swoosh swoosh. clash clash.

[jamessour]

The days on Dantooine seemed long. Hmm, Tarnit pondered sitting in his room. Were the days literally long? Know the rotation speed of planets compared to Corellia's was not a talent of the aged Jedi. Regardless of the literal length of days, they were full nonetheless. His mornings often started early with training new initiates. Then he'd eat with some knights, hearing their stories and encouraging them to stay strong. In the afternoon and evening was either more training, or meeting with other masters. Tarnit would then read over different material that needed a master's eyes before retiring to his room for the night.

This morning was a bit slower. He'd awoken slightly earlier to make sure of it. He sat, staring out of the one window in his apartment, sipping steaming caf, and occasionally his eyes would scan down to the datapad he had, catching up on the Coronet-Times and CNN. It had been weeks since he had a slow morning, and he was soaking in every moment he could.

But good things don't last forever. Getting dressed in his typical dark pants, black shirt, jacket and tactical belt (because why would anyone ever be without a tactical belt?) Tarnit strode into hallway. Today marked the official start to Saionelle's training (@TheBeta ). Tarnit had sent word to the initiate the day before that they would be meeting in training room four at nine in the morning. Tarnit wasn't one to be late, and he arrived at 8:45.

The room was a large open space, with a large circle in the middle indicating a dueling ring. Along the perimeter walls were large windows through which could be seen the rest of the Jedi compound. Tarnit took his jacket off, and setting it down on a bench, also retrieved two large wooden sticks from a stand. They were about the size of an average lightsaber, but considerably heavier.

He then made his way to the middle of the room and stretched, waiting for Sai to arrive.

 

[TheBeta]

Saionelle had been at the Dantoine Temple for a few days now. It was quiet. He wasn’t used to such rural areas. He wasn’t used to being able to hear the birds sing throughout the day. He’s never heard the crickets sing throughout the night. It was, for no other way to describe it, silent and loud. For all the silence of the country, there were no sounds of speeders howling by, there were no sounds of blaster shots in the night, there were no broken bottles from late night drunks at the cantinas. Furthermore, there was no chill through the park benches or wherever else Saionelle found himself sleeping for the night. He had a bed to sleep in now.

And despite how silent it ended up being, there was always something nearly unbearably loud. It was the silence that augmented those few sounds to make them so powerful throughout the night. How was he able to sleep with such loud noises penetrating him, radiating through him? It was hard for him, and Saionelle found himself a bit deprived of sleep. He had far too much time to think and mull over his current position in the Galaxy. He didn’t find himself speaking to the other Jedi much either. For all intents and purposes, he was alone here, just him and the crickets.

The only person Saionelle felt comfortable around was actually the one that had sent him a message to meet him for some training. He hadn’t even had the opportunity to do any real training thus far; Things just seemed too impersonal, and he didn’t know where to go to get accepted into any groups. It was hard being the new kid and not being sought after to train with. Thankfully, Taddler sought after him. It made Saionelle eager to meet him the next day.

Saionelle had been observing the other students spar and use the Force the past few days not actually participating. It was foreign despite the fact that he was familiar with it enough now. It was one thing to see, but another to do. Now, he found himself in the same sparring platform, in front of Taddler, at exactly 9am.

Saionelle fell to one knee in front of Taddler. It wasn’t until that exact moment that he realized that his analysis of Taddler was that he wasn’t the type to be comfortable with someone kneeling before him. However, it was too late for that, and Sai merely owned up to his mistake.

“Master Taddler,” Saionelle addressed him. He didn’t have a lightsaber with him nor any armor, and he could only assume what he was brought there for.

 

[jamessour]

Tarnit smiled warmly as Saionelle approached, and chuckled as the initiate knelt in front of him. Shifting both sticks to his left hand, he offered Saionelle his right hand, to help him stand up. "Please, Saionelle, call me Tarnit."

After helping the initiate up he would adjust his stance. He was curious about this man, and he also felt slightly bad for having waited several days before starting training. Though, perhaps it would just help Saionelle relax and focus; it was always better to start the study of the force from relaxation rather than choas. "How are you settling in? I know the transition to a rather mundane life here at a Jedi Stronghold can be..." a smirk flashed on Tarnit's lips, "a bit ordinary for some of us."

