Open Yavin IV The Greatest Teacher, Failure is

[Zerath Eblon]

OOC note: Open to Jedi and their allies
​

Zerath Eblon knew that he had failed. He had been one of the defenders on Lothal- perhaps the defense's best chance at victory over the Mandalorians- and he had found himself outmaneuvered by the invaders. Now, the storied planet lay under the heel of the Mandalorians, who had appeared with nothing less than an invasion force. Zerath felt responsible for the loss of the planet. Worse, Senator Cal Starros lay dead; killed defending his homeworld. Zerath felt responsible for that, too.

Exactly how he'd managed to slip away in the aftermath of the battle was still somewhat of a mystery to the Jedi Knight. His lightsaber had been taken, but otherwise he had been left alone- not even detained. Either the Mandalorians didn't know what to do with him, or there had been so many bodies that they didn't bother to check. Given the chaotic aftermath of what had clearly been a bloody invasion, Zerath feared that the truth was closer to the second outcome.

Now, a couple weeks later, the Jedi Knight had returned to Yavin IV. He'd shared his account of the battle with the Council, and his body had more or less healed. His spirit, on the other hand, was burdened by the loss of the planet and its people; the pleading face of the mother killed in cold blood was visiting his dreams far more often than he cared to admit. Another person he had failed.

Try as he might, Zerath couldn't change the past. He could also do little about the present, so he put his focus on the future; the future of the Order and, so he believed, the future of the galaxy. Spurred on by the advice of the Council he reported to, Zerath had reluctantly agreed to teach a pop-up class on fighting Mandalorians- the very task he himself had failed at. Now, surveying the attendees who numbered a little more than a dozen, Zerath did his best to not let his self-doubts get the better of him. There were lessons to be learned in every situation, especially losses. But had he learned anything of value to pass on?


"Welcome."

 

[Elidan]

The fall of Lothal to the Mandalorians and the attempt of the Sith to invade Yavin IV showed that the wars in the Galaxy were becoming worse. A new enemy of the Order appeared, one that required new ways of fighting to deal with them.

Recently, Jedi Knight Zerath Eblon, one of the participants of the defense of Lothal, had organized a class to train Padawans to fight against the Mandalorians. Elidan had decided to participate in it. Even with him already having a Master, the boy still likes to learn from other Jedi. For him, each one had a different style of teaching and all of them could be useful for his development as a Jedi.

However, the other reason for the Padawan wanting to participate in this class was due to him wanting to be useful for the Order. He never went into a battle before and when it inevitably happened, Elidan wanted to be prepared. The Jedi were his family and he wanted to protect it.

When he arrived at the place where the classes were going to happen, Elidan saw that only Knight Eblon was there. He noticed that the man was wearing a blindfold and became uncertain of how he should interact with him. Thinking that the other Jedi could have Force sight, the Padawan used sign language. “Hello, Master Eblon. I’m Padawan Elidan and I came for the class.”

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

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Would he ever actually manage to arrive on time to one of these things? At least this time he had a decent excuse, with his forearm in a brace and leg in a cast. He really hoped that this was going to be force-based training; he couldn't exactly fight anyone right now, unless the instructor didn't mind him beating someone with his crutch. In any case, he'd arrive-- only to find that, as expected, the class was starting without him.

"Pardon my intrusion, but I was told that a class was being hosted today, no?" He called, slowly hobbling inside. He hadn't recognized the name of the instructor when he'd first read the memo, but he immediately recognized the blind, darker skinned humanoid from across the room. "...oh." He muttered, glancing away before his gaze refocused on another one of his peers that he recognized-- that being the knife eared ginger he'd trained with a few months ago.

"Maybe Alex and Eph will show up to, get tha 'ole gang'av Jedi Ai know while Ai'm at it." He thought to himself, hobbling over to join the other students. "Forgive me for the, um, tardiness, but as you can see I'm not exactly the most mobile right now." He called over to the instructor, slowly sitting down in an open chair. "I imagine that I'm here for the same reason you are though-- correct me if I'm wrong." He stated, reclining backwards.

