Time For An Education

[Gaia Sunaris Cadera]

Calithea nervously sat on the step to the Jedi Temple as she stared out over the jungle forests of Kashyyyk. She hadn't been trained in almost anyway with the Force, aside from the occasional teaching moments from her dads. When it had been mentioned that they needed to find her a Master for a more formal, non-biased training, she didn't have the best response to it.

But, she understood the need even if it was a disruption to the normal schedule of her life. Plus, she was immensely interested in it. A book-bag full of books on it lay next to her from her studies. From ancient Jedi texts to more modern thinking, Cali only hoped she would make [member="Tom Taff"] and [member="Mykes Taff"] proud. She liked to thinks he caught on to things quickly, but perhaps this would be harder.

Really, she had no idea what to really expect and that made her even more nervous. With a deep breath, she stood, slinging the book-bag over her back as she walked further into the entrance. She wasn't sure if [member="Yuroic Xeraic"] would be here yet or not. If he wasn't, she could at least meditate or appreciate the architecture some, she guessed.

 

[WelshGuy]

It had been mentioned to Yuroic that there was a student in need of a Master. He knew Mykes and Tom, they were good people and he was open to taking another student. Wearing his usual grey sweatshirt and jogging bottoms, Yuroic noticed that his potential new student was sat on the steps of the entrance waiting. He was curious about the young girl, she seemed young, around early teen years and she seemed eager with a bag filled with books from what he could tell. It was good to see that, something to be cautious of as his master always told him, eagerness to learn can lead people astray when they don't feel like they are learning everything, all aspects of the Force. However, he was always a keen learner himself so it was something he knew how to handle.

Scratching the top of his head, Yuroic walked and stood in front of Calithea. "Greetings, I'm Master Xeraic, but you can call me Yuroic if you rather. What would you prefer me to call you?" He offered his hand for her to shake with a warm smile etched on his face. While he was tough on his students in training, Yuroic knew he couldn't go head in and be tough on Calithea. She was young and still looked fragile, he would need to get her up to full strength before he trained her anything like he did with Asaraa and his other students.

[member="Calithea Taff"]

 

[Gaia Sunaris Cadera]

It seemed that [member="Yuroic Xeraic"] was indeed already at the Jedi Temple. She gave a nervous smile to the Jedi Master as she stopped in front of him. Man, she hoped she wasn't about to make a fool of herself. What if she wasn't even good with the Force? It wasn't like reading or studying a book. It was... Intense, the fabric of existence or something. Could she really get a good grasp on that?

Well, she guessed she'd find out soon enough. She reached out to shake his hand. Her own shake was somewhat firm, if you could call a relatively weak 13 year old girl's handshake firm. Dressed in black leggings and a simple blue sweater, she felt confident she was in attire that would be beneficial to learning the Force. "It's great to meet you, Master Yuroic!" Excitement in her voice. Although, her eyes widened a little bit as she mixed up. Master Xeraic. Yuroic if she preferred. And she combined the two opposite.

She panicked for a moment before she took a breath. "I'm Calithea. But you can call me Cali or Thea," she said somewhat quickly and nervously. "I respond to either. Or Calithea, if you prefer. Up to you!" She said as she realized she was somewhat rambling.

 

[WelshGuy]

Smiling, he could tell that Cali was nervous. He didn't even need to read her mind to tell that about her, instead her body language and words pointed all that out to him. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Don't mind Master Yuroic if that is more comfortable, as long as you find something appropriate and comfortable to call me, I don't mind too much." Yuroic informed Cali as he lowered his hand and picked out a book on the Force, flicking through a couple pages, he was interested in seeing what was mentioned in it. Shrugging, it seemed somewhat useful but it wasn't the way of teaching the Force that Yuroic was particularly interested in.

