Ask Yavin IV Saplings

[Sabatha Sayall]

They had told her the gardens were nice on Yavin IV.

On the shuttle, the Jedi she'd travelled with had talked at length about the amazing things she might learn, the incredible places she might visit and all the people she'd meet. They talked about the thrill of building one's lightsaber, about the delight of learning with other padawans, about the true fulfilment of working in the Light of the Force.

Sabatha mainly asked about the gardens.

That's where she spent most of her time, it seemed. Not that she'd had much of it, between getting the tour and the guidance and the lessons on 'not letting the Order down.' Seemed quite a high stress place for young people, really. At least, that's what she thought. Sabatha wasn't quite sure on the concept of 'stress.' That seemed to happen to other people. And while they'd given her a lovely set of robes, she'd never worn them. It seemed such a shame to dirty them, so they'd stayed in her wardrobe in the Temple. Instead, she wore the half-dirty pants and baggy tee that she always wore to garden.

Knelt down in the dirt, she tenderly brushed a little more dirt over the saplings, checking that they had what they needed. The rains had been good and the soil was decently filled with moisture, so she wasn't in a rush to water them. They were distant enough apart that they wouldn't mess with each other and fight too much for sunlight and air. They'd be hardy things, for sure.

"... and you'll have to look out for each other, okay, because you can only get super strong when you're all looking out for each other so don't forget that," she lectured the saplings quietly, inbetween humming a little tune. She was vaguely aware there was a point that she was meant to meet someone important today... but it would be fine. The saplings needed her guidance more.

@Braden Drake

 

[Yvain]

Yvain had just finished breakfast, fried Crabble Eggs and a side of Cornor Bacon. It was beautiful but what did he expect he was the self proclaimed cook master of The Order of course whatever he made himself to eat that morning was going to be excellent. Though now with plates washed and the food slowly digesting in his body it was time to get to work. The old Jedi Knight had met with the Council the day before and it had been decided that he should take on another Padawan, with Sace slowly moving through his problems he could spend some time training a new student.

He popped open a little datapad on his desk which showed the Padawan in question as well as a little information on her from before she came to the The Order. She seemed more on the calmer side than the Slussi he was training which would be a nice change of pace for the little green Jedi. Stepping out of his little shack near the gardens he tended to he took a deep breath of fresh Yavin air, the sky was clear and he could hear the chattering of Younglings in the distance.

A smile on his face he began walking through the Gardens towards the temple to find his new Padawan. But it seemed as always that The Force worked in its own ways. Off to his right as he spotted a young women, blonde hair and dirt up to her elbows, a quick glance at her face and he knew it was the young girl he was looking for.

Plodding along up to her he caught the last of her comment to the little plants, he knelt down on the other side of them giving them a good look. The girl would notice him long before he said anything and he would give her time to puzzle over his sudden appearance before talking. "These are Cloudflower Vines if I am not mistaken Padawan Sayall." He said moving to the side to get a little better view of the sapling.

@Charndley

 

[Sabatha Sayall]

Sabatha had barely noticed anyone approaching. The gardens had people milling through them all the time and Sabatha paid them little heed. People were busy everywhere she went, why would there be anything different here? Perhaps they should stop by the gardens too. But this newcomer knelt down by the saplings and looked over them, gaining her attention that way.

She smiled at him but said nothing, content to just dwell in the happy silence between them as she finished neatening up the soil around the saplings. The last thing they'd want is to be covered in lumps and tracks from her messy planting. The newcomer was a species she hadn't met before, but that was interesting all in itself. Even as he spoke, he seemed contemplative and interesting.

"Oh, is it?" she asked, looking them over again. "I wasn't sure, I just saw they were ready to plant. I think I might be allergic to Cloudflower..." she said dreamily, staring upwards and frowning in thought for a second. "Oh, no actually it was Casanvine. Phew, that's fortunate." With that, she stood up and brushed her arms, utterly failing to clean off the dirt easily.

"You must be who I'm meant to meet," she said simply, smiling at him. "It's lovely to meet you. You're a little bit shorter than I expected," she admitted casually, without a shred of malice or teasing in her voice. "I'm Sabatha but I think you already know that. I'd offer you a handshake but I'm a fair bit dirty. Sorry."

