The Jedi Training of Siri Firestorm

[Lavi]

Siri's attempt was not perfect: it was overstretched and lazy. Rather than blocking the strike, Haar stepped forth and tilted his blade so that Siri's arm would fall into the path of his lightsaber before it could reach him. Of course, they were using training lightsabers, so there was no risk of losing limbs.

 

[Malon]

She saw this and, in a split second, withdrew her arm and leaped back. She didn't know what had caused her to move so quickly, but she supposed it was just because she didn't want to get zapped by the training saber. This time she formulated a plan. She rushed her Master, lightsaber swinging, but just before the blade connected with his, she deactivated it, allowing her to move past his blade and reactivate it on the other side, close to his throat, where she held it.

 

[Lavi]

"The trick would have worked, if you knew what you were doing, Siri," Haar answered, unflinching to the maneuver. He gave his own lightsaber a little wave, emitting a sound to attract his student's attention. If she looked, he already had his own lightsaber almost touching her own neck.

"The training lightsaber is not well suited for this form of combat. If the blade could reactivate faster, you may have had a chance, but simply moving my own blade would have allowed me to defeat you before I am threatened. The usage of the lightsaber's mechanism did not work because of how directly you approached me; you left yourself open for a very simple counter."

Haar deactivated his training lightsaber, walking over to the lightsaber rack on the far side of the room to set it down. "But, improvisation is part of lightsaber combat. At least you have some creativity."

"You have done fine today, Siri. Take the rest of today to recuperate. We're going on a mission tomorrow," Haar finished.

 

[Malon]

That really surprised her! A mission with Master Haar; and her first Jedi mission at that. However, Siri immediately saw a problem. "Um...Master? I don't really have a weapon for the mission, should it require it and I doubt a training lightsaber is going to deter whatever we face out there." she said.

The thought of an actual mission filled Siri with happiness, but the lack of a lightsaber put a slight damper in that mood. She knew she wouldn't need a lightsaber for every mission she went on, but she would no doubt need one to do some. And what about being prepared for the unexpected? Siri thought she knew what Haar would answer, but she had to ask anyways. She wanted to be as prepared as possible for the mission ahead.

 

[Lavi]

"It is not of incredible importance for you to construct a lightsaber before we go. We're escorting a senator back to his home planet. Nothing more," Haar explained. "If the mission reveals hostilities, they would only be gunmen. A training lightsaber has enough power to defend yourself and the senator from harm: they are merely regular lightsabers with a containment field to suppress the dangerous elements of the energy."

 

[Malon]

Siri had to admit he had a point on this one, "Yes Master." she said. She then left her master's presence and ventured to her quarters. There she spent the rest of her day thinking about what the mission would be like. After and evening meal and bath, she fell asleep. The next morning she was quick to get ready and to eat. She then ventured downstairs to the shipdocks to await her master.

 

[Lavi]

Haar was already preparing the shuttle for launch. It was the one that he often used in his travels around the galaxy, back when he rarely stayed in one place too long. The ship had a sense of home to it, even though it lacked any personal decorations.

"We are going to be escorting the senator with an unmarked ship, so we are only going to use the shuttle for a part of the journey," Haar explained. "The other, we are taking public transport. It's paid for by the Republic."

 

[Malon]

Siri nodded, she could understand why the Republic was sending them on an unregistered transport with the Senator. After all, if this guy was a wanted man, they would be able to track registered vessels. "Understood, Master." she replied respectfully. She entered the shuttle and found a place to sit near the various charts and star maps on display in the cockpit. She was prepared. She was excited. And yet, she was also nervous. She had never met a Republic senator before. It was a totally new experience to her. On the other hand, she was happy to be going back home to Coruscant.

 

[Lavi]

((Post here. If you have an issue with me directing the two of us to the location, feel free to speak up: I can edit.

EDIT: Changing training...))

 

[Malon]

As the ship eased out of Ossus' atmosphere, Siri went into the back, deciding to use the time spent in the ship for meditation on the upcoming mission. She sat down on the cold metal floor, crossed her legs, shut her eyes and let the Force consume her.