Stepping back, Yuroic gave another look over Cali then nodded his head. "Right, so I am guessing you are more interested in the Force than fighting and learning the combat side?" Yuroic questioned, interested in hearing what she wanted to learn. "I can teach you both but I am curious to find out what you find interesting and not interesting." He stated, being open with the young girl.

[member="Calithea Taff"]

 

[Gaia Sunaris Cadera]

Calithea returned her hand after the shake. She gave a small nod, and an embarressed grin as he squeezed her shoulder. Maybe Master Yuroic would be best, since that seemed to be her subconscious telling her to call him that. Or, well, maybe she was just a mess. Either way, he wasn't upset about it and that brought immense relief to the young girl.

She perked a brow as he took a book, flicked through it, before basically closing it. Her eyes were still wide. He didn't seem to agree with the book. That... May or may not be good. But books and real life practice were much different so it wasn't exactly surprising. She gave a small nod. "I am! I mean, I want to learn some combat too. I'm just... Kinda weak. I exercise and everything but it's kinda just hard for me to get the muscles and stuff," she admitted with a sad flex of her arm before she kind of deflated a litle. She wasn't really quite sure how to go into the whole reasoning behind it.

But, maybe he already knew? Or at least could tell. Or maybe she was assuming too much about the Force. Ahhh, so many questions.

 

[WelshGuy]

Nodding his head as he kept an eye on Cali as he read and then afterwards when he could see how excited discussing the Force made her. It was clear she was going to be a Force based Jedi which was somewhat different to himself but he was interested in seeing how she progressed. When she made the comment on not being that much of a physical person, Yuroic shrugged, "we can always get some muscles on you, right diet and exercise can work. I was malnourished when I first joined here, now I am far from it. I was able to crawl through the vents in this Temple and on Nar Shaddaa, that's how skinny I once was." Yuroic joked with a smirk.

Handing her the book back, "the book is interesting but there are a lot of issues with books. The Force is just something more than what is stated on paper, it is everywhere and a part of everything. There is a presence that they cannot express. However, the main issue is that when in a fight, a duel, and your opponent is bearing down on you, your stress and anxiety are sky high. You can't think in those moments and can't focus on things like the book wants you to, has to be instinctive and you have to push through all that to find your centre." Yuroic informed Cali on his thoughts, that was how he was, thinking about the dangers and trying to help make sure that his students were as safe as they could be.

"Now, we will focus on Force Powers, make sure that you know the basics and learn some useful powers. There will be some sparring lessons and teach you some of the Lightsaber Forms, all Jedi learn those and I can think of one or two that might be best suited for you. We will do some exercising and get you to a healthy level. Don't need to be super muscular but you want to be able to knock a few guys down, show them whose boss." Yuroic smirked again as he lead Cali through the Temple. "We will do a quick meditation, introduction to the Force in the gardens, I have a perfect spot for us to learn."

[member="Calithea Taff"]

 

[Gaia Sunaris Cadera]

Calithea perked a brow as Yuroic spoke about how he was malnourished when he first came here. Cali blinked, with a small nod. Her face turned serious for a moment. "I don't remember that much, but I was at an orphanage until I was 7. We barely got any food," she commented. The hunger... The memory itself made her shudders lightly. "But, I mean, my dads feed me lots so." She shrugged a little. "I just can't keep up it seems like." But, maybe with his help, she'd be able to finally catch up.

It was much different working with a Master who was unbiased instead of parents, after all. Nonetheless she gave a nod as she took the book, placing it into the book-bag that was still on her back. She focused in intently. She wished she could just absorb his words so she could remember it well. But, she'd just have to do her best with her memory. It did make her nervous, though. The idea of not being able to think, to have that stress and anxiety. It sounded... Scary.

But, that was part of life. Calithea gave a nod as she followed [member="Yuroic Xeraic"] through the Temple. They would start with Force Powers and get the basics. That was fair, especially considering Cali only knew what the basics were through the books. "I'm going to get a light-saber?" She asked, her eyes wide at the thought of having her own. She had always imagined it, of course. But she had never actually thought she'd get one. Either way, he was right. "Alright. I hope we can. I want to be at least kinda good at this," she said with a small chuckle.

