Actual Master

[Reuben Azari]

Knight and padawan pairings were rare since the Jedi were only just beginning to gain traction in the galaxy again so the number of newcomers to the Order severely outnumbered the most skilled among them. But the Order was definitely progressing and had a healthy, growing number of knights but Reuben knew he was far from that yet, though now might be the chance to better himself as he had been informed that he had been given a master. He only knew that she was a knight and her name was Ashlyna. The name didn't seem familiar but it was easy to not cross paths with people since everyone was always so busy and there were some Jedi stationed all around the galaxy. Reuben didn't take too kindly to the idea of someone being in charge of him but he greatly valued teamwork and hoped he would benefit from the guidance of a more experienced Jedi.

Reuben woke up a few hours earlier than he had to, nervous to meet his new mentor. He sat on the bed, waiting for the time to pass. "What are you doing?" A groggy voice asked, turning his head to face Reuben from the bed the other side of the room. "I have to meet my master." Reuben replied, beaming as he got up from the bed to leave. "Ok, see you later." Avan replied, turning the other way, not wanting to start an unnecessary conversation as he was half-asleep. "It's not early, you should probably get up." Reuben said, moving the blinds from the window to let light in and prove his point. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" Avan moaned, putting a pillow over his head. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" Reuben shot back and Avan groaned in response. "I sense you should go." He said. "I sense you should get up." Reuben replied. "I sense you should let me sleep." Avan returned. "I sense-" "Just go!" Reuben left the room quietly, laughing to himself.

Reuben walked the now full of life hallways until he came to the room he had been told to meet his master in and he had no idea what to expect of her, he only hoped that they would get along otherwise it would be a painful couple of years or so for them both but his non-conforming views were not viewed upon kindly by some other Jedi and he didn't want any friction between him and someone who he'd be working closely with for an indefinite amount of time. He also didn't know what the knight already knew about him, if she had been told anything other than his name like he had but only time would tell.

@Algarus

 

[Ashlyna Talmount]

It was weird being back in an actual jedi temple. Like a real one, not one of those 'temples' that had some hand carved statue and candles lit or something. No, this was a real actual temple, and frankly it felt nice. As Ashlyna walked about the area, getting a feel for the location and it's inhabitants, she couldn't help but smile as she felt a sense of belonging. If anything, she was shocked to have received a promotion for her six year stent in deep space, but she supposed her failings in that area had 'redeemed' her of her status as an exile. Whatever the reason, she didn't care. She might have lost her master, but she still had Tycho and the others, and that would be enough for now. As of now, she stood in a rather empty training room, waiting for her first padawan she would undertake. Frankly she was excited, though more than anything she wished Ayasha could have been her to watch her, but alas her master had seemed to have vanished into the dark beyond.

But that was the past, and this was the present. Ash would wait for her padawan to arrive, though he would find she did not dress in typical Jedi garb, wearing something one might see a smuggler donning, and with no lightsaber to be see, rather she had several small tools on her belt. She wore a smile that made it clear she was excited to see him, and the aura from her was electrifying and full of warmth. "Oh, hello there." She greeted, closing her eyes for a moment before continuing. "You are...Reuben right? I'm Ashlyna, I'll be your master from here on out."

@Sunfrog

 

[Reuben Azari]

Reuben arrived to find a young woman in the room though she didn't immediately stand out as a Jedi, there was no lightsaber in sight which was odd because it wasn't like they had to hide them in the temple and she wore a very non-typical Jedi outfit which was very much a surprise but only because he had never come across any Jedi who dressed any differently, he didn't know it was even allowed. Just by looking at her, Reuben thought it looked like they might get along.

"Yes, thank you for taking me on." He replied with a smile, trying to remain somewhat formal as he had never done this before so wasn't sure what was expected of him. Hopefully in time the pair would grow more comfortable with each other and though Reuben didn't have trouble making friends, he felt that this wouldn't be quite the same as it wasn't such an equal relationship as a friendship as it would require him to submit and be respectful at all times- not that that was a problem, he already respected everyone, higher ranking or not.

