Ascension to the Way

[Darius]

Naboo
The tranquility of the the blossoming trees filtered into the calm ripples of the river, The sounds of the everyday faded into the the calls and chirps of the animals of the area, the grass swayed willingly to the behest of the gentle wind that filled the valley, Adonia was at peace. It had been some time since she has been freed from her imprisonment with the hutts, and it took even longer for her to get over the physical and mental scars, it was no time for Adonia to take on a padawan, she had to first contend with herself. The worst behind her Adonia had spent the past several months finding and collecting young for sensitives so they would not fall into the sway of the sith,it was work to be proud of but she always knew in the back of her mind that if she were to make any impact in this war she would have to begin teaching again, and the Jedi council were in full agreement. Once Adonia agreed to screen prospective learners for training they quickly began to seek her out, each more eager than the next, each more talented than the last, but they were missing something, something that she could not put her finger on, something that would connect her to them.

Adonia set knelt down controlling her breath, bathing in the force around her, the flowed through and around her like water through a grate, it was here she could be with the family she longed to see so much, the force would always be her stalwart, her sanctuary. Adonia through her concentration could feel the presence of another approaching her, it was not enough to break her trance but it was enough for her to lift her head to at least let them know they had been spotted.​

 

[Niish Kydon]

Naboo. This would be his first steps upon the lands of this world, and his first steps into the teachings of a new instructor. The surrounding habitat seemed tranquil and calm, void of apprehension or doubt. He felt himself in the same frame, perhaps this day would be full of similar parallels. The fervent beauty of life in this place was more than the eye could glean, and if one were to ever immerse themselves into such a robust spectacle as this, one might simply never leave. He thought of his mother, she was the type whom would weep from the sheer equanimity this place elicits. His father, on the other hand, wouldn't understand.

Finally arriving at the designated area, blackened eyes focused on a woman meditating. Niish found it difficult to calm his mind enough for meditation, he knew of it's benefits and was well aware that it was somewhere between requirement and necessity as a Force sensitive, but with a mind always hungry for knowledge, meditation takes a back seat. Stepping to within ten feet of her, his lips parted to speak but before a single syllable could escape his breath, a bird flew overhead singing a song that struck him as the most happy-go-lucky sound that has ever graced his tympanic membranes. He exhaled with a soft curl of a smile.

For a few moments longer he stood as if anticipating to hear the sound once again, and he did, though a bit father away, and farther away again. A trailing breeze rustled the leaves, his gaze landed upon the trees. "This place, it's... charming. A spell of... contentedness, it feels like... it's glowing." The cadence of his speech has had a tendency to slightly confuse anyone that had never talked to a Pau'an before, nevermind the serrated teeth. "You are... to instruct me?" the question brought the black of his eyes to her. "I am... Niishal Stimet-Luud Kydon." Head bowed.

"Please... Call me Niish."

 

[Darius]

Adonia continued to meditate as the young Pau'an approached her on the river bank, she could sense his enjoyment and appreciation of the area, it did her well to feel another enjoy her sanctuary also, for many it was too quiet too remote, for some had grown so accustomed to the backdrop of war and pain, that idling in a place a beautiful as this seemed to some to reak of apathy, Adonia however places like this where necessary, as a stark reminder of what there was to fight for. Even though she was already coming out of her trance Adonia did not speak on the Pau'an's comments of the area, but she could not help my let out an amused huff of air and a smirk when he as about her training him."That remains to be seen." Adonia said very matter of factly.

Adonia stood up and gave the young padawan a smile, walking towards him she made a few circles about him to get a proper look, "the war weighs heavy even on the minds of the most skilled jedi, there has never been a more dangerous time to be one of us in our lifetime." Adonia spoke has she spotted the severed fingers on his right hand, she could see by the angle of the cut that the wound was self inflicted. "The second form is about balance and fluid of movement, but that means you have to not only be aware of your opponent's blade but your own as well, you have great deal to learn about yourself before makashi will not fail you."

"Your bearing suggests you have some training about you, but i've seen others each more eager than the next to run head long into training, i'll give you the same simple question to you in your heart think you are truly ready train, and why should I train you above the thousands of padawans at the same crossroads as you?" The Jedi stopped in front of the young padawan and awaited her answer, she had heard many clever answers, some were clever and some were outwardly arrogant, one turned the question on her as if it would be her privilege to take her on, Adonia had little time for any of those mindsets.

 

[Niish Kydon]

It took a conscious effort to reel in his wondering musings on the area, and with her rounding him in step he felt it odd that she didn't include her name. Perhaps such intimate knowledge was earned rather than given. Her talk of the war seemed par for the tenure, most who had seen battle somehow feel compelled to tell their stories. Niish idly pondered if one day he saw battle, would he also tell of his experiences, was it compulsory?
In fact there is historical value in sharing one's experiences in story form, morality and honor, cautionary tales and philosophical introspection, not to mention it's evolutionary impor--... wait {!}Makashi{!} her mention snapped him back to awareness, Niish silently cursed himself for allowing his mind to continue to wonder at a moment like this.

