Seeing the Force: The Training of Cade Varr

[Ols]

Cade sat on his own in the gardens of the Ossus temple. He loved it here, meditating, calm and at one with the life around him. As a miraluka, he had been able to see through the Force since birth, and he could see right through people, see their motives and see their intentions. He was wearing a blindfold to cover the gaps where his eyes should have been. He had a cowl attached to his tunic, but that got in his way when he was exerting himself, and he expected to do that today. He was wearing a white t-shirt under his beige tunic, which was sleeveless, and wore cloth wrist bands and brown boots with brown trousers.

He waited for his master patiently.

 

[Matt]

He stood just outside of the gardens looking out at the brilliant sunshine that beamed down onto his face. He strolled into the beautiful gardens and looked around until he saw his new padawan, this would actually be his first but he felt it was about time that he took up this important part of a jedi's life. The passing on of information and knowledge was something that Dewbecca had taken advantage off and now he was going to pass it on

He walked towards his padawan with a smile across his wild and hairy face, whirling behind him was his trusty Translator so the padawan would be able to understand it as he was certain he would not be able to speak his rare and unique language.

 

[Ols]

Cade saw the wookie approach and he leapt to his feet, bowing in respect, "Master," he said, "I have been waiting with great anticipation for your training."

 

[Matt]

It always startled people the first time he spoke in his language made up (to humans) off roars and growls then the translator said it in a soft human male voice but how his padawan reacted to this would give him an indication as to what his padawan is like at adapting to situations

"Hello padawan" said the translator after Dewbecca's growl "My name is Dewbecca and I am a jedi master who will be training you"

 

[Ols]

Cade was calm as usual. He did not make many opinions based on first impressions. He saw only through the Force, and could see the true kind nature of the wookie. His initial growl was a little loud for most humans, and having enhanced hearing due to his blindness it made him grit his teeth a little, but he put that to the back of his mind. He was very excited to truly learn the ways of the Jedi. Some non-wookies could understand Shyriwook, but he could not. It was said it was possible to learn a language by using the Force, but that power was beyond a padawan.

"Master Dewbecca," he said, bowing again, "I am yours to train."

 

[Matt]

He literally knew nothing about his padawan and he liked it that way, he felt that going into the unknown was something that could enhance the experience. There would be no preconceived thoughts or possible prejudices...A clean sheet

"Very well, I always think it is best to learn from the person you are training rather then it being a one way stream of information....Tell me a little about yourself?"

 

[Ols]

He supposed he better start right from the beginning, "I was brought the the Jedi order as a baby, and my sister with me. She was seven at the time. All I had from my parents was this blue stone," he showed him the cord tied around his neck with a small blue crystal on it, "my sister had a green one, but she used hers when she built her first lightsaber. She was killed on a mission, five years ago. I carry her lightsaber now. Since her death I dedicated myself to learning. I studied the Force, meditating in all my spare time, and I began to study lightsaber combat. I read about the forms and watched the holovids. I have been practicing Soresu in the training halls. Then, one day the council said a master had chosen me for a padawan."

 

[Matt]

"That is all I based my opinion on when taking you as a padawan, I heard you were good practitioner of said form, I am also rather good at it to though I will never say it.

He smiled at the padawan hoping to calm any possible fears that he may have off him or the training but he had to press on and he needed to get some off these over and done with so he would know the best way to progress.

"I wish to ask you another question, how did your sister die?"

 

[Ols]

"She died during her Jedi trials," he said, slowly and carefully. He did not feel such pain talking about it now, the pain he had once felt was lost in his childhood. He was growing up now. "She was sent on a mission to confront and redeem a fallen padawan. She lowered her guard to talk to him and the padawan struck her. Does it really matter though?"

 

[Matt]

"Yes it does young padawan, to relive ones past and the horrible events that happen can help one deal with possible horrors that await a jedi."

He could feel the emotions within the young jedi and he knew this would have to be addressed at a later date, emotions were not something that should be repressed but rather watched over

"OK young jedi, tell me from your point of view what the force is, there is no right or wrong answer to this question"

 

[Ols]

"The Force is everything. When you let the Force guide you, truly, you can do no wrong. When I open myself up to the Force I can see better than anyone with eyes. To truly use it, though, is smething only masters understand. Following its currents and eddies is hard at first, although relying on instinct, it is easy for an untrained one such as myself to start to drown," he said, hoping his metaphor was along the right lines.