@Algarus

 

[Ashlyna Talmount]

"No need to thank me Reuben, I should be thanking you for allowing me to be your master." Ashlyna started, smiling at the young man. He was respectful, that was the first point on his favor. Ash had seen far worse padawans in her time, in fact she was one of those bad padawans during her time in the order. "I'm not sure if you know this, but I don't have the best reputation among the order. Maybe you know this already." Ash walked towards the young man, smiling at her new padawan. She wanted him to be aware she was going to be unconventional. She wasn't going to keep to jedi doctrine, no, she was going to teach as Ayasha did, and find a way to ensure Reuben learned as he went; just as she had so long ago. "That being said, I want you to know I will do whatever I can to ensure you reach your potential, not just as a mentor, but as a friend. If that is to your liking." She commented, folding her hands behind her back. "Just know that I probably won't adhere to what you are used to as being a 'jedi'. My master was unconventional, and so was hers. I'm carrying that tradition on, and...well...let's just say this will be a ride neither of us will forget."


@Sunfrog

 

[Reuben Azari]

"No, not everyone is this lucky." Reuben replied, he knew quite a few padawans who didn't yet have a master of their own. His mind wandered for a moment and he thought about whether he had been chosen for his potential or abilities or just because his familial ties with the Sith would make him a more likely candidate for need of guidance but that was something to ponder on later. "I think I've heard... some things." He replied, not wanting to say rumours because of the negative connotations attached to the word but he would soon find out what was true and what was not. "That's ok, neither do I." He said with a smile.

"Yeah definitely, I'd like that." He replied sincerely. Out of all the knights in the Order it seemed like this was definitely a perfect match for the pair, though he wouldn't have been any less obedient to a stricter master, it would be nice to have a master who wasn't quite as strict and had a similar unconventional approach to what Reuben was already doing. "Good, I'd like that, I might have clashed a bit more with a stricter master." He said. "Not that I wouldn't respect them." He quickly corrected himself.

@Algarus

 

[Ashlyna Talmount]

Ash smirked at the boys replies, it was nice to see some people try and keep themselves abiding by the tenets of the order. If only he knew how lax she was with that sort of thing. Either way, this seemed like a good match. She chuckled at his comments about clashing, as the young man reeled back on that comment as any respectful padawan would be expected to do. "When I was your age, I thought the exact same thing. Thankfully my master wasn't a stick in the mud. Unlike some people." Ash wasn't going to drop names, but there were people who fit that down to the letter around here. Ash stepped towards her new student, her hands crossed behind her back. "Reuben, what do you want from me? What does it mean to be a jedi in your mind?" She asked, wanting to see what her students thoughts were on the matter. Learning that would give her a better idea on how to train the young man before her.
@Sunfrog

 

[Reuben Azari]

Reuben was grateful that his master would be more relaxed than some of the other knights, had he been with a stricter master he would've worried about what they would've thought of his unorthodox views when they found out about his mother, it might've made his master weary of him but Ashlyna seemed like someone who would understand him.

"Um..." He hesitated, nervous about being put on the spot. "I want to learn everything you know so that I have a good chance at passing the trials." He replied, taking longer to reply to the second question. "It means... keeping the peace and maintaining justice where possible, helping the oppressed and fighting for democracy." He was very keen to make a good impression on his new master, after all they could be spending an indefinite amount of time and years together, it was quite a unique relationship and one that would follow them for the rest of their lives, even once they parted ways.

@Algarus

 

[Ashlyna Talmount]

"I'll tell you one thing, the trials are about heart, not power. Keep that in mind." Ash smiled, seeing just how hard he was trying to be the good padawan. She couldn't fault him, she might have been the same if not for Ayasha. "Good, then you have some of the ideas down." She never fully agreed with the jedi code, not in it's entirety, emotions were not bad, in fact they could be a source of strength; though depending on that strength more often than not drew one to the darkside. "Just keep in mind Reuben, that we are keepers of peace and order, and though we are in a war, we must be careful before wading into conflict." Ash left it at that, she didn't want to loose her tongue about her real thoughts just yet, she needed to know her padawan better before that.

"But one thing to keep in mind, even if you are not with the order, that doesn't mean you can't still follow those beliefs. The jedi order is just an organization founded on a belief. A club house for jedi if anything, but it's more than that, because the force itself is more than that." Ash stopped herself, chuckling and shaking her head as she realized she went overboard. "Sorry, that's a bit much to bring up on the first day." This was going to be a challenge, and a fun one at that. "I hope that makes sense to you Reuben, like I said, I'm not like most other masters you will meet."

