Your First Steps

[Arekk]

KASHYYYK​

Silver Rest, The Gardens​

​

After gaining Grandmaster Valae Kitra's approval to take young Padawan Zavii, Ar'ekk promised the Zabrak that she would become a Jedi just like he had. They would undergo a series of hardous training routines, understanding of the Jedi Order, the Force and everything that was useful to teach the apprentice everything about the life of a Jedi. Nobody said it would be easy, the path she would embark on would take an incredible amount of patience and perseverance to succeed.

If at first you fail, you'll find yourself in a slump that apparently you can't get out of. But the Force. The Force is your ally and you should always trust her instead of your eyes, your vision can blind you. All the lessons learned from the half masked Jedi Knight would come in handy to deal with different type of situations where your morality will be put to the test in the most extreme manners possible.

The duo had left the grandmaster's office shortly after they've agreed with the terms of the Padawan's training and appointment to Ar'ekk as her Master. Although not recognized in rank, Ar'ekk was taking all the necessary steps to become a fully-fledged Jedi Master. Not yet, however. Not yet.

His dirty feet smudged the office floor of Valae and he noticed that right away, which is why they had to get his shoes back from the garden. Hopefully they would still be there.

"Alright, Zavii. Go get your things and meet me at the garden. I gotta look for my shoes."

[member="Zavii"]

 

[Zavii]

"Yes, Master, I won't be long!" the young woman took off down the hallway and toward the lift that would take her to her room in the Silver Rest. Though she had been here for more than half her life, she didn't have many belongings. A few changes of clothes, a spare holocomm that she used to back up her music and a few personal messages, a pair of boots that she almost never wore, the Dantari crystal she had collected a couple of months ago, and the backpack she stuffed it all into. She looked around the room one final time and sighed before leaving and taking her name off of the control panel. She made her way back down the hallway, down to the ground floor and out to the garden where she remembered Ar'ekk leaving his shoes. "I'm ready, Master Ar'ekk," she said with level voice and a gleam in her eyes.

 

[Arekk]

Taking the last moments in the garden by walking around bare footed in the grass, Ar'ekk pondered heavily about the future. It was uncertain, sure, but now that Zavii was joining his daily life they'd have to make the most of it. A Jedi's life is all about sacrifice and he was ready to make such decisions for the sake of the two, to complete the apprentice's training. To teach her everything he knew, pass on what he had learned from his master. Forge the new generation of Jedi, provide them with the tools necessary to continue to pass along the 'torch'.

Holding the shoes in his hand, the young Jedi Knight walked up to Zavii and placed his free palm on her right shoulder. Looking at the Zabrak straight into her eyes, he spoke:

"You brought everything you need? Good. Let's go to the Ebon Hawk, get you set up in your quarters and show you the ship around. There's a few things I want to run down with you before we go."

Clearly limping due to his foot injury, Ar'ekk used the young girl's shoulders as leverage to walk with as he held onto his shoes. Her luggage didn't seem to weight much so it wouldn't be so difficult to make it to the docking bay where the freighter was stationed.

[member="Zavii"]

 

[Zavii]

"Yes, this is everything i own." Zavii smiled up at the face she'd be seeing the most of for the next few years and tried to get used to the feeling of his metal hand on her shoulder. She supported him while they headed through the garden and across the lawn to Silver Landing and followed his direction through the spaceport to his ship. The whole way there, she was lost in thought about where they might go and the things she'd finally get to see and do, as well as all the people here who she might not see again for months or even years, if ever. It was the longest march of her life.
When they finally reached the correct docking bay and the Ebon Hawk came into view, she whistled. "That's one hell of a recreation. How much did she cost you?"

 

[Arekk]

"Keep telling yourself that, recreation."

Ar'ekk let out a grunt as the young Padawan made a nasty remark about the Ebon Hawk being a recreation, clearly as a joke too. He liked to crack jokes from time to time but had to keep a much more serious persona now that he was the teacher. Things had changed drastically in the timespan of six months, passing his Jedi Knight trials and now taking the next step to become a Master. Not in rank but in mind, for now.

The metallic ramp came down quick to invite the duo aboard the ship, its distinctive smell and appearance remained untouched even for a milennia old ship. Ar'ekk didn't want to modify anything besides a couple of modifications for the hyperdrive and the cockpit to give the legendary freighter a boost to adapt for the modern day.