He... hadn't been in a friendly mood since returning. That would be putting it mildly; he'd been a cynical prick ever since returning. Zerath's presence couldn't make it any worse-- his mind had been hype fixated on all that had happened, so the presence of another who'd fought made no difference. Laeonas was here to improve-- to make himself stronger, so that what happened would never happen again. It was a simple desire... though it wasn't entirely pure in it's motives.

​

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@SlagathorTheUnknown @LouJoVi

 

[Zerath Eblon]

Zerath nodded and favored Elidan with his trademark smile; it would be a while until he didn't feel like he was faking that. The Jedi Knight had seen the boy around from time to time, but hadn't interacted with him much. The Padawan seemed the type to prefer solitude, so Zerath had been careful not to infringe on that. Furthermore, Zerath's sign language was adequate only for simple greetings, so there was a further communication gulf between the two. The Knight was, however, pleased to see that Elidan had decided to join the class; he didn't have to worry that the boy was fully withdrawing from the temple community.

Having exchanged introductions with a few other attendees- mostly Padawans, but also a smattering of Knights- Zerath was about to begin his lesson when he was interrupted by a bandaged figure who Zerath recognized as one of his fellow Jedi from the Lothal defense; Laeonas Tannaras had arrived.

The Mirulakan was careful to keep his face from betraying his thoughts as he listened to the man speak. Laeo was older than him by a couple of years, yet here Zerath was- expected to instruct him. The Padawan was... conflicted... to put it nicely, and while there was no doubt that he was growing in power, Zerath wondered if the man's maturity was also growing to match. Laeo's statement about their motives for being here, however, piqued Zerath's interest.

"And what reason would that be?" he asked mildly, politely turning his head to face the Padawan. It was, he hoped, a harmless question- perhaps it might even help him transition into the lesson- but Laeo's presence had surprised him and he was curious why the man would choose to attend his class.

@Tom @LouJoVi

 

[Jaysen Torra]

As Jaysen walked towards the class, his mind wandered to a past event. For a moment, a green girl stood next to him, as they talked about the importance of self-defense. Jaysen had been arguing that if a person attacked first, no matter the cause, they were always wrong. Melo’ia had argued that in some cases it was morally correct to strike first. The padawan took a ragged breath and slowly let it out, as he tried to bring himself back to center. How long after the fact would he hold onto her death?


His hands reached up and he played with the kyber crystals that hung from his neck. Gently they rolled around his fingers until the moment he entered the classroom. The young man’s green eyes looked over the others in the room and he gave a gentle smile as he pulled close to the knight who would teach the class. During Yavin he had evacuated with the others rather than fight. It tugged at his heart, made it ache. Jay no longer wanted to be helpless. The difference between training and experience was immense and he knew it. Even failure, especially failure, could teach you how not to fall into the same traps once again.


He nodded his head to Elidan, Laeonas, and Zerath. “My utmost apologies for being late.” The boy’s voice was soft and gentle as he tried to make himself comfortable. Tongue moistened his lips as he folded his arms. Doubt swarmed him, but there was only one cure for it that Jay knew of, and that was to do.
@SlagathorTheUnknown @Tom @LouJoVi

 

[Elidan]

Elidan returned Zerath’s smile with another. The Padawan wondered if the man’s smile was real or if he was trying to force himself to do it. He had heard about the things that happened during the conquest of Lothal by the Mandalorians, how this Jedi Knight was among the defenders that were defeated, failing to stop the invasion of the planet. Such events could have left some negative impacts on him.

Then, another padawan arrived for the class. Elidan recognized him from another class that he participated in. His name was Laeonas and from what the boy had heard, the man also participated in the Battle of Lothal. This explains why he had a brace and a cast. The boy still thought it was strange to have someone so old being called Padawan. He knew that there were others like him, but it was still a bit strange.