She must have remained that way for many, many hours, because when her eyes opened, the ship dropped out of hyperspace; the city-covered sphere of Coruscant dominating the viewport. Siri watched silently, as Master Haar guided their ship down through the atmosphere until it was surrounded by skyscrapers on all sides.

Ahead of them, she could see her home; the majestic Jedi Temple of Coruscant with its four large spires that dominated the Coruscant sky. As they neared the temple, Haar made the ship break with the air traffic lane they were traveling in and angle it towards the hanger bay. The large hanger opened and the ship eased inside, setting down with a metallic thud.

Siri stood up and flipped a switch that opened the the ship's hatch and lowered a ramp that they could walk off the ship on. Taking her first steps into her old home brought her immense serenity and peace, as well as a sense of nostalgia. Siri then turned and looked up the ramp, awaiting Master Haar and his instructions.

((The mission was changed to take place here, per Lavi and I's conversations in PMs.))

 

[Lavi]

Haar followed after her, stepping off the ramp. He did not pause in his step to address Siri, continuing on towards the hangar exit. The master expected his student to follow.

"We're going to take a walk outside the temple," he explained. "I want you to come with me."

 

[Malon]

Siri nodded to Haar, "Yes Master." she replied. She then followed as she was instructed. Looking forward to what Haar had to say on their walk.

 

[Lavi]

"On Ossus, I asked you about how you interpreted the Jedi Code and the Tenets. You told me your views of the code, though I do not remember what you said about the tenets. Can you explain to me what your interpretation of the Nine Tenets are?" Haar began as they walked.

The two were still within the temple, with a few signs of repairs here and there being done. The damage from when the temple came under attack were nearly fixed. The great hall that they walked in was several stories tall, giving the feeling of grandeur and majestic-ness.

 

[Malon]

Siri thought back to the Nine Tenets of the Jedi Order. She, as all Padawans, was very familiar with them, having been taught them since birth.

"Well, the tenets are pretty self explanatory to me. The Jedi are the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy and we are to protect all creatures, no matter how intelligent they are, or how significant they may seem to the other species in the galaxy. We also protect the freedom and liberties of all residents of the galaxy.

We are also allies of the Republic and must do everything we can to help them, despite our views on its leadership. Its the emotions part that I find so striking. Whenever I hear non-Jedi talk about us, they always call us 'drones' or something of the sort, because they view us as emotionless. However, we have emotions. No one can kill their feelings. What sets us aside from others is that we learn to avoid very strong emotions, such as hate, anger, or fear, because they can influence are actions negatively. Mainly, we try to learn lessons from our feelings, we just don't let them rule us.

Love. This one was a difficult one for me to interpret, but I think I've got it. Love is essential to a Jedi's behavior. A Jedi has to love her comrades and friends, but when that love becomes strong for a certain person, it must be treated with care; and marriage is to be avoided. This is not because the Jedi disapprove of marriage, but because the emotions, such as pain or anger, it can cause can very negatively effect a Jedi's duties and behavior.

Of course, as a Jedi, I am to respect all life; no matter which form it takes. Initially, I wondered if I was to take this stance even with Dark Jedi, but now I realize that I must. Even if they are dark siders, no life is beyond redemption; you told me that during our first meeting, and I see now that it is true.

Then there is the tenet on the weak and defenseless, whom Jedi are suppose to protect. A Jedi must never kill an unarmed foe, even a Dark Jedi. I guess this one ties in to the previous tenet; its a form of respect to all life.

A Jedi must always listen and obey with the Jedi Council, even if they do not agree with their orders or beliefs. These Masters, for the most part, are chosen for their wisdom and connection to the Force, so its best to stick closely to what they say and never openly oppose it.

Positions of ruling and wealth are disallowed to a Jedi. This makes sense to me, as it can lead to a sense of pride, or power, which can lead a Jedi to the dark side.

Lastly, a Jedi should never fight for adventure or glory. This is because my duty as a Jedi is to fight for civilization; for peace, and justice.

A Jedi's strength is never measured in how many enemies she triumphs over, but rather, if she has risen above herself.

That is what I believe the tenets mean." Siri replied, wrapping up her lengthy answer.