"Let me show you the ship around. Here are your quarters."

The man said, pressing a button that opened a door to Zavii's own bedroom. It had one bed with a comfortable matress, a desk, a locker and anything else you could find useful. Walking outside and around the ship's interior, the man showed Zavii every important place.

"Here's the shower, it has hot water and will last enough for the two of us. It can fit two people at once. If you want to take a shower, you can do it now but you'll have to let me know once you're done since I need one as well. You can't change inside because the floor's slippery, so you'll have to walk all the way back to your quarters soaking wet."

Then, the cockpit. His place. Where the captain sat, where he commanded, where he piloted, where he took decisions. A spot he called his own.

"Look at that view."

[member="Zavii"]

 

[Zavii]

Ar'ekk's grumbling made Zavii give him a cautious sidelong glance as they boarded, so she decided to start actually listening to the old freighter's Aura while he showed her around. She slumped the bag from her shoulders and tossed it to the mattress, then followed the Human through the corridors to the shower. When he said the word "water" Zavii's eyes widened in excitement. She didn't even mind not being able to change, since she hadn't had an actual hot shower in longer than she could remember. With that treat in mind, the Padawan followed her Master to the cockpit to look out the viewport.

After a moment she spoke up. "So, where do you keep your towels? All the showers in the Rest are Sonic-wave, not water, so i didn't have one to bring. Or will i just have to use a cloak?"

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

"There are towels in your quarter's wardrobes, one per each person. Since it's just the two of us we'll only use two. Dirty clothes go into the laundry room, in the main hold at your right side."

He was eager to get a shower, the hot water bringing him that comfort by the thousands. Having that type of luxury inside a ship was something that you shouldn't take for granted, that's why he took advantage of such. The cockpit was locked down and the security measures were in place in case anyone tried to take command in a hostile manner.

"I will put us in orbit and you can go do your thing. Just don't forget to let me know, okay? Just look at me."

Wiggling his toes, Ar'ekk showcased his already dirty feet barren with mud and who knows what else he touched in the garden. They didn't smell, of course.

[member="Zavii"]

 

[Zavii]

"Alright, I'll let you know as soon as I'm out," the Zabrak giggled and patted the Human's natural shoulder before turning out of the cockpit and back toward her quarters. She quickly found the towel in her wardrobe, let her hair down and took her utility belt off before heading to the shower. As she adjusted the water to her liking and got undressed in the privacy of the stall, Zavii opened up her mind and listened to the Force as a sort of passive meditation. What she heard surprised her and brought up questions, but they were questions that could wait a few minutes while she enjoyed this rare commodity for the first time in far, far too long.

After about ten minutes, she had to make herself shut off the water with a little sigh of contentment. Once her medium-brown skin and most of her vibrant hair was dry enough, the Padawan wrapped the towel around herself and headed back to the front of the ship. "Master [member="Arekk"], I'm done! I'll be in my room!" she called out loudly enough to be heard over the faint rumble of the sublight engines before slipping into her quarters and shutting the door to get organized in the privacy of a room that she could actually lock.

 

[Arekk]

The masked man sat in his chair at the cockpit, contemplating the skylines of Kashyyyk for the last time before they departed. The ship was given the clearance to depart and that's what it did, heading for space and aligning itself with the hyperlanes to make the jump to lightspeed. The hypedrive kicked in and they were already going at a ridiculous speed, the signature blue and white beaming around the ship as it continued its journey. During this period, they'd be travelling at millions of kilometers per second and would arrive where they had to go in a few days. An exhausting trip, of course.

"Alright! When you come out of your room, just make sure everything's running as planned!"

Removing his shirt as he walked down towards the bathroom with a towel in his right hand, Ar'ekk walked inside and turned the hot water on. Stripping entirely and entering the shower, he allowed the water pour down on his head and stayed there for a few minutes before concluding. The young Jedi Knight liked these relaxing moments to himself, pondering about so many things.

Stepping out of the bathroom as the steam came out and invaded the ship's interior, he walked around in his robes. Maybe Zavii was already prepared but seeing him like this would be strange. Awkward.