After giving the dark haired man a wave, he watched in silence the exchange of words between Laeonas and Zerath. Elidan didn’t need to be a Knight to feel that the older Padawan had some internal conflict. The boy wondered if it could be related to what happened to them in Lothal.

When another padawan arrived, Elidan nodded at him. This class was going to have more people than what he had expected, with many other Jedi wanting to fight the Mandalorians. Hopefully this would make them be prepared for when the Mandalorians decide to attack another planet.

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

If the Miralukan had any thoughts on Laeonas' arrival, he didn't make it obvious. Admittedly that was fairly easy when half your face was bound up in rags, but that was besides the point. Regardless, Laeonas would try to catch any signs of the man's body language, searching for a sense of unease or apprehension that would let him know he should course correct from this angle of conversation. Yet the knight betrayed nothing-- but he may as well have been giving away everything.

Laeonas stopped walking for a moment, the tip of his crutch hitting the floor with a thwack. He stood still, staring across to look at his fellow Jedi. He let the question hang in the air for a few seconds, allowing the tension to build for a bit. "I thought it was obvious." He would mutter, before he started walking again. "I don't like getting my ass kicked, so we're here ta figure out ways ta make th'at less likely ta 'appen tha next time we run into those beskar clad barbarians, ayy?" He added, the veneer of humor and civility breaking a little as emotion filtered into his voice.

He'd stop himself again, standing still before he took a long, deep breathe. "...that was a bit much. Lost my composure for a moment." He muttered, not looking the Miralukan in the "eye" as he said it. "In all seriousness... I want to... better myself... so that I can be of better use in the defense of our order and it's allies. It seems that every few months, some new terror attacks the galaxy, more planets fall to our enemies, and more people die in this... insane war." He explained, letting out a long, drawn out sigh.

"We're supposed to protect the galaxy-- we're supposed to be strong. If our enemies keep getting stronger, we need to get stronger with them. Otherwise it'll only get worse." He declared, getting his thoughts out in as sanitized a way as he could. The man couldn't be... wholly honest about his desires. Couldn't admit the strongest reason for why he wanted to be stronger. He wasn't supposed to feel the way he did towards those who'd wronged him-- not anymore.

So he hid behind the growing sense of genuine altruism in his heart, to hide the more selfish reasons for why he wanted to make it easier to put his enemies in the ground.

​

​

@SlagathorTheUnknown @LouJoVi

 

[Zerath Eblon]

Zerath politely nodded to the human (@Woosher) to show that there was nothing to apologize for. The lesson hadn't truly begun, and the timing of Jaysen's arrival was such that the boy wouldn't miss the first teaching moment; Zerath's response to Laeonas. The Jedi Knight frowned slightly despite himself while the older Padawan's answer journeyed from an attempt at humor, to selflessness, before finally ending on a dangerous note; the pursuit of power.

"Padawan Tannaras (@Tom) is correct" he began, "that my reasoning for teaching this class is to pass on the lessons we have learned in our most recent battles against the Mandalorians. This class will cover the general known capabilities of the Mandalorians, and together we will explore countermeasures and suggested tactics if you have to face them."

The Mirulakan paused to gather his thoughts; there was more from Laeo's answer that deserved to be addressed. "What this class will not do" he continued after a moment, "is make you more powerful." Seeing some confused looks from the assembly, he elaborated. "As Jedi, the Force is our ally; it flows within us and through us, so you already have all the power you need." Zerath's "gaze" hovered over Laeonas, allowing the words to sink in, before turning to Elidan (@LouJoVi). "What I can do is teach you different ways of using it, and offer suggestions should you find yourself in battle against a Mandalorian." Hopefully he'd addressed that point clearly enough. Seeking power was, in Zerath's opinion, a perilous path, and he made a mental note to keep an eye on one Laeonas Tannaras for the duration of the lesson... and perhaps beyond.