An introduction in the gardens. Too perfect!

 

[WelshGuy]

At the mention of a Lightsaber, Yuroic slapped his forehead, he patted down his pockets for a bit then found the item he was searching for. It was a practice saber for Cali, while she was still as inexperience in Jedi training, it was safer for her and everyone around her for them to start Cali on a practice saber. "To start with, I want you to get to grip with using this and training with this. I am sure in a year or two then you will be ready to take part in the gathering, I had to wait awhile for my Lightsaber too because I had no experience with melee weapons like it." Yuroic stated, he wanted her to know that she wasn't going to stand out or be odd for not having one already. It was just so she could learn to fight in her own time.

"On the topic of foods, it is probably just the type of food. Something high in calories or in fats, I'm sure we can do some lessons on cooking as well so you know how to make the meals." Yuroic smiled warmly, being a Master wasn't about teaching the Force and combat, but to teach about all aspects of life. To be a mentor that they can learn all they could to live their lives to the best of their ability moving forward. "I am sure that you will be quicker at understanding the Force than I was, and you be stronger with it than I would have been when you become a Knight." Yuroic stated, something to show he had faith in her but fell under his usual low opinion of his own skills.

[member="Calithea Taff"]

 

[Gaia Sunaris Cadera]

Calithea perked a brow as [member="Yuroic Xeraic"] hit his forehead, then searched his pockets for an item. Thea wasn't quite sure what provoked the reaction - but suddenly, he pulled out a practice saber. Cali beamed as she took it carefully in her hands, somewhat doing a practice block a couple times before she returned her focus back to Master Yuroic. "That makes sense," she stated with a nod. She may be a teenager, but she was surprisingly agreeable. It also helped that he even commented that he had to start off with a practice saber, too.

Kids would be kids, right? It was always better for them to be safe first. Her eyes widened more as he mentioned the idea of cooking. He was going to teach her how to make meals, too?! This was becoming much more than just a Force session, but soon to be cooking lessons too. She gave a small nod. "Thank you," she said with a smile as she looked towards him. No wonder her parents recommended him. He put effort into it, something a lot of teachers probably didn't do.

She perked a brow and did not believe literally any of his other comments, but it still filled the girl with hope for her abilities. "There's no way I could be better than you, though, Master Yuroic." She gave him a big, playful grin. "Maybe one day, though," she joked.

 

[WelshGuy]

It was good to see that Cali was understanding of his position on training with the practice saber before receiving a Lightsaber. Entering the garden, Yuroic stretched and looked around the open space. "This is the gardens, this is where we will do our Force training as it is a relaxing and peaceful environment that can encourage our Force powers as well as connection to nature itself." Yuroic informed Cali as he found his secluded spot in the gardens, taking a seat and gesturing to Cali to do the same. "It is important to understand that the Force is connected to everything, not just Force Users. Plenty of creatures can feel the Force and sense others connected to it, there is a balance with everything."

Chuckling, he nodded his head, "my Force Powers are limited, you likely won't be as limited as I am in those terms. I think you could be a great Jedi." Yuroic stated honestly. "Now, close your eyes and let your mind flow, feel the Force around you. Tell me what you can see." Yuroic closed his eyes and inhaled deeply as he allowed the Force to wash over him and through him. Feeling the Force flowing through all the plants and animals, it was relaxing even if there seemed to be chaos that flowed from the animals.

[member="Calithea Taff"]

 

[Gaia Sunaris Cadera]

Cali followed behind [member="Yuroic Xeraic"] happily as she examined the practice saber. She wondered if it'd really only be a year or two before she got her own saber. She'd be 14, maybe 15 then. How much more adult-like would she be by then? In some ways, she was excited for it. Growing up. Excited. But... She also loved her dads, and the idea of growing up was kind of scary.