@Braden Drake

 

[Yvain]

His eyes opened a bit wider when she mentioned allergies to the Cloudflower, he had seen it in the past, peoples hand's would almost double in size, their eyelids would turn purple and a their snot pink, it was not a pretty sight that was for sure. But she quickly realised her mistake which clamed the Jedi Knight.

"Well as my old master used to say, good things come in small packages." He replied with a cheeky grin. "No need to worry, I spend more time than most in this little garden." He said holding his own hand out, it wasn't dirty yet today because he had only just been cooking, but by the tell tale signs of wear and dirt upon his robes the Padawan would realise he liked to play in the mud. "Shall we take a walk, you can tell me a little about yourself before we start your lessons."

@Charndley

 

[Sabatha Sayall]

Yvain held out his hand regardless, so Sabatha leaned down to shake it. She felt a little roughness from his aged, wrinkled skin... which certainly didn't help keep the dirt off him. As she pulled back, she noticed a few hints of soil and muck that she'd accidentally transferred.

Whoops.

"That sounds nice. I'd like that very much," she replied brightly, setting off in a slow walk with the smaller person. Her arm moved out to the other side, fingers drifting gently against the plants, bushes and trees around them. Just getting a little touch. "I can't say that I'm very interesting. I've always been around gardens. They make me happy. Almost as much as sweets do, but that's asking a lot." She gazed straight ahead, speaking in a half-dreamy stream of consciousness. "But I expect you're more interested in the Force, yes? They say I can do... goodness, what's the word?" she asked aloud, frowning slightly as she delved into her head. "Psycholomerry? Something like that. You know, memories from things."

@Braden Drake

 

[Yvain]

"People who often say they are not very interesting, are often the most interesting of people I have found." Yvain said in response to the young ones dismissal of her own history. "The Force comes later, you must know yourself first and what better way to learn about yourself than to talk about it to another person." He finished with a big smile.

They had reached the edge of the garden, it was set at the top of the hill where the Temple resided, below them the ground ran down towards the trees in the distance. The Garden itself was held back by a small wall, about the height of Sabatha's waist and above Yvain's head. The Jedi Knight hopped up onto the wall and patted the space behind him for the Padawan to sit. "Now, tell me properly about yourself, where were you born? Who did you grow up with? The works." The more he knew about his student the better he could figure out the best way to train her. Unlike the Old Jedi Order when all Younglings started the same, blank canvasses, so a simple mould could be used. This New Order with its vast age differences, life experiences and level of Force ability meant that every child was a new teaching trial.

@Charndley

 

[Sabatha Sayall]

The older Jedi was turning out to be much more pleasant than she might've expected. Most people she met seemed to get frustrated with her rather quickly. It was a little upsetting but there were worse things in the Galaxy. "I suppose you're right. You are the Jedi."

Sabatha watched as Yvain climbed up onto the wall. She did the same, slipping herself onto the wall beside him. Of course, she only had to make the tiniest jump to make it on there. As she did, she dangled her legs gently over the side, her heels tapping softly onto the wall. "It's a very nice view. I'll have to come here again," she admitted as she gathered her thoughts.

"Well, I grew up on Ord Mantell. One of the port cities away from the resorts. I'd say I was born there too but I honestly don't know. My mother found me and raised me." It was spoken in a very matter-of-fact way. "We didn't speak about it much, I don't think she liked to dwell on it. Anyway, it was just us at home. She's a landscaper, a lot of the well-off people used to ask her to help with their gardens. We have a very nice one. I grow beans. Beans are good. And flowers too, but honestly the beans are a little more practical."

Her gaze flicked back to Yvain, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling. I hope I'm not boring you. I went to school and things too, but it wasn't all that interesting. I still get work sent through from the Academy, just to keep up whilst I'm here. My mother was rather firm about that. Uhm, is there anything more specific you would like to know?"

@Braden Drake

 

[Yvain]

Yvain nodded along listening to the child's story, Ord Mantell, he had visited there before a long time ago, well before both Sabatha and her mother had been alive. It was a different time back then. As she spoke he watched the younglings below, there morning training had yet to begin so they were having some fun before they were called in by Master Goordyar. "I do like a good ramble." He replied with a smile. "You have had a beautiful childhood it seems, you are very lucky."

"When did you first experience The Force? And how did you find yourself with us?" These were basic questions but from there he could hopefully begin to mould Sabatha's training regime.