@TheBeta

 

[TheBeta]

Saionelle felt embarrassed at his mistake as he grabbed his hand. His amusement seemed to both help and make him feel all the more embarrassed. More than anything else, he felt confused as to how to react to him. He wanted to chuckle, but he found it difficult in his current position, and instead plastered a faux smile instead.

Sai couldn’t help but to notice the poles in his hand as he was helped up. Admittedly, he was somewhat disappointed not to be dealing with the real thing, but all together, he knew the reason that a lightsaber would be out of his reach currently, and he would adhere to that reasoning. Clapping his hands against his knuckles, some dust dried his hands as Tarnit asked him how his stay was thus far.

Of ‘course though, Sai didn’t want to let him know that he didn’t enjoy the place and how foreign an atmosphere it held. During the day, he was an outcast and during the evening, it seemed like the entire planet itself was focused entirely on him. These extremes were taking a toll on him, but even so, he was managing just fine to keep his thoughts to himself. He didn’t want to offend the only person that seemed to make him feel like he was not an outcast, “I admit it is a foreign experience, but in time, I am sure I will be used to it.”

Saionelle eyed the poles, knowing that one of them was for him, but throughout his entire life, he had learned that no one can be trusted, only that he could feel someone. This certainly didn’t exclude a stranger, kind, but one he’d only just met a few days ago. For him to have weapons and Saionelle to not, it put him on edge, and much like an animal was, Beta was weary. If Tarnit was watching carefully enough, he would have even noticed that Saionelle didn’t face him with his chest, only his face. Instead, his body would be turned to the side in a natural stance to make himself a smaller target. What would appear t be fidgeting in his forward hand raised would in fact simply be an excuse for his arm to be all the closer to defend himself against a surprise attack. And finally, Saionelle would be leaning his weight backwards, making him easily capable of pulling away if something should go wrong.

All the while though, Sai would look Tarnit in the eyes, tracing them as the pupils observed the Jedi Initiate. Saionelle would know if he noticed him in such a stance, and the thought briefly crossed his mind if it was weird for someone to be so calm in a situation where they were so clearly on edge and fully prepared for anything to go wrong. Still though, Saionelle couldn’t help himself, it was the Beta in him that did that. To distrust everyone, to believe that anything could go wrong no matter how unlikely, to simply prepare for the worst and hope for the best. It was merely that the Beta felt that Tarnit was fully capable of killing someone, even another Jedi, though he didn’t know why he would do that nor why he would think something of a man so inviting.

 

[jamessour]

Tarnit's eyes did notice Saionelle's body language. Tarnit worked with CorSec quite extensively, and he was quick to notice subtle changes. However, Tarnit was not caught off guard that Saionelle was defensive, in fact he quite expected it. There had been some talk of only accepting children as initiates, but Tarnit was against it. While it was an easy way out - some of the best jedi he had known were accepted into the order as adults.

Tarnit nodded as Saionelle responded. "In truth, I'm not sure I've ever gotten fully used to it - and I grew up in a temple." Stepping back, Tarnit switched one stick to his right hand and flourished it. "But, we aren't here today to talk - we are here to start your training. If I remember back to a few days ago, you seemed rather captivated with lightsabers." Switching the stick back to his off hand, he snatched his saber hilt off his belt. With a flick of the switch, the saber crackled to life, and it's silver blade emerged. It was a simple hilt, with a simple blade. Just like Tarnit, rather simple.

"For generations, Jedi have been guardians of peace and justice. When possible, we do so without aggression. But often, we are forced to use force to defend those who need assistance. Lightsabers have been weapons of choice the Jedi. Powered with kyber crystals, the saber itself reverberates with the force." He switched it off and replace it to his belt.

"But before we give you a blade, we need to train you with a stick." Tarnit expected this to slightly frustrate the initiate, which was good. He dropped one of the sticks to the ground.

"Pick up your weapon." At the same down, Tarnit used the force to hold the stick to the ground, he wouldn't release it unless Saionelle used the force to lift the stick, but of course, Tarnit wouldn't tell him that yet.

@TheBeta

 

[TheBeta]

The Beta was no stranger to weaponry in general. Wooden poles, knives, even blasters, they were all a staple in his former home. Where it was kill or be killed, Saionelle learned to weild whatever he could, even if it were mere sticks and stones. The wooden pole in Tarnit's hand whooshed around unspectactularly. Flashy at best was what Sai could describe it as. It didn't seem functional, a party trick, and likely impressive to anyone who hasn't held a weapon of the sort. However, the stick was certainly shorter than the Bo Staff that Saionelle was more familiar with. Logically, the lesser surface area to work with made it an inferior weapon to a staff, but Sai wasn't unfamiliar with the intention. It was merely a teaching tool.