 

[Matt]

"Even masters can be confused by the forces methods and the way it moves but you describe the force in a very natural way, many see it as something almost mechanical and unnatural."

"Now, tell me what you know of the jedi's tenants?"

 

[Ols]

"They are the eight rules of the Jedi," he said, "and each one must be obeyed, to be the perfect jedi." Now there was a term. What was a perfect Jedi? No time to think about that now though, he continued, "The first is to make sure of out loyalty to the right regime; we must avoid strong emotions, they can be dangerous; we must be wary in matters of love, itself a strong emotion and marriage is somewhat paradoxically allowed by the Jedi, but the council's advice is usually crucial; we must respect all life in a galactic view, and never take life if it is not necessary."

He paused for breath. In a mind without pictures, it was easy to visualise the rules. He spoke again, "A Jedi should always protect the defesneless and weak from mindless slaughter and must help depravity and the poor as we can; we must have our own opinions and should not blindly follow the words of others, and any feud with the council must be private to avoid disruption; wealthy Jedi must be willing to give up his wealth for the Order, or if a Jedi has a title, they must rule wisely and studiously; and finally, a jedi must be mindful of the Cosmic Force and the Living Force, taking the advice of the past and future, but living in the present. That is how I understand the eight tenets, but the last one confuses me a little. Always we are advised to be mindful of the Force and the Living Force, but I find it confusing to be mindful of both at once."

 

[Matt]

"If you try at all times to be completely aware of both then it could drive you mad, there have been many jedi much wiser then you and me have spent years trying to work out the relationship between both and how they effect each other and the galaxy and have come up with nothing after years of research. The basic understanding is to be mindful of what is happening, what has happened and where it could lead, unless you wish to become a researcher into such matters."

"Now I wish to bring up several situations that may come up when you become a jedi knight, I wish you to answer them completely truthfully ad I will know if you are lying."

"Now tell me, what would you do if you saw several republic soldiers mistreating an enemy, let's say an askalan soldier after a battle?"

 

[Ols]

He thought. He had no quarrel with any particualr Alsakan, though the Republic soldiers may hate him.

"I would stop the soldiers mistreating him, and I would have him taken as a Prisoner of War, unless he were a lethal threat."

 

[Matt]

"I am glad you said that last bit, every situation is never written in black and white, always a shade of grey, no evil person has ever thought themselves to be evil and only supremely arrogant people think themselves to be beacons of goodness"

With a wave of his hand a small mechanical noise could be heard in the distance coming towards them louder and louder.

"A jedi must treat his body as an instrument of there duties and you must always take good care of instruments. Tell me about this lightsaber off yours, did you construct it with no official help?"

 

[Ols]

"No," he said, "my sister constructed it herself. When she died, the council allowed me to keep it, for my own use. I have not constructed my own lightsaber yet."

 

[Matt]

"Very well, now I feel it best that you do construct your own. You do not have to use it but if anything were to happen to your sisters light saber what would you do?"

"Now, to make a lightsaber is to make an extension of ones self, now tell me what you know of constructing a lightsaber....The techniques that come with making different types and other such things...."

 

[Ols]

"If my something were to happen to my sister's lightsaber, I would have no weapon. But few Jedi create a spare. I do need my own, I only use my sister's as I have yet to be tasked with making my own," he said and listened to the rest of his master's comments.

"Constructing a lightsaber is the most important part of a Jedi's training, some say. It is their only true possession, and it should be made with them following the instincts given by the Force. They should pour their soul into it, and the finished product will reflect them in some way. Aside from the Force, it is their greatest tool," not a weapon he thought, "the style of lightsaber is a personal thing. But the way it works, using the focusing and colour crystals, is always the same."

 

[Matt]

"Very well, constructing a lightsaber is a special thing for any jedi. As you said you pour your soul into it and no jedi's lightsaber is the same as another. It is a delicate and precise tool that should only be used when all other avenues have been used, it is and will forver be associated with being a Jedi Knight"

"Now a lightsaber is made up of 9 different components and materials brought together, it is a melding off machine and nature, do you know what these 9 pieces are?"