 

[Lavi]

Haar nodded as they walked. The temple, they left behind. Now, there was just the streets of Coruscant. Hundreds, if not thousands, of citizens were around them, with neon street lights and colorful store signs hoping to attract the attention of potential customers.

They continued walking, and the overall essence of the crowd gradually changed. The signs grew dirtier as the uncleanliness of the Coruscanti slums came into view. Even so, the masses of people on the streets only changed so slightly.

A young boy bumped into Haar as they walked by the alleyway, mumbling apologies before running off. Haar looked at him, and gave a slight smile.

"Siri, can you find that boy for me?" Haar asked. "He took some of my credits. I'll be waiting here."

 

[Malon]

Siri looked up, as if trying to determine whether Master Haar was being serious or not, and then nodded, making her way off into the crowd. She tried to make her way through the crowd of people without bumping into anyone, but that proved impossible, and she found herself apologizing more than she was looking for the boy.

At last, however, she spotted him making his way into one of the slum's alleyways. Siri lost focus of apologizing to those she bumped into and swiftly made her way into the same alleyway she had seen the boy enter. Unlike the crowded streets she had just left, the alley was vacant, save for the trash bins that dotted the sides of the buildings. She spotted the boy sitting up against one of the bins and cautiously approached him.

As she did, she thought momentarily on using the Force to help her search his feelings or persuade him, however, she remembered the gokob mission and decided against it. She would use the Force to remain aware of her surroundings, and only use it on the boy as a last resort.

"Hello." she said, as she walked up to him; trying to maintain her smile. "You just passed by me and my Master a moment ago and I think you may have accidentally taken something belonging to him."

She was aware that the boy was most likely not going to own up to his crime so easily, but it was a start. She knew being aggressive would get her nowhere, so she kept her cool. If need be, she'd confront him head on with the nature of his crime, but she'd do it softly nonetheless...if need be, that is.

 

[Lavi]

"Accidentally...?" the boy began, looking at her questioningly. He seemed very confused by the whole ordeal.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he continued. "I was waiting for my friend here the whole time."

He didn't stutter or avert his eyes as he spoke, looking directly at Siri. The boy seemed a little concerned, though whether it was because he really stole the credits or because he was getting interrogated out of the blue was not up to him to decide.

 

[Malon]

Siri had expected this response, and studied the boy very carefully; looking for sweat, unusual movements...anything. To a normal person, he would've been convincing due to his eye contact and relatively little signs of concern, however, Siri being both a Coruscant native and a Jedi, could tell something was off. She even sensed it in the Force; this boy was lying. So how to handle it? She couldn't just force him to pull his pockets out and show her if he had the credits or not. She decided to go for a more direct approach, but like before, she took it cautiously.

"I saw you enter this alleyway." she replied, maintaining her smile, though with some added seriousness. "That's how I knew to come in here. You don't have to be afraid. I will not harm you regardless of whether or not you took my Master's credits. I am simply here to get them back. After all, they are his belongings." she told the boy, hoping her new approach would yield better results.

 

[Lavi]

"I'm not the least bit afraid," the boy answered. "I didn't move from where I was; I was here the whole time, honestly. Aren't you supposed to be meditating or something at your temple?"

Even if Siri used the Force to weigh his words, there was not a sign of a lie. Perhaps the Force was trying to tell her something else?

 

[Malon]

At this, Siri took a step back. This type of approach wasn't working. Could this, in fact, have not been the right boy? Surely this was the right one. She'd followed him into the alleyway.

"What kind of Jedi am I? I can't even get a kid to admit he took my master's credits." she thought, blowing her hair out of her face in one puff.

Perhaps she was looking at this situation wrong. She had felt something in the Force, but she was so sure this boy was lying; had she allowed her preconceived notions get in the way of what the Force was telling her? She took a deep breath, cleared her mind, and opened herself up to the limitless wisdom of the Force. Then, a thought came to her;

"Wait..you said you were waiting here for a friend, right?"

She didn't know if his friend might have been the one that stole her master's credits, but it was obvious that this boy wasn't going to give in and confess anytime soon. She needed to find out more about what he was doing here.

((I didn't really know what you had in mind for what the Force was really trying to tell Siri, so I came up with this, which seemed to be hinted at. If I'm off on it, just let me know and I'll edit this post.))