The Training of Ses Koto

[Xin]

The halls of the Monastery echoed the footsteps of Ses Koto's black boots. He was uncertain as to why the ways of the force were so inclined towards him and he would have never guessed that it was - much less the fact that he had the requirements to train in the ways of the Jedi. If it wasn't for the sincere recommednation he had recieved not so long ago....

Finding a place to rest and sit, he studied the structure of the monastery. With each minute he pondered about training, his heart raced a tad bit faster. He was exited and yet nervous. What's it gonna be like,... this training? I wonder, Ses thought. He rubbed his chin nervously and looked up in expectation of some so-called master to approach him.

 

[Ares]

The click of Veren Lorollo's hooves on the the stone floors echoed in the empty Temple. The long-abandoned, subterranean monastery was dark and shadowy- the way no Jedi building should. The Faun-like Jedi Knight had been sent to the monastery on Ospion-controlled Coruscant to find Ses Koto, train him, and bring him to the rest of the Jedi Order on Ossus.

Veren walked into a large, empty room strewn with rubble. On a bench sat the padawan he was to train. As he walked now, his hoofbeats were silent. The Jedi Knight stood behind his Padawan.

"Greetings, Ses Koto."

 

[Xin]

Ses heard the footsteps of someone and he knew it had to be his master. Standing up from his seat in respect, he nodded. "Greetings, Master Lorrollo. I'm ready for training."

Ses was not sure whether he was going to train off-planet or around the monastery filled with rubble. He would have guessed the off-planet any day. This place was no training ground, that was for sure.

 

[Ares]

Veren Lorollo smiled. His Padawan was easily readable- a trait which he would have to train out of him.

"We will train here, then return to Ossus. I want you to be able to fight when we escape," the Faun-like Jedi Knight said. "I don't want to go back to Ossus with a dead Padawan, so you will be trained here."

The Jedi Knight walked a few steps away.

"Do you know the Jedi Code? If so, what are the tenets?"

 

[Xin]

Veren Lorollo smiled. His Padawan was easily readable- a trait which he would have to train out of him.

"We will train here, then return to Ossus. I want you to be able to fight when we escape," the Faun-like Jedi Knight said. "I don't want to go back to Ossus with a dead Padawan, so you will be trained here."

The Jedi Knight walked a few steps away.

"Do you know the Jedi Code? If so, what are the tenets?"

A sense of suspicion arose from the depths of Ses' mind. Escape? What did that mean? "Escape, master? I am confused. What are we escaping from?" He asked calmly. There was no way his new master would have known about the bounty hunters....

 

[Ares]

Veren turned to face his Padawan.

"From the Ospion Guardians. As a resident of Coruscant, you should know that the Onderanians control the planet. It was a great risk to send a Jedi here, but I accepted the mission..."

Then Veren looked back at Ses Koto. "I repeat; do you know the Jedi Code?"

 

[Xin]

Veren turned to face his Padawan.

"From the Ospion Guardians. As a resident of Coruscant, you should know that the Alsakan Union controls the planet. It was a great risk to send a Jedi here, but I accepted the mission..."

Then Veren looked back at Ses Koto. "I repeat; do you know the Jedi Code?"

Ses Koto thought for a slight second before nodding. "Yes, master, I know of the Jedi code. I've studied it prior to coming here. It is: Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the force." He spoke calmly and slowly, making sure his new master would get every word he was saying.

Ses Koto scratched his chin in curiosity. "It is ironic, master. I've studied what I could about the Jedi but I've never heard about the Jedi and their problems with the Alsakan Union. However, I am glad you risked coming here for my sake, master."

 

[Ares]

Veren smiled. "Good, you know the Code... But as for the problems with the people of Onderon... It is mainly the Ospion who we are against. They are a renegade branch of the Jedi Order... And they are sinking, drowning in the black water of the Dark Side. Only a select few of them are still on the raft that is the Light Side."

The Jedi shook his head, sighing. The he snapped it back up. "However, this is off-topic. What does the Code mean, in your opinion? Each tenet?"

 

[Xin]

Veren smiled. "Good, you know the Code... But as for the problems wit hthe Alsakans... It is mainly the Ospion who we are against. They are a renegade branch of the Jedi Order... And they are sinking, drowning in the black water of the Dark Side. Only a select few of them are still on the raft that is the Light Side."

The Jedi shook his head, sighing. The he snapped it back up. "However, this is off-topic. What does the Code mean, in your opinion? Each tenet?"

Ses Koto nodded as Veren spoke about the Ospion. It sounded pretty bad. When asked about the meaning of the code, he smiled in slight arrogance. This was what he was good at. Knowledge.

Ses took a deep breath then begain to explain, "Emotion, yet peace means that we must learn to cast aside our feelings and emotions. Not necessarily avoid it completley, but to learn to not fall to the major disadvantages it may cause. Ignorance, yet knowledge means that a Jedi must be circumspective and try to understand the world that is surrounding him. Ignorance is a part of life but it must not be feared.

Passion, yet serenity refers to extreme situations of extreme stress in which a Jedi might be tempted to react strongly, or be so focused on the task and not the goal. A Jedi must draw his weapon only in defense, and must always act with a calm hand and an even temper. Passion could lead to the dark side."

Ses took a deep breath again and continued to explain, "Chaos, yet harmony means that the Jedi are keepers of the peace. They are not meant to bring discourse, disorder, or chaos to the lives of others. Chaos, confusion, and disorder breed fear, anger, and passion. Chaos is the key that opens the door to a person's inner darkness. Harmony is the maintenance of order, peace, and balance. Harmony in the world is the key to happiness, and a sense of security. Harmony, however, must also be maintained within. Harmony of self, and harmony with the Force.