But, that was neither here nor there as she looked around the open garden. So beautiful. So serene. She nodded eagerly. "It's beautiful," she said quietly as she slowly slid into the seat next to Master Yuroic. She crossed her legs as she took a breath, taking in the scenery around her. It reminded her a bit of that beautiful spot her dads showed her. But, nonetheless, she followed her Master's instructions. The Force was in all things and she had to feel it. Let her mind flow throughout the environment.

After a few seconds, she peeked open an eye. "I see..." She paused, "Um, Greenery?" She offered sheepishly, unsure of what to really... Feel. Or see? How did he see it?

 

[WelshGuy]

Maturity was a thing that was always difficult to obtain, Yuroic had been considered immature in the past by others. His approach to fights with opponents and constant jokes were used a way to disarm his opponent mentally, made them more unsure of how to approach him and fight him. There was a seriousness to him as well though, he took things in great strides but could have an explosive and relatively short temper if pushed. It was why he found meditation so important, allowed him to expel his frustrations and not allow them to build.

Watching Cali, he saw her peeking an eye out as she was unsure of where to go and how to open her mind. Shaking his head, Yuroic placed his hand over her eyes, blinding her. "Don't use your eyes. They blind you to the Force, odd concept I know but seeing with your eyes is very different to seeing and feeling with your mind. Listening, hear the insects, the birds. Feel the breeze, smell the dew and grass and flowers. Use your senses and try and see with your mind the Force flowing through all these creatures."

Yuroic kept his hand over her eyes for now as he hoped that she would try again and feel the Force this time.

[member="Calithea Taff"]

 

[Gaia Sunaris Cadera]

Calithea placed her hands on her knees as she peered at [member="Yuroic Xeraic"]. He made it look so easy. And... Well, it probably was easy for him come to think about it. He had years of experience compared to just a couple of years for Cali. During her meditations, though, she wasn't sure she never felt that connection that he mentioned. She just felt... Calmer. More peaceful.

Unsure, she gave a slight grin as he placed his hand over her eyes. Well, that was one way to make the young girl use her mind instead of her eyes. She gave a small nod as she listened to Master Yuroic's instructions. A quiet "sorry" escaped her lips. Calithea wasn't a fan of insects, in truth, so she got some goosebumps at the thought of feeling them - even if it wasn't with her hands.

And so Calithea closed her eyes despite his hand being over her eyes as she tried her best to tune into this mysterious Force. She was dead quite for a few minutes, at least as she relaxed her mind and slowly finding herself feeling connected with the world around her. Seeing the details of a blade of grass. The heartbeat of the small bird in the tree. The sound of a tiny bug walking on the ground.

Calithea nodded once more. "It is... Relaxing. Like, I'm not sure how to explain it," she admitted shyly.

 

[WelshGuy]

Nodding his head, it was tough to understand a person's connection to the Force. For each person it was unique and different, some could feel it more in combat, in battle, Yuroic felt a stronger connection when fighting than he did in the lull. However, others made things look easy when just walking around with the Force around them, such as his girlfriend Jairdain. Sensing Cali, he could tell that she could feel a connection, it was just still early and unexplored as much as it could be. In time she could find it much easier to meditate and feel a connection.

"Don't apologise, I never knew how to feel the Force when I started. I could only feel it, use the Force when I was training my combat moves. My mind was more receptive when I was going through the Lightsaber Forms." Yuroic stated, it was good to be honest showed that everyone had a starting point and suffered as much as everyone else. Sensing the discomfort in Cali, he realised that not everyone would be okay with insects as he was. "Don't think about the insects if they make you uncomfortable, there are other animals that you can sense and try feeling the Force flowing through them." Yuroic reassured her.

Hearing Cali, Yuroic nodded his head. "That's good, try to feel more than the relaxation. Sense all the things around you, the death, the life, the balance of chaos and peace." His instructions were trying to guide Cali into understanding that there was a deep well of the Force, something that they might never understand.