[member="Zavii"]

 

[Zavii]

"Okay," She called through the door as she organized her few belongings and got dressed in a simple tank top and sweats with her hair hanging freely to air dry. When she left the room, she padded through the hallways and, still hearing the water running, headed to the cockpit with her holocomm playing a song out loud. The control panels and displays were way more complex than Zavii had even imagined, and even though she had no idea what to look for, nothing seemed to be displaying an obvious warning so she opted to lounge in the copilot seat and watch the starlines as she banged her head and swung her hair to the music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgiGNwYDXqE


When she sensed [member="Arekk"] return, she swiveled around with a grin on her face that faded for a second as she took in all his scars, but only a second. Eyes focusing on those of the Human, Zavii shut off the music and said "I'll be honest, I have no idea what i'm looking at here, but we're still alive so I'm guessing that's a good sign."

 

[Arekk]

He was fresh off the shower and still soaking wet, the scars present all over his torso and back looking vibrant as ever. The memories of old clashes still present in his skin, a walking memorial of a doomed conflict he had taken part of almost a decade ago. It seemed like an ever distant thought but it was still present to this day in his mind, soul and body too.

Zavii had taken the co-pilot's seat and her scent oozed of cranberries whereas he did of vanilla. The controls and panels were in perfect shape, everything was going according as planned and its trajectory indicated they were headed for planet Sanctuary, the very same planet where Ar'ekk had seeked refuge after the fall of the Galactic Republic.

Taking over the pilot's seat for a brief moment, Ar'ekk sat in his soaked towel and placed his feet on top of the controls that maneuvered the ship. Automatic pilot was turned on so it wasn't like they were gonna deviate towards an asteroid field. Beforehand, he had grabbed a medikit from one of the wall boxes that contained first-aid supplies and useful stuff for your trips.

"How was the shower?"

[member="Zavii"]

 

[Zavii]

"Oh," she smiled and reclined in her seat with a contented sigh, "It was lovely. Definitely something i could get used to." She watched as [member="Arekk"] took a seat and rested his feet on the panel, but decided not to follow suit, in case she accidentally touched something important. Casting a look around the ship, the Zabrak curled a lock of damp hair behind a horn and said "This really is her, isn't it? The Ebon Hawk that Revan flew around the galaxy in?" Zavii closed her eyes and took a deep, slow breath. "Her Song is like nothing I've ever heard... She's seen so much..." The girl looked at her new master, her eyes a deep, almost brooding indigo. "How did you find her?"

 

[Arekk]

By removing the old and dirty bandage from the sole of his foot, Ar'ekk desinfected the wound and applied clean gauze to finally stop dealing with the injury. His bare feet then rested on top of the controls as they travelled through lightspeed, his eyes dawdling upon his new apprentice.

"Master." That was a title that the man had to take in the utmost seriousness because things had stopped being a game long ago. This girl's formation depended entirely on the Jedi Knight and he would make this his life work to have Zavii succeed. She trusted him enough to devote such time to extended periods of hard training which would end up paying off.

"This is the Ebon Hawk, Zavii. All the stories you heard from the Old Republic days? They're true. Revan piloted this ship, just like we are right now."

He couldn't help but inquire about this "song" she was talking about. What was that? Ar'ekk had to inquire, go deeper to find out the answer.

"Song?"

[member="Zavii"]

 

[Zavii]

"Incredible," came Zavii's awestruck whisper at her Master's answer. The Padawan thought of all the stories that she had heard growing up and knew that they were true from the symphony running through the bulkheads around her. She let out a laugh of joy after a few more seconds and shook her head a little, "That's just... so amazing!"

When [member="Arekk"] posed the word 'song' as a question she peered at him from the corner of her eye. "Her song... Oh, yeah," she replied after a moment as she shook her head and crossed her legs in the chair, turning it to face the Human directly.
"Sometimes I forget, but you know how everyone gets different impressions of the Force? Well, for me, it's like music... or actually, it's literally music. Every person, place and thing that resonates through the Living Force has notes or tunes. With some things, and most people, there are enough notes to make melodies and what i call a Song, and for people and things with a complex history like the Ebon Hawk has, it's like hearing a masterpiece symphony."

As she described her experience of the Force, Zavii's eyes stared far away and her voice took on a dreamy tone. "One of these days I'd love to pick up an instrument, but I haven't decided which one yet. I guess we'll see." She grinned an excited grin at her Master and waited to see what he'd say about that. She hadn't told anyone just how she heard the Force in a long time and was interested in what he might think.

