A Fresh Start (Garrett Swenson's Training)

[glswenson]

Garrett woke up in his small room that he had been staying at for the past few months. The Jedi rehabilitation methods really felt like they had worked, he didn't feel any anger left inside of him, only serenity and calmness, he liked this a lot more.

He was laying in bed, he reached over and pressed his hand onto his holocube.
"Time."
"The current time is 7:30 A.M," a disembodied voice filled the room, "In thirty minutes you are to meet with Master Drake."
Garrett stood up from his bed and after a quick shower he put on his clothes, then his robe. The black belt that held a holster for two lightsabers and a blaster pistol was at the foot of his bed, thrown there hastily moments before Garrett fell asleep the night before. He reached down and picked up the belt, it was made of a heavy leather, very high quality.

Garrett clasped the belt and latched it, it wasn't going anywhere. He had to kneel down to reach his footlocker but inside he withdrew only one of his lightsabers, and after sliding it with a confirming 'click' into place he closed the lid on his footlocker.
"10 minute warning," the robotic-sounding voice spoke again.

Garrett rushed from his room and made his way into the training chambers, he was a little early, but he was hoping to make a good impression.

 

[JMocks]

Joshua Drake, the newest Knight in the Jedi Order, stood in one of the many training rooms in the Ossus Temple dawning the traditional Jedi robes, his cloak hung up on the wall. He was facing the sun, feet shoulder with apart, waiting for his first Padawan, Garrett Swenson. From his knowledge of Swenson's datapad, he had a trouble past just as Josh did himself. The doctors with the Jedi cleared him to begin training. And their paths were about to meet.

He sensed the Padawan drawing closer and closer. He could feel his heart beat. Once Garrett entered the training room finally, he opened his eyes. Taking in the sun from the bright sunlight. He turned on his heels to face the young Padawan. His arms will crossed behind his back, his posture straight and strong.

"Padawan Garrett Swenson," he finally spoke. "You're late," he said, turning to face the sun again. "Come. Join me," he said, waiting for the Padawan to join him.

 

[glswenson]

As Garrett entered the room an air of nobility and power washed over him, although the room was rather plain the sheer enormity of it was overwhelming.
"I apologize," Garrett said as he was done admiring the room, which was lit entirely by the monstrous windows along it's walls "It will not happen again."
He crossed his right arm horizontally across his stomach and bowed down before walking to his new companion's side.

Garrett could feel in the presence of the man that his new master knew a lot about him.
"What is on our agenda for the day?"

 

[JMocks]

"Tell me Garrett," Josh said as he stared into the sunlight, "what do you feel right now?"

Josh was going to question his Padawan. Picking his brain to find out more about the man he was likely going to spend a couple years with. The road to Knighthood wasn't a short one. There would be many teachings and missions the two would go on before he would be even ready to stand the Knight Trials. The first lesson he was going to teach his Padawan was patience. But he wasn't going to let him know that.

 

[glswenson]

Garrett looked over at his master staring out the window, into the sun.
He was honestly wondering if it hurt his eyes to do so for so long, but he wasn't going to ask.
"Well.." he begun, he searched his mind, "I am nervous for the upcoming trials because I have absolutely no idea what is ahead of me, I am happy because I feel like I will be able to redeem myself and start fresh - atoning for my past sins,"
Garrett could have gone on and on, but he didn't want to sound like he was rambling, "but most of all I am grateful."

 

[JMocks]

Josh listened to his Padawan divulge his current feelings. When he mentioned the Knight Trials, he had to speak, "You will not face the Trials for quite some time, young Padawan. You've just been cleared by the doctors to begin your training as a Padawan. We have quite the journey ahead of us," he said with a smile. "Under my tutelage you will pass the Trials when that day comes. I promise you. Now," he said moving away from the window towards the middle of the room, "please take a seat, and try to clear your mind," he said waiting for his Padawan to do so.

 

[glswenson]

Inside of his head Garrett was scolding himself 'GREAT!' he thought to himself 'Not even five minutes into this and I already have made a fool of myself!'
"I trust you, you seem like a good person," Garrett said as he made his way to the chair, before sitting down he cracked his neck, a nervous habit of his.