[member="Calithea Taff"]

 

[Gaia Sunaris Cadera]

Calithea was truly trying her best. Maybe she just wasn’t cut out for this? [member="Yuroic Xeraic"] made it look so natural, so easy. And yet, she struggled although she was pretty sure she felt the connection. She could see, hear, and feel the life around her in a much more intense way. A way she wasn’t expecting. And…

She gave a small nod as Master Yuroic spoke to her. “Really?” She asked, somewhat in shock. He was like her when he first started? That made her feel a bit better. Although, she still worried – what if she wasn’t living up to the expectations? Her parents, or his? She took a breath as she tried to continue to feel the Force around her. The Living Force.

She gave a small grin and nodded. Good, she completely closed that connection in less than a second of his confirmation. And so she felt through the garden more lively animals, like the birds. The blade of grass. The beautiful trees. And the little mammals that lived in them. A slight frown as she thought about his next words. The death and life? The chaos and peace? She felt it, the dying breath of a small animal.

And almost immediately her eyes watered slightly. “It is supposed to be balanced like this?”

 

[WelshGuy]

It was easy to sense the doubts that filled in Cali, a doubt that filled every Padawan when they began training. Being a daughter to other Force Users meant that there was a large amount pressure on her to do well. It was something he felt when his Master was the Grand Master of the Order at the time of his training. The pressure to perform well, it was tough and Yuroic often thought that he wouldn't live to the expectations of his Master, Arisa. "Don't fret about how well you will perform. It takes time, everyone starts in the same position in you are in right now." Giving confidence to Cali that she would improve.

"There is no pressure, we do things at your pace. It took over a decade for me to get to the level that I am." Yuroic informed Cali, he was stressing that nothing happened overnight and it needed to take time, dedication and resources." Sensing that Cali was gaining a stronger connection to the Force. When she sensed the death of a creature, the effect was not entertaining but it was all a part of life. "Without death, animals can't survive. Some need to eat meat. There is a circle to everything, balance is key, without Light there is no Darkness and without Darkness there can't be Light." Yuroic stated honestly, "that is my beliefs. It can be hard however, we need to understand all aspects of the Force, gives us insight towards our enemy."

Shaking his head, "but that is a conversation for another time. For now, breath and try connecting into that Force you feel, lift the rocks that surround us." Yuroic instructed Cali, testing her abilities.

[member="Calithea Taff"]

 

[Gaia Sunaris Cadera]

Calithea almost opened an eye, but she caught herself. A significant weight was taken off her shoulder at his comment. It takes time and it meant that Calithea would eventually catch up if she wasn’t already so far behind. Cali was nervous about how she may or may not compare to others in her age group. But, that wasn’t something she should worry about – like Master Yuroic said.

She gave a small nod as she took a breath, exhaling quietly. She just continued to soak in the feeling of the Force as it surrounded her, connected her, to the beautiful nature around her. She paused as [member="Yuroic Xeraic"] explained about the balance. The cycle of life and death – the balance between light and dark. She understood it, she really did. But it just felt… Unfair. Likely it had more to do with the reality that Cali had tried to push back any bad things – and focus only on the good in life.

Likewise, he stated that it was important to understand all aspects of the dark. Mostly so they could accurately predict their enemy. Another thing that Cali had mostly tried to ignore, but it was what it was.

She gave a small nod. “Lift the rocks?” She asked cautiously, nervously. How was she supposed to do that? “Do I just… Imagine them lifting?” She asked sheepishly as she just pictured rocks floating around her. And she was pretty sure there were no rocks floating yet.