Time to begin the lesson in earnest. Zerath raised his voice and glanced around the group to signal his first question. "Who can tell me one of the advantages that Mandalorians have over Jedi?" A simple question that would both test his students' knowledge of the subject matter as well as their critical thinking skills.

 

[Elidan]

Elidan paid close attention to what Laeonas had said to Master Eblon. While he agreed that the mission of the Jedi was to protect the citizens of the Galaxy, stopping the Mandalorians of spreading their terror in other planets, the boy felt that there was something off on the older Padawan’s speach. The way that he said how the Jedi needed to be stronger didn’t seem right.

Since he was a youngling, Elidan was taught that the search for power was dangerous. While Laeonas could have meant this in a selfless way, he worded his phrase in a way that made the boy feel uncomfortable. It seemed that he wanted to pursue power only to subdue his enemies. This could be some paranoia on his part, but Elidan had decided that he should be careful around this man.

Then, Master Eblon started the class. The first thing that the Miralukan did was to voice his opinion about power. It was very similar to Elidan’s opinion. The Force was already the greatest ally of the Jedi, being always disponible to help them. They only needed to learn how to ask for its assistance.

When the Miralukan Jedi made a question, Elidan quickly raised his hand. This time he decided to type his answer on the Datapad and use its robotic voice to pass what he was wanting to say. “They have armors made of beskar, which is resistant to the hits of a lightsaber.”

@SlagathorTheUnknown @Tom @Woosher

 

[Jaysen Torra]

Jay closed his eyes as a wave of emotions passed over him. He took a deep ragged breath and slowly let it out. He was nervous, while he had gone through a lifetime of training, this was the first time he attempted to learn with the ACTIVE intent to get into combat. Hands quickly reached up to grab the crystals around his neck for comfort once more. Crystalline green eyes opened once more to look at the Knight in front of the class. Of course, he wanted power. But the teacher was correct, the Force had already given them everything they needed, they just needed to be able to put it into action.


Power for power’s sake was pointlessness. What he wanted, was to be brave enough to stand against an overwhelming enemy, to fall if that was required of him. To be that thin line that allowed a child to sleep soundly at night. The one who fought so that others didn’t have to. Yet, that thought still terrified him. The boy licked his lips and shifted a bit.


At the question he froze up and a million thoughts went through his head at once. Endless books, tactics manuals, history papers and the like that he had studied cascaded across his mind. Conflicting emotions of confidence in his answer mixed with not honestly wanting to stand out flooded his mind he slowly raised his hand to answer.


With ragged breath, he spoke. “It isn’t any singular one thing. It’s numbers with the capacity to easily gain more of them without having to wait for birth to produce more. It’s tactics, technologies and mindsets aimed at hunting other living beings, particularly force users that have been honed over millennia, and finally, a flexible moral compass that allows them to do almost anything in their power to win. In short, what makes them dangerous to us, is the very concept of being Mandalorian.”


With that mini-speech finished, he coughed nervously and took a step back.

@SlagathorTheUnknown @Tom @LouJoVi

 

[Zerath Eblon]

"Beskar, yes." Zerath nodded approvingly at the answer, refusing to react any differently to the robotic voice as he would to a spoken one. Elidan's disability would not get in the way of him being included in this class.

Zerath was about to clarify his question further when a human padawan- Jaysen, the Jedi Knight remembered- gave a somewhat long-winded answer about the virtues of being a Mandalorian. Zerath listened patiently, nodding slightly as the boy concluded. "And Jaysen is correct as well; Mandalorains are warriors by religion and they have often been in conflict with out Order."

Despite the two different (and correct) answers, Zerath noted that the class still hadn't listed a couple of things that would be important for them to know. He gave a few more seconds for contemplation before once again addressing the group. "Remember also that perhaps their greatest advantage in a local fight is their mobility- Mandalorians almost always have jetpacks, which allows them to choose their battles and control the engagement much easier than we can. It also means that we must be prepared for attacks from multiple approaches."