@Charndley

 

[Sabatha Sayall]

"Thank you. I definitely feel lucky." Sabatha smiled again at the older Jedi. He was a very good listener. Most people, by this point, had already asked her to get to the gist and cut out half of what she was saying. It instantly endeared her to him.

"I'm not sure when. I was always good with growing things, I just sort of knew when they needed things. They tell me it's because of my connection to that Force. That and the memory thing." Her legs moved again, swaying gently in the soft breeze as she looked out over the gardens. "I actually found out on the Holonet. I was getting a little concerned and thought I was starting to go a little mad. Anyway, the Jedi came to test me and turns out, it's the Force."

"Have you trained many people?" she asked curiously, looking towards him for his answer. "You seem quite a bit older than most. Wiser, you might say."

@Braden Drake

 

[Yvain]

Her talents seemed to be more supportive than the tradiontal attack, attack stuff that many students arrived at the temple with. Which if Yvain was honest was a nice change of pace, as much as the Jedi was an advocate for the militarization of the Jedi he still enjoyed the simple things in life including the growing of plants.

He laughed a little when she mentioned the Holonet, how the galaxy had changed. "I have trained a few, though I have not seen many Padawan's to full Knighthood, I often spent my time on the Outer Rim, searching for new Jedi. I believe its around seven hundred now for both the Old Order and the New." He said trying not to gloat, it was not a number to boast about, but he was proud in his servitude to the Jedi Order. "I am nearly three centuries old. I have seen the Order fall and rise again. Though if wisdom has been gained, don't tell anybody otherwise they will get me teaching more younglings." He said with a smile.

@Charndley

 

[Sabatha Sayall]

"Goodness. That's quite a lot," Sabatha replied, marvelling at the numbers that Yvain had recruited. The fact that he'd done that, as well as lived for many centuries, made Sabatha feel a little more at ease about her training. "I'll try to keep your wisdom as secret as I can then," she told him in a fake whisper, winking at him.

"The younglings do seem nice, if a little... young." The statement was as obvious as one could make it, but even she had noticed that they were distinctly childish compared to the padawans she knew, which was quite amazing considering there were a lot of teenagers there.

"Would it bother you if I said I'm not enthusiastic about fighting?" Sabatha asked, a slightly more serious look coming over her usually space-y features. "I don't think I'd be much good at it, to be rather honest. A lot of the other padawans are very keen about it. They're very happy about their lightsabers. Truthfully, I find them quite scary. The sabers, I mean. The padawans are okay."

 

[Yvain]

"No young one, if anything it delights me that you do not wish to become a fighter." He said with a genuine smile, the galaxy needed more people like Sabatha that was for sure. "If the Galaxy was an ideal place that I hope it was we would have no need for warriors amongst the Jedi, only scholars, healers and diplomats. It is just a tragedy that we live in such divided times."

He hoped his words eased the Padawan's serious tone, yes Yvain was known as a warrior but that wasn't all he was. "But what you must learn is how to defend yourselves and others. That is the core of the Jedi teachings, how can you protect the innocent if you do not know how. I do not expect every student who leaves this temple to be a Blade Master ready to go toe to toe with any Sith that they see. But I expect them to be able to defend the first innocent soul they find out there in the big dark void."

Yvain pulled the small shoto lightsaber from his belt and placed in on the wall between them. "This is not a weapon it is a tool, you make it, it does not make you."

@Charndley

 

[Sabatha Sayall]

There was a moment of contemplation as Sabatha listened, wondering which path she could take. Scholarship probably needed a little more focus than she could provide. Healers? Well, she felt quite ill at the sight of blood. And diplomats? Well... she couldn't even stop the other padawans from sneaking her stuff, so her negotiation talents left a lot to be admired.

"I never thought of it that way. I suppose we have a duty, don't we?" she said with a sigh, staring up at the sky for a few seconds. She tried to picture herself with a lightsaber in hand, like she'd seen some of the knights or instructors used. It just didn't seem right. Still though, she supposed she could grow into the image.

Her attention went back to Yvain and now the lightsaber he placed between them. It was shorter, probably to match his stature. Still looked no less impressive, though. "It's definitely pretty. I think the word is elegant." Her head moved a little from side to side as she looked at the hilt, checking the top and bottom.

"The other padawans showed me their kyber crystals too. I'm hoping I can get my own soon, I'll probably feel better about lightsabers when I have something of my own with them. I wouldn't expect to see me beat many others in training though."