The cybernetic fingers twitched unconsciously at the memory. She was more than right, he had a long way to go. The slight weight of the saberhilt hanging from his left hip was a source of apprehension, only he didn't know it was so obvious as to be seen instantly by a perfect stranger, albeit an abnormally perceptive one. She had captivated his undivided regard.

Her speech concluded with a two-part question. Niish's head tilted slowly to the right in consideration. Then to the left, carefully arranging the correct vernacular to convey his answer, ten drafts of ten different speeches run through his greymatter. Head straightened, depthless black eyes laid upon the woman before him, he decides on the most concise answer possible. "Yes." Now for the meat of the two-parter. "I can think of... no reason you... should train me over... any other. To think myself... special would... be folly. Yet, as links... in a chain are no... more important than the... next, individual lives are... equally as important... as the next. I refuse... to be the weak... link that breaks the chain... and costs lives. For this... reason, I... submit myself to... your guidance."

 

[Darius]

There was solid five minutes before Adonia could bring herself to speak, for a moment she simply gazed a the bow trying to see if his resolve would break like so many others, but there was no such fault, and this was very encouraging to the knight. "There are no weak links, there is only the force, there is only what is. if a man should fall, should we weep or rejoice, and aspire to be so lucky? i will ask you this question again in time, when I believe you are ready." Adonia stepped closer was a clam but serious look on her face. "Your training will be hard, there will be times when you think you cannot go on, but you will have to, you will collapse, you will bleed, but in the end you will find a strength so grand in the force that you will never want again. I promise to never give up on you, but I will accept nothing less than the same dedication, do I make myself clear?" Adonia inquired as she pulled out her light saber and ignited the yellow blade between the two of them. Using the force she dismantled her weapon, the pieces hovering around them as she spoke. "Like this saber we are all but a small piece of a great design, if one part should fail do you not say your saber is broken, mentioning a particular piece is irrelevant, the loss of any piece gives the same result?"

Adonia reassembles her saber and placed it back on her hip, taking her outer blue robes off to reveal her emerald garb she waded in the river, "Your first lesson begins now, there are eight stones hidden in the tranquility of this river, sense them, feel the water grace the surface of each rock, and then when you are at peace calmly lift them from the river." Adonia outstretched her arm as to welcome the young Jedi to join her in the gentle current.

 

[Niish Kydon]

Niish hung on her every syllable, almost afraid to breathe for fear he might miss one. Each word seared into memory as stone, and though he was rarely surprised at anything, the promise she made to him went far deeper than memory, it struck him to his very core. The simple fact she was willing to give that promise meant more to him than anything in recent recall. Emphatically, yet with composure, Niish agreed and made the promise with her. "Yes. Crystal clear."

The yellow glow that sprung up between them was quickly snuffed out when she took apart her saber, the ease with which she did it suggested she had done it countless times before. And to think he didn't even know how to replace a power cell. Much to learn, much to learn. He nodded in acknowledgement of the meaning of her question. "I see." He said while she reassembled her saber. "Much like the... chain analogy. There is... only what is." He stated, echoing her sentiments.

Curious, colorless eyes watch her movements toward the water and the shedding of her customary Jedi robes. His head tilted to the left from the befuddlement her words brought, did she really mean for him to join her? He thought it an odd request, but to question a new instructor was poor form. He resolved to her behest, no better time to start training than the present! A moment was taken to remove his light boots and small satchel, as well as his saberhilt and communicator, all of which made up the vast magnitude of his worldly possessions. Once both feet were immersed he stopped, it felt as if, under the surface sediment, he might be standing on one of the stones she meant him to raise. No, that would be too easy. Niish continued in and stood a few feet away from her, the sensation of the water tickling at his skin was rather delightful. "I suddenly regret... not taking... my swim lessons seriously." His tone was half joking, half not.

 

[Darius]

Adonia raised an eyebrow at the boys comment about his swimming ability, she did not coldly scold him but she did make sure he knew how important this lesson was, "Focus padawan, now is not the time for games, you are about to stretch muscles you have never fully used." Adonia waded her way next to her student, "Close your eyes, feel not just to physical senses, but everything around you, dead or alive one object always compliments everything around it, like a ping on a radar screen, the rock will not move, they are smooth but they still create the smallest disturbance in the track of the water, this is how you should see all worlds, and once you can there is nothing that can hide form your sight."

Adonia closed her eyes and lifted her head and breathed in, and as her lungs filled eight smooth stones lifted form the water and began to revolve over them in a circle, faster and faster they went until Adonia let go of her breath, and let them break the surface of the water returning to the depths, "You are young, you have so much to live for and as such it can be difficult to focus on something so mundane, your mind is a maelstrom, you must calm your own storm, you must let go of all pain, all anger, and live by your own words, there is only what is, and what shall be. A sinking ship does not sink because of the water around it, it sinks because of water that is let in, let go of any negativity, you know no mountain you cannot lift, you know no person that could stand between you and the peace of all, you are the embodiment of the way, and the force flows through you, it is your trusted ally."