@Sunfrog

 

[Reuben Azari]

"Right." He replied to show he understood her. If that were the case then he hoped he would have pretty good footing when it came to the knight trials, he was not the most powerful of Jedi but he was determined to do what was best for the Order and die for the Order, need be. "Yeah, I understand." Reuben nodded. He was not one to jump into conflict, rather seeking out other ways to resolve a situation first as he thought that's what a Jedi should do. It was expected that his new master wouldn't voice her true opinions just yet, he would likely need to gain her trust before she did that, after all if what she said was very controversial then she would need to trust him to keep it between them and likewise he would need to learn to trust her before sharing his own opinions.

Reuben thought it peculiar that Ash should mention following the same beliefs despite not being in the Order, it was as though she was advocating not being part of the Order despite herself being a knight in the Order, a statement which noticeably confused him. He didn't get a chance to say a word about it before she apologised for it being too heavy on the first meeting to which he shrugged, unfazed by it all. "Yeah, I could say the same. I'm probably not like most other padawans you will meet." He replied.

@Algarus

 

[Ashlyna Talmount]

Ash snickered, reaching out and patting Reuben on the back. Oh yea, they were going to get along just fine. "That's great! Now let's get to work!" Ash would grab her padawan by the arm, and with a surprising display of strength would drag him out of the room. "We got so much we need to do today!" Reuben would find it a little hard to keep up with the woman at first, but eventually Ash would relent and move at a much more sensible pace. "I need to see what you're made of! That way I can make a training regimen that will work for you!" Ash chimed with a bit of pride, now that she had a padawan of her own. Reuben would find that his master had taken him to a rather lengthy pit now, it was about five meters deep, with several wooden poles spread across it. The pit itself was spread out to about ten meters, with the wooden poles lined across making it clear the intended way to cross. "Key to this exercise, is to cross on over without using the force. Think you're up for it?" Ash asked, as she would release her padawan and walk towards the side.

"Let me know if you aren't. Don't want you to hurt yourself out of pride, okay?" Ash had an intention with this. It was about not needing to rely on the force for simple things, and to be willing to challenge yourself, even if it made you uncomfortable. Given how disliked or misunderstood the jedi were, it would be important for her favorite pupil to learn this lesson.

@Sunfrog

 

[Reuben Azari]

"Wait, what-" He could barely get a word in edgeways as Ash dragged him out of the room and down the hall and quite a speed, he hadn't expected to get into training straight away but he wouldn't complain at the opportunity to do so. His master seemed to have a great deal of energy that he couldn't match but she seemed fun, it would definitely be an entertaining few years. "Training regimen?" He repeated, she made it sound like they would be launching into some intense workout. Up until now, training had been somewhat lax, a lot of the time it was relying on peers for sparring or other training but that was about to change. Even if the training would get harder or more intense, he was glad because he hoped to become a better Jedi because of it, though there would be some hard lessons to learn on the way.

Ashlyna had brought him to a deep pit in the ground with poles lining it. Reuben peered over the edge of the pit then looked back at her with a bewildered look before stepping away from the edge. "I don't know..." He said with uncertainty, his eyes fixed on what was before him. He didn't want to seem weak in front of his new master but he didn't have much confidence in his own abilities so was doubtful. "I don't know if I can do it." He said, hesitant about taking on the challenge without the aid of the force which he had relied on so much up until now.


@Algarus

 

[Ashlyna Talmount]

Ash smiled and nodded as her padawan was honest about his insecurities. That was good, he knew his limits. She could work with that. "If you don't think you can do it, then that is all I need to know." Ash nodded, seemingly satisfied with that response. "It's important to train your body and mind, not becoming reliant purely on the force. For most of my life I didn't even know I had the force in me." Ash nodded, closing her eyes and stroking her chin like she was in some deep contemplative form. "We need to get you comfortable with your body." She nodded again, before opening her eyes. "I hope you understand what I'm trying to do here." Ash asked, clasping her hands behind her back as she would walk back to Reuben. "You see, some jedi become so dependent on the force, that they make their bodies weak and unable to endure without the force aiding them." Ash nodded again, before leaping out and standing on one of the poles.

She wobbled a bit on the pole, before balancing herself. She turned back to Reuben and smiled. "Basically, keeping a healthy mind and body is the key to success. Not to mention if you need to go under cover, you can better disguise yourself without using your powers." Ash smiled, before tilting her head. He must have thought she was crazy. Ash leapt back towards her padawan, turning to face him. She hoped she wasn't driving him nuts. It was just his first day, she didn't want to overwhelm him. "Anyways, what I'm trying to say is...just don't rely on the force too much, or else you'll only be cheating yourself."