He sank down into the chair, it was oddly comforting to be able to sit while in such a state of nerves, he closed his eyes and slowly began to let the room and his thoughts slip away.

 

[JMocks]

Josh chuckled at Garrett's comment. "You trust me, because I seem like a good person? Hahaha. I'm a Jedi Knight within the esteemed Jedi Order. What more do you want," he said with a joking laugh.

He could feel the Padawan had removed all thoughts from his head. Good. As Garrett sat with his eyes closed, he slowly circled his Padawan. Examining him. "I want to test your knowledge on the Jedi Code. Quickly recite it to me without even thinking about it," he said as he continued to circle his Padawan. He would be able to tell if the Padawan tried to think about it.

 

[glswenson]

Garrett could feel his eyes begin to twitch slightly in his head, sort of the feeling he would imagine you get during very deep sleep.
"There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance... there is knowing
There is no passion, there is calm
There is no death, there is the light."

He slowly opened his eyes, thinking back over what he said he was almost sure he had slipped up in one or two places. Back when he was training over Ryloth he had never much paid attention to the code, he found it unimportant towards his cause, but now he felt remorse for skipping over the core fundamentals, you must walk before you run, after all.

 

[JMocks]

As Josh listened to his Padawan recite the Jedi Code, he noticed two errors in his recital. Knowing the Jedi Code and the Nine Tenants of the Jedi was something every Jedi should know inside and out, forwards and backwards, left to right. There were no excuses.

"You're wrong, Garrett," he said as he stopped in front of the man. "There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no death, there is the Force," he said as quickly as he could. "This "code" is what defines the Jedi. Now. I want you to explain to me in your own words, what each line of the Jedi Code means. Once again, do not think. Speak what comes to mind."

 

[glswenson]

'Great..' he thought to himself, 'This is going to look great on my permanent record.'
He cracked his neck again before closing his eyes once more, letting him lose himself to his sub-conscious.

"Emotions are a part of life, but we must learn to face our emotions and accept them in order to achieve peace within our lives."
"If a mind does not understand the universe around it then it can never hope to assist it, as is the Jedi way, we must strive to understand as much about life and the universe in general as we can, in order to properly serve it as a Jedi."
"Passion is never anything to act upon, you can not fight based upon a passion for anything, you must only fight for the tenet, may no blood be spilled due to a passion, only for the better good of the universe."

Garrett could feel his body reacting without him controlling it, it was as if his mouth, his lips were moving on their own, controlled by some other being beside himself, the force? He had to believe that it was.
"Nothing is chaotic, everything in the Universe is connected, and one change changes everything else around it, it is as if we are all part of the same quilt."
"No matter if a Jedi succeeds or fails, the Force will always remain with them, it will always support them, so no Jedi should ever be fearful of death, and if it must come he should embrace it, for it is the Force taking him home."

As he spoke the last word Garrett's eyes shot open, he had never felt such a presence before, but it was not a terrifying or intimidating feeling, it was welcoming, supportive.

 

[JMocks]

"Very good, Garrett," Josh said with a smile. "Now please if you would, tell me about your past. I want to hear it from your lips. Not some datapad."

He wanted to get to know his young Padawan's background more thoroughly. He too had a disturbing background before he found the Jedi and the right way to live life. He could help shine light on the man's dark past, hoping to expel any lingering demons the man might have. He might of cleared rehabilitation. But anyone could slip up unless they truly faced their fears.

 

[glswenson]

Garrett ignored everything his teacher had said before he asked the question, he was too absorbed now, too focused on remembering his past.
Visions flashed before his eyes, blurry, but they held a fiery emotion with them that Garrett could not ignore, but he was at peace with his past now, he was able to discuss them.

"Yes, my past.." Garrett started.