Death, yet the force means that through the Force, our essence will never die. Our soul, our energy, is part of the Force. As such, we are luminous beings encased in a shell tissue and organs, skin and bones. When the body dies, we do not die, but rather we move on to a higher plane of existence. We become one with the Force. Through this, we live on is all Jedi...in all life." Ses smiled when he finished his explanation. Hopfully, his master would be impressed.

 

[Ares]

Veren grinned. "You really remind me of when I was a Padawan. Funny, really... Oh, and you got it all right. Come along. It's time for some less introspective training..."

The faun-like knight walked through a door, into a subterranean garden lit with sun lamps. He pointed to a small plant with closed buds and a dark green vine. "Encouraging plants to do what you want is an invaluable skill on an untamed planet- they're very suggestible. Make this vine grow by reaching out with your mind and giving it a nudge."

 

[Xin]

Veren grinned. "You really remind me of when I was a Padawan. Funny, really... Oh, and you got it all right. Come along. It's time for some less introspective training..."

The faun-like knight walked through a door, into a subterranean garden lit with sun lamps. He pointed to a small plant with closed buds and a dark green vine. "Encouraging plants to do what you want is an invaluable skill on an untamed planet- they're very suggestible. Make this vine grow by reaching out with your mind and giving it a nudge."

Ses Koto nodded silently and followed his master in a garden. He observed as his master manipulated the plants around. Hmm, this might prove to be tough, Ses thought. "I will try, master." He closed his eyes and held out his hand pointed towards the closed buds and the dark green vine. He focused and concentrated on trying to nudge it, but it was too hard. He sighed and gave up.

"Master, it's too tough. I don't know how to use the force, really."

 

[Ares]

Veren, again, smiled. "Using the Force is very simple... But yet it is abstract. To use the Force, simply let the Force inside of you flow from you- it's an instinctive feeling- and into whatever you want to encourage."

The Jedi put one hand on his Padawan's shoulder. "Like so."

With that, he let some of his Force Energy seep into his padawan. "If it helps, touch the plant. Encouraging it from a distance is harder."

 

[Xin]

Veren, again, smiled. "Using the Force is very simple... But yet it is abstract. To use the Force, simply let the Force inside of you flow from you- it's an instinctive feeling- and into whatever you want to encourage."

The Jedi put one hand on his Padawan's shoulder. "Like so."

With that, he let some of his Force Energy seep into his padawan. "If it helps, touch the plant. Encouraging it from a distance is harder."

Ses nodded and approached the plants to get closer. He closed his eyes and focused, and relaxed, feeling the force flowing through him. Ses could feel the closed bud and vine move, if only just slightly. "I... think I did it, master." He opened his eyes and looked to his master in curiosity.

 

[Ares]

Veren nodded. "It is a start. Now, I intend to see your mastery of more commonly used abilities."

The Faun-like Jedi clopped to the middle of the room.

"Channel the Force through your arms, and release it at me as fast as possible. This is an ability you will need in this troubled galaxy..."

 

[Xin]

Ses Koto smiled in slight delight as he was able to do something with the force. He followed his master to the middle of the room and back a few steps away from him after hearing his instructions. He knew what his master was talking about. A force push or something -- but he didn't know if he could do it.

OK. Here goes nothing, he thought. Ses frowned in focus and held out his arms. He felt the force flow through his veins and tried as hard as he could to concentrate it to his arms. Then he tried his best to release towards his master.

 

[Ares]

Veren braced himself just in case hihs Padawan was very adept at this ability. When the Force came at him, the faun-like Jedi lifted one hand, parting the stream of Force Energy.

"Your only problem, Padawan, is that you're letting the Force flow as you would in a more mentally-orented ability. I never said this, but for this ability, it is best to hold it in for a few seconds, let it build up, and release it all at once through your palm. Give it another go."

 

[Xin]

"Alright," Ses said. He focused again and tried to mount up all his force energy into one palm. He could feel the force flowing through his arm. He released the energy out of his right palm towards his master. This time it was a more powerful blow, Ses felt.

 

[Ares]

Veren stepped back because of the Force of the blow, and smiled. "You have much power, but you must tap into it. I sense that you're holding back because you don't want to hurt me. You won't, but to help, you'll practice on this dummy. Force Push him down, and pull the weapon from the other dummy," he indicated two training dummies, one with a mock blaster.

 

[Xin]

Veren stepped back because of the Force of the blow, and smiled. "You have much power, but you must tap into it. I sense that you're holding back because you don't want to hurt me. You won't, but to help, you'll practice on this dummy. Force Push him down, and pull the weapon from the other dummy," he indicated two training dummies, one with a mock blaster.

Ses smiled. He was getting the hang of it. "Sure, master." He Focused his force power onto the dummy. Within a few seconds of concentration, he released the energy and force pushed the dummy. When it fell, he concentrated on the blaster. He tried to force pull but it only slid slowly towards his feet. "Damn..." He sighed in slight exhaustion. "Master, I'm... a bit tired."

 

[Ares]

Veren walked over to his Padawan. "It is getting late, and you will need rest for tomorrow. Your rooms are right down that corridor," he pointed to a hallway, "and they're the only door on the left. You'll find in there a cot, a rug for meditation, and your belongings. The life of a Jedi isn't easy, you know."