It wasn't a popular admission, and Zerath felt bad for laying bare the massive tactical disadvantage that the Jedi faced. However, it was an important point to make so that the Jedi who were present could grasp the reality of the battles they faced. "We will cover both offensive and defensive measures in today's class, and we will start with the defensive measures. Has anyone here created a Force Barrier before?"



OOC Note: I'm thinking I'll post a little faster and "interrupt" the posting order to simulate Zerath moving around and interacting with various individuals. Training can progress as quickly or slowly as you wish for your character. @Tom @LouJoVi @Woosher

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

Tension. The delayed response from the knight let Laeonas' words hang in the air, the absence of words allowing them to seep in. He could feel the emotions of his fellow Padawans; their uncertainty, their discomfort. He'd frightened them with a mere suggestion. Was that enough to leave these people shaken? Laeonas had memorized the Jedi code, repeated it again and again like a mantra-- he understood why what he said might not jive perfectly with Jedi teachings. But ultimately, the result would be their ultimate goal-- the protection of life.

Than, Zerath spoke. He spoke about how they would prepare should they encounter the Mandalorians again. He spoke about how they'd learn countermeasures, strategies-- all things that would give them a better framework in fighting them. Laeonas had gone through the scenario dozens of times in his own head after he'd started recovering. He thought about how his use of Form IV wasn't ideal against multiple, blaster armed opponents. He thought about how fighting in an open space had put him at a serious disadvantage. Yet in so many different scenarios, he went down for the simple reason that his strength in the force wasn't great enough.

That Zarath would add that they weren't going to try and become more powerful-- and that, further, they had all the power they needed-- left Laeonas dumbfounded. It was an outright lie-- if Laeonas had had a greater control over the force, he could've flung the entire cart at the Mandalorian he'd been fighting. His reflexes might've been quick enough to parry many of the blaster bolts that had hit him. That tear he'd done against the Mandalorian's leg might've been strong enough to burst his arteries.

Laeonas hadn't lost a fight against a non force user since he was eight. Learning how to use it in a fight had given him such an overwhelming advantage against most opponents that it wasn't even a contest. Ofcourse, fighting untrained teenagers and two bit gangsters with the force on his side was a bit overkill, but the result had always been victory. Yet against the Mandalorians, he'd barely been able to knock out one for a bit before being overwhelmed by blaster fire. It was an upset of the power dynamics he'd come to expect-- and he hated it.

He didn't bother answering the questions about the Mandalorian advantages. He didn't bother mentioning that he had enough beskar to outfit half a dozen men in full armor. It was irrelevant, and frankly, he didn't want them to know. It was when Zarath responded that Laeonas finally piped up, adding, "So the most effective way to fight them is to restrict their mobility." Saying it less as a question, and more as a state of fact. It had been his opponent's distance and mobility that had made it so difficult to defeat him. Had they been locked in close quarters, the fight's result may have turned out completely different.

"Nope." He responded to the question, though he couldn't help but feel a smirk tugging at his lips. This would certainly be a useful technique. A force barrier was mobile cover-- exactly what would be needed in a fight against Mandalorians.

​

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@SlagathorTheUnknown @LouJoVi

 

[Elidan]

The answer that Jayden had given to Zerath’s question, made Elidan reflect about it. All the holobooks that he read about the Mandalorians said that they were violent warmongers, with their culture being one of barbarians. He wondered if it was this cultural savagery that made them such fearsome adversaries to the Jedi Order.

Then, the Knight said that beyond the beskar and their culture, the jetpacks used by the Mandalorian also gave them an advantage over the Jedi. Indeed, this allowed them much more mobility than the Jedi had. Even with the use of the Force, it was difficult for them to fight against a target that could fly.

Laeonas was right. When fighting a Mandalorian, they needed to target their jetpack. This would take down their mobility, making the fight remain in the ground. This way, the Jedi would be able to concentrate on finding a way to pass through the armor of beskar and defeat these warriors.

