Master and apprentice for just a little longer."

Aveline would throw a fit years ago, he wondered how she would react now. "So how much did you improve on the techniques I've taught ya Aveline?" Jax asked smiling. "Come at me!"

 

[Aveline Cuiléin]

«I see your lack of humility is the same as when last we met» she said with a smile. She had known Jax to be both loud and self-assured, to a fault.

«Beholden? In what way?» she calmly asked, observing the Jedi before her and his blue blade as he fired it to life. She felt she showed respect to all the Masters, but that could be said for the Padawans she interacted with as well. It sounded like Jax had meant she should be tied to the frock of one Master in particular, however, and she had a pretty good idea who he thought that should be.

«Master Rane has been diligent. But he's sent away on a secret mission. He's not expected back any time soon» she added, as he mentioned her master-less state, perhaps seeking to get a rise out of her as he so easily had done in the past. This time, she didn't take the bait.

Nor did she seem to take the bet. «That is a decision for the Council to decide, not made by the whims of rigged bets. You are a Master, after all» she could see the eagerness in his eyes, his youthful playfullness. Aveline was a stoic contrast, one who did not draw her own blade.

Jax Thio

 

[Jax Thio]

Location: Coruscant, Jedi Temple
Equipment: Travelling Robes, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Promise Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Aveline Cuiléin

"I'll contact Master Rane," Jax said holding his blade in front of him. "We Jedi Masters have a special comms channel where we communicate through. I've been a Master for years and I'm already discovering the benefits of being one."

Aveline's dream was to be a great Jedi and she was making progress but not as much progress as she thought. Still, Jax was curious to see how much she improved from their time away. "The mask of stoicism," Jax quipped when Aveline began to go in her Ataru opening stance. "Is just a mask at the end of the day. I know you Aveline, you still are impulsive and let's just get it out of the way: Bratty."

He wanted to push Aveline's buttons, to see how much it took for her to get her emotional defenses down. Jax then took the opportunity to leap at Aveline attempting to probe her defenses with a combination of slashes and stabs. As a Master of Ataru, Jax knew that the form relied heavily on athleticism at the cost of defense. "Let's see how she reacts." Jax thought.

 

[Aveline Cuiléin]

Aveline nodded slowly, watching Jax who still had his blade ignited.

He was much the same as she remembered, and she scoffed at his comment to her. "Of course you would call it mask, before acknowledigng anything I've done" she barely managed to hold in the sigh. He wasn't too far off, however, it took great deal of self restraint and focus to manage to keep herself grounded. Perhaps she had been foolish in hoping he had changed. He had a way of triggering her with seemingly minimal effort, and she wasn't entirely sure why. Perhaps it was because he had meant to be the one to protect her, but instead he had always tried to bring out the worst in her for his own amusement.

He might have expected her to drop into a combative stance, but she still stood by the entrance, relaxed, lightsaber hilt safely tucked away at her belt. She felt a familiar surge of anger as he belittled her, but she managed to push it down with great effort. Lashing out would get her nowhere, had gotten her nowhere in the past. Ignoring her natural response, instead, in as calm and clear tone as she could manage, she said: "No, we don't have to get it out of the way. Jax, I want you, need you, to start treating me with-" and then he lunged at her.

In that instant it was almost like she was back on Korriban, back to where Jax had struck her down all those years ago. She snapped out of it before it was too late, and rolled off to the side, followed by a quick leap to create some distance as soon as she got to a crouched position. She hadn't agreed to fight him, so the surprise attack had caught her off guard.

When it came to pushing her buttons, he was a master. But she wasn't his charge anymore, no longer isolated and alone, but ready and willing to stand up for herself. "Just because you're the son of a Sith doesn't mean you have to act like one!" Jax's jabs and quips felt close to Dun Möch, a Sith technique meant to unbalance your opponent, force them into anger or doubt themselves, as she so often had felt on the receiving end of.

She watched him, unsure. Would she have to fight her way out of this room? Her hand hovered close to the hilt of her lightsaber.

Jax Thio