Saionelle only had the oportunity to view others weilding their lightsabers since coming to the temple, and even still, he knew they were dangerous to weild. He's seen the colorful weapons cleave through a multitude of surfaces, leaving burn marks in its wake, providing proof of its malignant nature. Even if he didn't get to weild the dangerous weapon so soon, he was happy to have the oportunity within reach, even if he had to work through the ladder. Admittedly, as entranced as he was with the swords of light, he was in no hurry to injur himself.

It was when Tarnit brandished the very same flourished display the lightsaber that Sai found himself surprised that he was impressed by the very same moves that seemed very unimpressive with the wooden stick. Even so, the relation between the two seemedto cheapen the effect of awe the lightsaber wouldhave had on its own. At least the comparison made the task of adjusting to a weapon as dangerous less daunting. However, something bothered Sai when Tarnit deactivated his lightsaber.

Tarnit observed the wooden stick being tossed to the ground, kicking up a bit of residual dust from the ground in a puff as he felt that he could no longer contain the question, "I admit that the lightsaber is quite the weapon Tarnit, but before coming to the Temple, I never thought of lightsabers when thinking of Jedi. It is the Force I thought about. Is it not true that the greatest weapon of the Jedi is the Force? If what I understand of the Force is correct, such a powerful source of energy would well outmatch any lightsaber. Infinite reaching, infinitely binding, infinitely potent, and even infinitely guiding, it seems that there would potentially be an infinite source of this Force in the Galaxy if every living being is bound by it. How could a Jedi ever need another weapon when a skill in something so extreme could be refined? Is there any greater a weapon the Jedi weild?"

It wasn't like Sai didn't want to learn to use a lightsaber, but from the basis of logic, it made perfect sense to him. If the Force was everywhere and bound all living beings, there was sure to be a negligibly endless supply of energy in the Force, and with so few capable of even sensing this energy, it would seem as if this endless source of energy was far more potent a weapon than any other weapon could be. No star ship or blaster could compare to the power available in the Force even in a single planet, and especially no lightsaber could compare to it. It simply didn't seem as if he could ever even rnu out of that kind of energy.

In fact, as to what he has found throughout the past few days was that the Force was limitted to only what the mind could conjure. With something so vastly intricate, it wold take even more than a lifetime to explore the full extent of such a weapon. In fact, the Froce appeared to be the ultimate weapon.

Even so, Sai was in fact very much willing to learn to use the lightsaber. He could never deny that there was something to the weapon that was alluring to him, so when the prospect of learning to use one arose in the form of simply bending over to pick up his tool, he almost failed to feel the Force around him, or at least he didn't know what it was exactly that changed around him, but something seemed... wrong.

Sai was half way through bending ove to pick it up, ever vigilent of Tarnit to ensure that it was no trick to put him into a far less defendable position, making him vulnerable to attack, when he slowed. He didnt need to see the stick to pick it up. He knew where it was, not through the Force, but from first wtching where it had fallen. It was the closer his hand got to it, the more he felt it, how the weapon radiated. It was ill intent, and he didnt recognize it as the will of the Force being exterted upon it. It was mrely the feeling he'd listened to his entire life. In regards to people, upcoming events such as ambushes, and other simple things, this was the feeling he got when thongs didn't quite seem right. He felt wary, and the concern would clearly be visible in his face as his eyes deepened, his eye brows closer to gether, look on his face was nearly that of betrayal as he looked back at Tarnit. Saionelle even held his breath. He knew something was coming.

Sai soon found himself once more in a position like that of kneeling to a Master. His fingers ran across the edge of the stick, but as he tried to gently slip them underneath, he was prevented. The weapon was steadfast in the dust as if frozen there. He froze, realizing that it wasn't his imagination nor a failure to navigate his environment. This was the trick, and Sai's face softened ever so slightly in hopes that this was his betrayal, but the Beta knew that his efforts would be futile. Instead, he calculated, judging his options, hesitating to move until Tarnit did. Saionelle's thoughts weren't even considering the attempt to force nis fingers beneath the stick on the ground.
@jamessour