 

[Niish Kydon]

"Focus...now is not the time for games..." These words and those that followed conveyed the true significance of the session, he took them to heart and put to rest any notion of regalement. She came closer to him, he did as told and closes his eyes. While she spoke, the form of the rocks underwater slowly became manifest to him. Indeed he felt the disturbance within the water, how it curled around the rocks, the displacement, ebb and flow parted before them and rejoined on the other side. And for a moment he sensed them move independent of his influence, only to realize it was her moving the eight stones from the eased flow of the timid river. Their quickening revolutions above them forced his eyelids to raise and see, if only to confirm what his senses told him. As she placed the stones back to which they came, Niish continued to listen to every word as if his life depended on it. "My ally." he softly echoed her.

The depthless black of his eyes met with the penetrating gaze of her own pristine crystal preceptors, a dichotomy if there ever was one, and took in a deep, cleansing breath in preparation of performing the same feat she so easily demonstrated. "My ally." once again repeated out loud, these words would continue to be repeated within his mind as he attempted to duplicate her actions.

Niish felt he had an unfair advantage now that she had essentially showed him where the stones are, but identifying their location, he quickly found, was the easy part and she had done him no favors by the reveal. Eyes locked on hers, he almost cracked a grin when feeling a few of the stones begin to move, then another and another. Confidence grew and he closed his eyes to focus in on the rest, but the moment he did he felt his grip slip. Discouragement and doubt crept in. His eyes popped open again, his expression that of defeat. But the very second he was able to see those eyes, her eyes, his expression faded and conviction grew. The grin hinted upon his lips once again. Eight stones lifted from the silt, all broke the surface of the water, albeit shaky and unsteady. Niish prided himself, but was also confused: why did his concentration falter? and why did the mere sight of her bolster his resolve when he didn't even know her name?

Though he had done what was asked of him, he considered the attempt a failure, and the stones splashed back into the river. "Should I...try again?"

 

[Darius]

"Well done for your first try." Adonia said her face still rather stone like, but patting her new students shoulder to encourage him. "But you are still not putting your full concentration into the task, close your eyes my padawan, reach not only into the tranquility of the river but the force itself, there you will find your center, your silence." Adonia reached down and placed her fingers in the water, gently she moved them in a circle, producing a gentle wake that spread out slowly on the surface of the river. "Every action you can sense in this world is but a drop of water compared to the magnitude of the force, you could be in the middle of a bloody battle, yet the peace you find in the force will shut out all distraction. Attune your senses so that it engulfs your world as the river does the stones, how then could anything escape your sight?"

Adonia waded further back in the water, and placed her arms behind her back. "Now I want you to try again, but this time don't loose focus, and do not drop the stones until I tell you to, this is as much about endurance as it is skill young one." Adonia was getting a great gauge one what her students needed to work on, he had the natural skill inherent in most padawan but like most he had not yet learned to focus his efforts, this was something that came with time and discipline, and the purest of efforts. But Adonia could see what NiishN could become even if he did not yet have the foresight to see it himself, and this would serve as the base for her unflinching motivation to train him.

 

[Niish Kydon]

Though he was confused and disillusioned with himself, she saw it fit to encourage him anyway with a pat on the shoulder. Considering her stoic expression had not changed, he couldn't tell if she was satisfied with his efforts or just going through the motions of regimented teaching lessons. She was difficult to get a read on, but he'd figure her out eventually; he was studying her as much as she was studying him. It had become a useful habit to pay close attention to one's behavioral mannerisms and personality traits. She played close to the chest, but why?

A slow nod of his head confirmed that he understood what she meant, equating the Force with the water they stood in made perfect sense and made it easier to visualize the goal she set before him. She stepped back and allowed a second try.

As before, Niish reached out to feel the water's ebb and flows around the stones. From waist height, his palms faced the sky, his fingers pointed upwards, he identified each stone and imagined them balancing on his fingertips as he raised his hands higher and higher. His grip felt stronger this time. Niish consciously kept himself from looking directly into her eyes, he needed to know he could do this with out her, or with out whatever it was that gave him the fortitude to lift the stones the first time. Was it as simple as knowing he held her attention that gave him that resolve, or was it a failing of his own conviction? He needed to know.

With a stronger grip, the stones didn't feel quite so heavy this time, in fact nearly weightless. Strange, how was it not this easy before? Is it supposed to be this easy? They felt as if the stones themselves wanted to do his bidding, eager to do as wished. Eight stones again broke the surface of the water, but unlike the previous attempt, the stones were steady and unwavering. It seemed as though her words had impact, now having an easier way to visualize his objective truly gave him a vivid understanding of how to use the Force effectively. Attuning senses, to use it as an extension of himself rather than a tool separate from himself. All at once his understanding of the Force had undergone a paradigm shift, and like so many times before, an entire new world opened itself to him.

The stones came to hover about five feet above the river, there they would stay until told otherwise...or, unsure of how long she would have him hold the stones in place, until he exhausted himself.