After hearing Zerath’s new question, Elidan quickly signed his answer. “No, I never used a Force barrier before.” he had only read about it. This ability was useful for the Jedi to defend themselves. Learning it would be good for them to have another defense against the Mandalorians.

@SlagathorTheUnknown @Woosher @Tom

 

[Zerath Eblon]

Zerath was grateful for his blindfold, which served to hide his eyebrows narrowing in response to Laeonas' comments about going on the offensive. "We will talk about offensive tactics in a bit" he replied, a touch of finality in his tone that he hoped would quash further comments from the human. Laeonas was correct in his assessment, and Zerath intended to discuss some offensive measures soon, but this wasn't Laeo's class to teach. A flash of movement caught his eye as Elidan signed something, and Zerath understood the sign for "no".

"A Force Barrier is a nigh-impenetrable application of the Force that can protect you from physical dangers, such as flames or blaster bolts. It can be difficult to sustain for long periods, so it is best used when facing overwhelming firepower. On Lothal, I used it to withstand a flamethrower attack."

Zerath paused and briefly manifested a Force Barrier, which appeared like a shimmering blue dome surrounding him on all sides. "Its other weakness, besides its high stamina requirement, is that it is not very mobile. If you manage to create one today, you may find yourself rooted in one place."

It was, Zerath conceded, a defensive cocoon; it wouldn't win any fights, but if it saved a life or two over the course of the coming battles then this lesson was already worth it. "Just as our connection to the Force is strongest when we are able to focus clearly, I find that creating a Force Barrier is easiest when I think of a time when I felt secure and safe." Tapping into one's emotions and memories wasn't exactly kosher per the Old Republic Jedi teachings, but this was not the old Jedi Order.

"Spread out so that you have space to try this, and do not be discouraged if your first few attempts do not work."

With that, the Knight would wander slowly around the practice area, giving advice and words of encouragement to the practicioners.


OOC: Please roll a d20 on Discord for your success. DC is 12, and on a 16 or higher your character can take slow steps around the practice area

@LouJoVi @Tom @Woosher

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

"Nigh impenetrable." He repeated to himself, blinking a few times as the fancy words were repeated again and again in his head. "That means penetrable only sometimes, right?" He'd ask, masking his genuine lack of knowledge with a veneer of sarcasm. Thinking about the description, the man wasn't sure if such a technique fit his fighting style whatsoever. Ever since he'd been tossing rocks at people in his teen years, movement was always a key component in any engagement.

Regardless, he could easily see the merits in the technique. In a situation where he was pinned down, that kind of defense could be the difference between life and death. How much longer could he have lasted against the Mandalorians on Dantooine if he'd had such a defensive bubble? "...not th'at much longer." He answered, recognizing that they would've just kept up their attacks until the barrier broke or he collapsed in exhaustion. Still, there were countless other times in his life where a "nigh impenetrable" shield would've been really karking useful.

"Secure and safe" were words that... didn't really describe most of the man's memories. Even going back to his childhood, the man could remember the times he'd hide under his mothworn blankets to the sound of blasterfire a few blocks away, with police sirens and shouting soon following. There were times when he knew he was secure and safe; times when he'd been alone on his ship. But since Firrerre, there hadn't been a single night where he could be certain that everything wouldn't come crashing down around him.

"Well, I think it'll be quite easy to find thoughts of safety and security on a dangerous battlefied." He muttered, hobbling a few steps back and towards the corner of the room. The man would stand for a few seconds, closing his eyes and stretching out with his mind. He could feel the life around them; the other padawans, learning, Zerath himself teaching (and admittedly, doing an alright job) and his own self. They felt so much... lighter in the force than his own heart, weighed down by years of indulging in petty cruelties and acts of violence and malice.

How lucky they were.