@Braden Drake

 

[Yvain]

Yvain smiled when she called the blade elegant, it seemed to be the galaxies buzz word for the weapons of the Jedi. She seemed to have some knowledge of Kyber Crystals and that was good, one less thing to teach, but also one hook already sunk in as to why and how she should approach her commitment to the blade. Reaching out with The Force Yvain grabbed hold of his lightsaber and held it up before the pair of them, with careful movements he slowly began to pull the saber to pieces.

Finally after a few moments the bright green crystal appeared before them, the early morning light glinted from its surface as it slowly spun in place. "The Kyber Crystal is the heart of the Jedi's weapon, every Jedi makes a personal bond with the Crystal. It becomes part of your own Force Soul, an extension of your being." He turned to the young one. "Even now, out there in the great cosmos a crystal waits for you." Yvain said waving to the sky as he spoke. "It is for you to look for and find, once you do, you will understand."

@Charndley

 

[Sabatha Sayall]

Sabatha watched intently as the lightsaber lifted into the air between them. Using only the Force, Yvain carefully picked apart the hilt and exposed all the different elements. From the lenses and the power source to the casing and the crystal. It was definitely an intricate, incredible process. Very pretty.

"Wow. It's quite lovely." She was very tempted just to reach out and touch the crystal, but something in her mind put that in the realm of 'very, very silly.' Besides, like Yvain said, she'd have her own some day soon. Out there, in the wide cosmos, there was a crystal just waiting for her. "It all sounds convenient, but I shouldn't complain." Destiny and fate were topics that seemed far beyond her inclinations. She'd spent sixteen years largely focused on making plants grow; the machinations and metaphysics of life were a little more advanced.

"Well, I'm ready to follow your lead... master? I am meant to call you that, right?" Sabatha asked as she gently slipped off the wall, turning to face Yvain. "I don't want to mix up titles, I've had bad experiences in the past with that." People could always get quite touchy about what you were meant to call them, especially teachers. "Truthfully, I'm glad to have met you now, master, before I lost myself in the gardens. I may never have come out again."

@Braden Drake

 

[Yvain]

"Master is fine, and it will be a pleasure to watch you grow and learn young Sabatha." He said with a cheery tone. Closing his eyes for a moment he concentrated on the individual pieces of his lightsaber as it slowly formed itself back together piece by piece. Finally as it closed tightly on the seal the blade ignited sending a bright green light up towards the sky. After a moment the blade disengaged and slipped back onto his belt.

"Let us try something Sabatha." Yvain held out the small stone he was levitating in front of him earlier. "Concentrate, feel it through The Force and pick it up."

@Charndley

 

[Sabatha Sayall]

Sabatha smiled as she watched him hold out the stone. He gave his instructions, made it sound so incredibly simple... but it wasn't. Her head cocked to one side as she looked over the rock. Something so small and simple, something she'd just seen him levitate before himself.

Easy, right?

Sabatha closed her eyes. Her arms hung loosely by her side as she tried to concentrate. The annoying thing was that, even though she knew she could focus when she needed to, doing so under command made it difficult. Her head filled with thoughts of how rocks should move, or how disappointed Yvain would be if she didn't manage it. Her face scrunched up a little as she tried to dismiss them and focused on the rock.

In his hand, the stone wiggled gently. Sabatha twitched and leaned a little forwards. She could feel the Force moving, putting effort into moving. Channeling herself down different pathways, trying to find the one that fit. It wobbled some more, slowly lifting from the palm.

Her hand twitched as she raised it a little more... slowly... slowly... the stone lifted a little higher...

Then it dropped suddenly, right towards the floor. Sabatha's eyes opened up as she felt herself lose control, watching it drop.

"Well... shoot."

@Braden Drake

 

[Yvain]

Yvain waited patiently as the Padawan attempted the task of moving the small stone. He watched both with his eyes and through The Force as she tried to maniuplate The Living Force around them. Yvain was a wild and living world so it had ample ambient Force energy, the constant surrounding of Jedi had amplified that even more so around the Temple grounds.

The stone fidgeted for a moment before finally rising from his hand, a smile also lifted across his face as it did. Then it dropped and the exasperated sigh of the young girl next to him followed. "You did well child." He lowered his hand and placed it on his now crossed legs. "How does The Force feel to you, how do you see it? If we can isolate that we can perhaps find an easier way for you tape into that power?"

@Charndley