@Sunfrog

 

[Reuben Azari]

Reuben felt embarrassed that he had stepped away from the first challenge given to him by his new master, he was desperate to make a good impression on Ash so he reconsidered his choice, keeping his eyes fixed on the pit before him before Ash moved and drew his attention to her. Reuben listened to what Ash was telling him but said nothing, he knew this was a lesson to be learned, not an opportunity to share life experiences, he simply nodded to show he understood until he saw an opportunity to reply. The theory was simple, to try and focus on discipline and skills without the aid of the force, he understood but wasn't too thrilled about the idea since it involved a certain amount more risk, though he was grateful for the training so it would just have to be something to overcome.

He watched with concern as Ash jumped onto a pole, a fall from that height would be very damaging without the force to aid the fall. "Yeah, I understand. I'll try." He replied, trying to show an air of confidence in his decision. If he tried this then he would at least prove that he was willing to take a risk and hopefully that he was worthy of being her padawan, something he wasn't quite feeling at the moment. He walked up to the edge of the pit and hesitantly took a large step out onto the first pole without looking down, wobbling before regaining his balance enough to jump onto the next pole, he struggled to regain his balance but again became steady enough to jump onto the next pole, only upon landing on the third pole his right heel slipped off the back of the pole.

@Algarus

 

[Ashlyna Talmount]

He had spirit. Seeing the boy willing to bypass his own comforts in order to impress her. It was adorable but unneeded, Ash wasn't expecting the boy to leap at the opportunity. The only thing he needed to prove was to prove this to himself. Ash would support him none the less, though she would prepare to grab Reuben should the worst happen. Her smile brightened, as she clasped her hands together and jumped a good inch and a half off the ground. "I'll be right here!" She chimed, moving to the other side of the pit to watch her padawan in action. She was rooting for him, though she wasn't sure how well he was going to do.

Her heart took flight as he made the first leap, then the second. She was beaming with excitement as he struck the third perfectly, or...well he would have if not for that nasty slip. Ash reached out lightning quick, grabbing the boy and whisking him towards her open arms. She'd wrap him up in a hug, as she'd move him away from the pit. "Are you alright?" Was the first thing she would ask, before stepping back to look him over. Once she saw he wasn't hurt, she would smile and pat him on the shoulders. She had gotten a wonderful padawan. "You did amazing. Most people wouldn't have even attempted that!" She proclaimed, her smile going from ear to ear. He had taken steps towards advancing himself, though he probably didn't know it yet. She didn't have a weak padawan after all.

@Sunfrog

 

[Reuben Azari]

The second he felt his foot slip, his heart almost skipped a beat but no sooner had he realised his mistake did he feel Ash grabbing him and pulling him to safety and into her open arms, under other circumstances he would've hugged her back but at that moment was too dazed to react. He stumbled once on the flat ground, everything had happened so quickly and he was just about processing what had just happened. "Yeah... I'm fine." He replied, almost confused. It gave him some comfort to know that had he been allowed to use the force then he probably would've been able to do it, it didn't make him feel completely pathetic.

It was becoming painfully alarming to Reuben just how much he had to learn from his master, he had thought he was doing pretty well before but now that was a distant memory. As his gaze fell on Ash, he smiled back at her, embarrassed but happy. She seemed really sweet and her positive affirmations were welcomed in the insecure padawan. He wanted to prove to her that he was worth her time, after all padawans outnumbered knights and masters so it wasn't like he was her only option. Although he doubted that few people would attempt the challenge, he didn't dispute Ash and instead smiled and thanked her. It was sweet how excited she had gotten and her positive energy was rubbing off on him as he begun to feel more at ease - he was just happy to be here.

@Algarus

 

[Ashlyna Talmount]

She was relieved to know he was okay, after all hurting her padawan on day one would be a bad omen. She could tell she would have to work on his confidence, but there was still time to do that. "Don't be hard on yourself, my first time doing that, I only got to the first pole! My master was so surprised she didn't even have time to stop me from falling!" She smiled, hoping it would do something to help the young man. She had a padawan that was willing to test himself, and that was all she could ask for. "Why don't we go get some lunch? My treat. You can tell me all about where you come from, and I can tell you about me!" She wasn't exactly sure how to handle this whole 'jedi master' thing, but she hoped she was doing alright. Compared to how she started off, he seemed to be fairing much better. He was a sweet boy. She could only hope she lived to see what he would evolve into.


/end thread
@Sunfrog