The man would begin to draw on his memories, as Zerath had instructed. He thought of moments with Ephiny, in the gardens locked in meditation, or in the libraries, reading over all those pointless fucking tomes about the history of the midrim from 17500-16000 BBY. He thought of his mother, singing him little songs to him while he babbled along, coming into his room at night to hold him tight while the blasterfights went on outside. Even in a life as tumultuous as his, there were moments. Moments of peace, of safety and tranquility.

But the moment he tried to manifest the barrier, it all came crashing down.

It was sudden at first; a feeling that hadn't hit his skull in years. But he could recognize it the moment it hit him

Throb. Throb.

Throb.


​

The images of his mother swaddling him were replaced with her yelling at him, screeching as he drunkenly slurred curses back, blood still trailing down his temple from a blow he'd had in the fight at the tavern. Thoughts of Ephiny and his teacher were pulled not to their moments cooking together, but to his time in the medical ward, where he'd gone on a mad rant trying to justify killing those who'd voted the Sith back into power on Felucia. The barrier fizzled out, and Laeonas would collapse hyperventilating as he scrambled back against the walls, eyes bloodshot.

​

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@SlagathorTheUnknown @LouJoVi @Woosher

 

[Elidan]

Elidan paid close attention to Master Eblon’s explanation about the Force Barrier. While the Padawan had heard about this ability, he never learned how to do it. Being able to create a nigh-impenetrable shield to protect himself was something very useful during a battle. He wondered if someone could also use it to protect other individuals that were close

When Zerath finished the explanation, Elidan started to think about how he was going to do it. Thinking about being secure and safe like how the Miralukan had said could be useful, but how was he going to do it? What made him feel at peace and safe to concentrate to make it? He only used to empty his mind, never doing something more than that.

While the Padawan was thinking about it, he didn’t pay much attention to Laeonas struggling to make the Force Barrier fall. Only when the older man collapsed on the ground was that the half-Sephi turned to look at him. Elidan saw how the man’s eyes were red, showing that he was crying. He wondered if the guy was fine.

Deciding that he should try it, Elidan closed his eyes. He tried to find the moment that he felt more safe, but without much success. Then, he remembered that time back on the clearing with Ruzaan, when he had the nightmare about what happened in Ajan Kloss. It was painful, but the hug that the Togruta gave him after he woke up, made the half-Sephi feel so safe.

The half-Sephi focused on this feeling, remembering how Ruzaan’s presence had calmed him down. While he was still with eyes closed, Elidan didn’t notice how a Force Barrier had started to appear around him.

@SlagathorTheUnknown @Tom @Woosher

 

[Zerath Eblon]

Zerath had started to circle clockwise around the class, giving advice and encouragement. He noted with some satisfaction that Elidan (@LouJoVi) was able to manifest a Force Barrier, before stopping suddenly and making a beeline for Laeonas. The Mirulakan's normally upbeat countenance had turned grave, and he stopped just before Laeonas, crouching down in front of the panicking Padawan.

"Laeonas. Focus on my voice."

Zerath wasn't exactly certain what was going on with Laeo, but it was clear that the lesson had gone awry. Laeo didn't need an instructor right now; in Zerath's opinion he needed a steadying presence.

"Laeonas, listen to me."

Hopefully the Padawan could still hear him. Zerath wasn't about to push into Laeo's mind and risk harming the man further, but he was going to do his best to communicate with the man.

"Laeonas, your failures do not define who you are. You are more than your mistakes."

The speech was eerily similar to the mantra that Zerath had adopted for his own use since the fall of Lothal; it had been somewhat helpful, and perhaps Laeo could use the reminder as well.

@Tom @Woosher

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

Why did it hurt so much? To look inward, to try and find peace. This never happened when he tried to meditate, never happened when he was out on a jog, lifting things with his head-- hell, even heal, lousy as he was at it. Why the kark had he been cursed to react like this? To shrink away and let his fears and anguish dominate him, in the face of trying to master this technique? These thoughts took up the only space left in his skull that wasn't dominated by the overwhelming emotion running through him.