"Well, I was born aboard the Decollate, an excavation ship that was inbound to Ryloth, to Violet A'hor, maiden name. For the first years of my life my parents were always involved in raising me, so I became very attached to them, my father taught me the gambling games of the various trading groups, he said I was a natural, that 'I was going to hustle 'em all, one day!'"
Garrett smiled as he reminisced about his parents, the memories of them alive had just recently been resurfaced and he truly enjoyed the happiness that he felt when he though of his parents, but then his face got stern, serious.

"We finally reached our destination after mining some resources off of lesser planets, the Twi'Lek filled, corrupt-government-ran world of Ryloth!"
He mused an excited tone.
"I will never forget that first hour. We landed in our designated spot, but they were waiting for us. My parents were the landing crew, they were the best Surveyors on the crew. Ten men approached them and without warning shot and killed both them, and my older brother, I witnessed this all from the entrance ramp."

"We instantly took back off, but the government, which was ran by a crime lord, had put up a barrier around the atmosphere, preventing our departure. There was a Jedi Knight on-board the Decollate, Zuhani De'mar. He was very diplomatic and was focused on negotiation rather that direct action, we were suspended off the ground for two years, during that time Zuhani gave me very introductory training with a lightsaber, I was never able to control the force under his teaching."

Garrett paused his words, he didn't want to continue, but he knew he had to.

"They finally agreed to let us leave. We had plans to leave the next morning, but I wasn't letting the murderers get off the hook. That night I crept into Zuhani's chambers and stole his lightsaber off his beside table... but, not before killing him with it."

Garrett cracked his neck and looked up at his master for the first time since he had begun speaking, mostly to analyze his reaction, he then looked back down.

"To cut to the chase I massacred the entire unprepared town of Twi'Lek before making my way to the tower where Leo, the crime lord, lived. Turns out he was a Sith, I came right to the edge during that battle, and I will never let that happen again.."

Garrett finished his story on a drawn-out note, he truly wanted to purvey his regret and his longing to change.

 

[JMocks]

As Josh listened to his Padawan's story, he could feel his pain. He too lost his parents. However, it was in a much more different fashion then Garrett's. With his Padawan divulging his past, he felt it was only kind to do the same. That way, he could truly get to know his Master.

"Garrett, I once travelled the same road as you. I was born on Tatooine to a loving mother, and a horrible father. My mom was like an angle. My father was like the Bogan himself. He was a drunk. And after losing his job one night, he came home drunker than ever," he paused.

That scene of his father killing his mother replayed in his mind. "That night my father beat my mom to a living pulp. And in the same instance, I killed my father. Driving a knife through his skull," he said with another pause.

"I joined the Dark Jedi of the Bogan initially. But during my mission to prove myself worthy of becoming a Crusader, my mom came to me through the Force. She told me if I were to repent now, I'd be saved. I did so. I came to the Jedi, and they allowed me to save myself. It was a tough road at first. But ten years later, I'm now a Knight within the Order. And I've never felt any better.

Through the Jedi and the Force, I've found my meaning to life; keeping the peace at all costs. I have seen my fair share of kills. But all of them came to keep peace within the Republic. The Jedi only fight as a last resort. When diplomatic solutions don't go through, and all else fails. You MUST understand this.

Now. I know your story. And you know mine. Tell me Garrett. What do you know of "The Nine Tenets"," he asked his Padawan, awaiting his answer.

 

[glswenson]

As Garrett absorbed the information his mentor was passing to him he felt a bond forming there, he felt as if some sort of trust had just been made between them, one that he did not intend on breaking.

He could do nothing but nod slowly as he finished his story, both in response to his story and the question he had posed.

"Yeah.. the tenets.." Garrett tripped over his words, he was having a bit of trouble, but he had to keep face.
"They are basically, in simple terms, the guiding basis of our actions and our duties, they tell us how we should live our life, but also what is expected of us, what the right thing to do is."
He was proud he remembered this, though he had just been pondering over all the teachings he had learned the night before, making it quite restless.

 

[JMocks]

"Good. I want you to study the Jedi Code and the Nine Tenets today or tonight. Whenever you feel comfortable. Now. That is all for today. Today was simply a, introduction course. Tomorrow, we'll begin our training. What we do first, will decide on your answer to my question.