 

[Arekk]

"That explains the reason of why you were listening to music, that's a pretty interesting concept of the Force I've not heard about before. You'd think an experienced Jedi Knight myself would know all the answers to the questions you may ask, but what's the point of knowing everything when you can't learn? Ignorance at best. Even then, get acquainted with the songs you listen. Feel them, let the Force flow through you."

He could see how her eyes lightened up at the mention of playing musical instruments, she was really attached to such emotion. It was strong and he could feel it, many adventures were yet to be experienced by the two of them. Learn from eachother, teach one another and listen to themselves. There would be time for that.

"Help me now."

Ar'ekk placed his foot on her thigh and motioned her to hold on tight as he bandaged his injury again, this time for good. It was funny how he liked to poke around her personal space like it was a test to her patience and understanding. A funny way of gaining her trust too, to not fear and be stranger to moments like these.

[member="Zavii"]

 

[Zavii]

"Mm-hmm," the Zabrak nodded to her master's advice. "That's why i want to start playing. I think it'd be a good meditation." Once again she didn't flinch when he put his foot up on her leg, she just helped him hold it in place and bandage it up, now that it was properly clean. While they worked, she glanced up at him, trying to imagine what he must have looked like before he got all these scars. "What about you, Master? What's the Force like from inside your head?"

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

As soon as he finished bandaging his foot and collecting Zavii's opinion, Ar'ekk stood up from the chair and stood on the edge of the door after hearing her question. He was planning to go change clothes but her inquiry made him stop.

"The Force for me... It's like a cold breeze that goes down your spin and makes you shiver. Ever been in the cold winter and that sudden flurry of air blows against your face? That's how I see it and feel it."

It was a rather strange explanation but it made sense in his head, hopefully she'd be happy with his answer. After that, he got out of the cockpit and entered his room to change into his usual robes. Something light to roam around the Ebon Hawk since they would soon touch down on Lothal.

[member="Zavii"]

 

[Zavii]

Zavii looked curiously at [member="Arekk"] as he told her what the Force felt like from his point of view, and stared after him silently as he left the cockpit. She didn't entirely understand what he meant, but she decided that it didn't really matter. Some things were not meant to be understood by everyone. After a couple of minutes, she got out of the chair and went into the lounge area to practice some advanced flourishes with her lightsaber. She had been studying Soresu for the last couple of years, with the intent to get into Ataru, and an old Jedi Blademaster's holochron had showed her some neat spins and tosses that could be used in a pinch to get the edge whenever she might face multiple opponents, or one with multiple weapons. She left her blade's magnetic containment field on high-power, since she knew that she'd probably drop it a few times: and she did. When Ar'ekk came out of his room fully dressed, she missed a behind-the-back toss and had to catch the weapon telekinetically, only a few centimeters from the Human's chest.

Locking eyes with her master with a mild panic on her lightly-tattooed face, Zavii held the saber as still as her own body for a full three seconds before quickly pulling it back to her hand, where she shut it off and bowed almost ninety degrees at the waist. "Sorry, Master. I almost caught it this time but don't worry, i left the blade on it's safest setting." She stayed there, bent low, eyes shut tight and holding her silent weapon as she waited to be berated for her carelessness.

 

[Arekk]

The panic forming in Zavii's face was funny and it reminded him of his days a Padawan, having gone through the same thing as well. He couldn't help but relate in many things because he didn't feel like a master just yet.

Six months ago, the man became a Jedi Knight and ever since he had made it his life work to pave a solid way to reach the ultimate goal of his life which was becoming a master. He wasn't one in title yet with Zavii and Rann, Ar'ekk would earn that honor soon enough once they had completed their training.

Both Padawans didn't meet just yet, the male one away on a personal mission with the oversee of the half masked man while Zavii was just beginning her journey with him.

"Something's wrong?"

Ar'ekk knew what happened and was just toying around with the Padawan's mild-panic.

[member="Zavii"]

 

[Zavii]

It seemed like an eternity that she waited for his response, and the young Zabrak wondered how [member="Arekk"] would respond. His eventual question caught her off guard.
"Ah-" her eyes popped open and she hesitantly stood upright to look at her master, her eyes wide with confusion. "I-" she tried again, "Just my timing. I'll get better. Maybe not right now, though. I don't want to have to take another shower this soon." Zavii clipped her lightsaber to her belt again and gave a nervous laugh, running her hand through her horns and hair with the other resting on her hip. "So... how long until we get where we're going?"