Than, he came to his side. That Jedi, Zerath-- that man who'd be dead if the Mandalorian he'd left him to had taken the shot properly. Now here he was, comforting him as he lay crumpled up against the wall. What was it he felt now, this ache in his chest that intensified his disgust? Why did he keep thinking back to that moment on Lothal-- where he'd chosen to let the man die if it meant he could punish the mandalorians? What kind of man sacrificed his comrades so callously?

What kind of Jedi did?

The words hit his mind, and he let out a groan, looking up at Zerath as he started to speak. While Laeonas had abandoned him, the knight was now consoling him. While Laeonas had been stewing in anger, Zerath had taken the time to recover, and to help make the Jedi stronger. The older human couldn't help but choke up a little, eyes puffed up before he pushed his hands up into them. "...Ai'm sorry..." he muttered to Zerath. Not for this failure-- not for failing in combat on Lothal-- but for failing to live up to what he was supposed to be.

The man remained there for a few more seconds, before finally looking up again. "Ai-Ai... Ai think Ai'll be fine... just give me a few." He'd mutter, reaching for his crutch again. He spent the next several seconds fiddling with it to support himself, using the wall as leverage as he started to scooch up. Any attempts at helping him would result in a surprisingly assertive response, pushing away hands or shutting down any offers with "Ai'm fine."

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@SlagathorTheUnknown @LouJoVi @Woosher

 

[Zerath Eblon]

If the man needed more reassurance, Zerath wasn't sure he would be able to give it. For starters, the Knight wasn't sure exactly why Laeo had collapsed in front of him, and Zerath also wasn't certain that he could think of much more that might be comforting to hear. In the absence of anything to do or say, Zerath focused on being present; the ball was very much in Laeo's court, to (hopefully) hear and consider the words of advice.

Slowly, after a few tense moments, Laeonas seemed to calm down; or at the very least managed to pull himself out of whatever dark place he'd found himself in. Nobody could say that Laeonas lacked strength of will. "You've nothing to apologize for" he assured the man, again hoping that by giving Laeo grace that Zerath might be able to give the grace to himself.

With Laeo requesting a few minutes to compose himself, Zerath nodded in acknowledgement and returned to the rest of the class. Some of them hurriedly turned away and pretended that they were working on focusing on their Force Barriers, but a few had managed to create the luminous bubbles of safety. Zerath wound his way around the class until everyone present had managed to create their own barriers (even if only for a few seconds), before he returned to where Elidan had projected his. Elidan's barrier was solid and strong, and the Knight nodded approvingly; few Padawans did as well on their first attempt. "Well done" he murmured, smiling, then raised his voice to address the class again.

"You may drop your barriers, and take a 5-minute break." Force barriers tended to drain the user, so he wanted to ensure that his students were rested enough to continue with the lesson. With that in mind, Zerath had requisitioned some water and energy bars for the class.

@Woosher @LouJoVi @Tom

 

[Elidan]

When Elidan finally opened his eyes, he saw the Force Barrier that he had created. A smile of happiness and pride appeared on his lips. It had been his first attempt and it really worked. He could wait to be able to use it the next time that he participated in a mission. Perhaps he could teach it to Ruzaan, his friend really needed to protect himself.

He was so distracted by his success that he barely noticed the exchange of words between Laeonas and Zerath. Elidan looked toward them only when he heard how the older man’s voice was broken. Laeonas seemed to be crying and the half-Snnfyn wondered what happened there.

After Zerath announced the break, Elidan stopped making the barrier. Soon the translucent sphere disappeared. He was still amazed at having been capable of doing it. The Padawan couldn’t wait to see what else the Miralukan was going to teach them.

Then he turned his head back to Laeonas. Feeling bad for the older man, Elidan decided to talk a bit with him. Picking his Datapad, he typed a message. “Hello! I think that we never talked properly with each other.” it was true, they already met in some other classes, but never interacted. “You are Laeonas, right?”

@SlagathorTheUnknown @Woosher @Tom