 

[WelshGuy]

There was a belief of unfairness about the idea that came from Cali, Yuroic paused for a moment. He had to think about the best way to say what he wanted to say, to convince that life and death was something that was unfair but natural and necessary. "Cali, death is an essential part of life. If we do not die then other animals cannot eat and they die, or overpopulation happens and we destroy a beautiful world. All things must die, eventually, don't worry I do not plan to die any time soon but we fight to protect others, we could end up dying to protect them too." Yuroic informed Cali, there were real dangers in their jobs and he would not deceive her about it. "However, when we die, we connect back into the Force as pure energy. We become one with the Force. It is how people come back as Force Ghosts and how we can remember those that have passed."

"There can be joy taken from death, the joys of memories created with the person. Death is not bad or necessarily upsetting, it can just be hard to let those we care about go." Yuroic stated, hoping he helped her through the view of death being unfair and see the balance of the two things. He could tell that Cali wasn't ready to hear about the Sith and other Dark Side users that they might have to fight in the future. But he knew that one day she would have to understand that fact.

Chuckling, Yuroic realised that she had never used the Force to levitate objects before. Opening his palms, Yuroic felt the Force around them and lifted the rocks, some of them much heavier than Cali would be able to lift but he did it with little restraint. Setting the rocks down, "now, the art to levitation is to focus. Focus on the rocks, the stones and feel the Force surrounding them. Build it up till you can feel the rock move, you need to push the Force underneath the rocks and push them up from the ground. You can do this." Yuroic reassured Cali as he watched her patiently.

[member="Calithea Taff"]

 

[Gaia Sunaris Cadera]

Calithea didn’t like the idea. The idea that life had to end, and all the pretty things had to die. But… [member="Yuroic Xeraic"] was of course right. It was the natural part of life. For food, overpopulation, or the destruction of something beautiful. She took a deep breath as she gave a small nod – whether or not he’d see it. “I hope you don’t die,” she said quietly as she thought about mortality. Something she really avoided to think about.

“I guess that makes sense,” she confirmed after a few moments of self-reflection. It still made her sad, in truth, but she understood the necessity of it for the balance of life. Nonetheless, she was happy when she the conversation went back to making the rocks float. She watched as some of the rocks lifted, which she nearly gasped about seeing. Would she really be that good one day?

“Alright,” she whispered with a new-founded confidence from not only Master Yuroic stating she could do it but the sheer coolness of it. She let her breathing focus as she let her mind encase several of the small rocks that appeared in her mind. She opened her palm, almost completely replicating the steps that Yuroic did, as several of the rocks moved from the ground and into the air. Amazingly, she actually felt them in the air. She couldn't quite describe it, but if she was instructed, she knew she could pick out every one. Could she open her eyes to see it or would it break her concentration? Ahhhhh.

Of course, they were all pretty small rocks. No big rocks yet, nope.

 

[WelshGuy]

Yuroic smiled when he saw Cali give a small nod, it showed that she understood where he was coming from. Not necessary for her to agree but see the different viewpoints people can have is always an important ability. Watching her take a deep breath, he managed to catch her comment on not wanting him to do. "I don't plan on dying any time soon, maybe when I am much older and surrounded by those that I love. However, I am a Jedi, our jobs can be dangerous fighting Sith. Someday I might fall to an opponent faster, smarter and stronger than me. But not today, I take it day by day, living in the present." Yuroic reassured her.

Took Yuroic a moment to realise why Cali gasped at such a simple use of the Force, his years of practice and being surrounded by amazing Force Users had changed his view on what was amazing and what wasn't. When he first start, something like this did seem incredible and impossible for him to do. It just took time, which he knew Cali would find one day when in his position. Watching as Cali closed her eyes and focused on the task, able to lift the rocks around them. There was an impressed expression on his face, it was more than Yuroic thought she would try to lift in her first attempt.

"That's great Cali. Now drop the rocks and focus on one of the bigger ones. It can be difficult to start lifting heavy objects but it takes practice, one day you could be able to lift a fighter ship from the ground." Yuroic stated to show that the Force wasn't limited to physical strength.

[member="Calithea Taff"]