In the mean time, feel free to explore the Great Temple of Ossus. Meet the other Padawans. Maybe even do some sparring? If you're hungry, the Mess Hall is open 24/7. But don't forget, I want you to study the Jedi Code and the Nine Tenets. Those are what make us Jedi, Jedi. Otherwise, we'd be just like the Bogan.

If for some reason you can not find yourself committing to the Jedi way, please tell me. You will be able to leave the Jedi and do what you please. For some, they have the idea of becoming a Jedi. But don't have the mindset. I'm not trying to deter you because of your past. I'm just letting you know all your options Padawan. Now I have kept you long enough. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow. Oh and Garrett. Don't be late," he finished with a smile, exiting the training room.


[OOC: Now you RP you researching and studying the Jedi Code and the Nine Tenets. Use the link I gave you for the Nine Tenets to do your studying. You may spar with another Padawan if you want. Or just simply grab a bite to eat and do your studying. This is interjected into the training so its not, "Okay do this. Now that. Then this." type of or deal. It makes the training more diverse than simple.]

 

[JMocks]

"Good. I want you to study the Jedi Code and the Nine Tenets today or tonight. Whenever you feel comfortable. Now. That is all for today. Today was simply a, introduction course. Tomorrow, we'll begin our training. What we do first, will decide on your answer to my question.

In the mean time, feel free to explore the Great Temple of Ossus. Meet the other Padawans. Maybe even do some sparring? If you're hungry, the Mess Hall is open 24/7. But don't forget, I want you to study the Jedi Code and the Nine Tenets. Those are what make us Jedi, Jedi. Otherwise, we'd be just like the Bogan.

If for some reason you can not find yourself committing to the Jedi way, please tell me. You will be able to leave the Jedi and do what you please. For some, they have the idea of becoming a Jedi. But don't have the mindset. I'm not trying to deter you because of your past. I'm just letting you know all your options Padawan. Now I have kept you long enough. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow. Oh and Garrett. Don't be late," he finished with a smile, exiting the training room.


[OOC: Now you RP you researching and studying the Jedi Code and the Nine Tenets. Use the link I gave you for the Nine Tenets to do your studying. You may spar with another Padawan if you want. Or just simply grab a bite to eat and do your studying. This is interjected into the training so its not, "Okay do this. Now that. Then this." type of or deal. It makes the training more diverse than simple.]

 

[glswenson]

Garrett listened to all he had to say and laughed at his last little joke.
"Thank you, Master." Garrett said and bowed to him once more.

He made his way out of the training room, he made his way back to his room and sat on the edge of his bed, his book and journal of notes and feelings on subjects were on his bed, he opened them up and began to read.

The smell of food slowly found it's way to Garrett's nose and he decided it was about time to grab a bite to eat.

[OOC: I will continue this in a post tomorrow, I am quite tired, I might be snowed in tomorrow so I might not have school.]

 

[glswenson]

Garrett entered the crowded Mess Hall, there were people of every walk of life, species, and just about any other difference he could see, it was beautiful.
He made his way over to the food counter and just got a small plate, he wasn't entirely hungry. After making quick work of the food on his plate he decided he should go back to his room and finish studying the code and tenets, he read over them time and time again until he fell asleep with the book on his face.

 

[JMocks]

Day two of his Padawan's training. Josh wanted his Padawan to know the Jedi Code and the Nine Tenets inside and out. He wanted Garrett to be knowledgeable of the Jedi history rather than just knowing how to use the Force and lightsaber combat. If one wanted to truly be a Jedi, the person would have to understand every aspect of the Jedi way. Not just using the Force and wielding a powerful weapon.

Like the day before, Josh was standing facing the window, feet shoulder width apart, staring towards the sun as it began to rise. Again he was dawning the traditional Jedi robes, his lightsaber hanging loosely from his utility belt. He was waiting for his Padawan to make entrance. However, he didn't tell him when they would exactly begin training. It was up to Garrett to decide.