Ask Training

[Mila Tesara]

Location: Dantooine, Plains of Khoonda

She had come to this world several times, but mostly to help her padawans gather their saber crystals. This time however, it was different. She had a Togruta padawan before her now, one that was eager to learn of the force, and how it worked in the universe. She wasn't sure how many jedi she had mentored, certainly a few, but this one was by far the youngest; even young than Brahe when she met him. Sitting on a rock, facing down to the plains, she drank in the serenity of the world. She loved Dantooine, and she could see why Kraud had taken a house here.

She wasn't sure where she would end up settling down though, perhaps she never would. The Jabberwocky was her home, though that old ship was starting to get up in the years. Still, she'd never abandon it. Just like her pupils. She waited patiently for the new padawan to join her, as there was no rush, the Kath hounds down below wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. She wore her viridian robes as she sat upon the rock, saber hooked onto her side. Yes, this day would be a time for knowledge for the both of them.

@Nevermore

 

[Asaara Sibri]

A panicked Asaara barrelled out of the Jabberwocky and across the open field Dantooine towards Mila. While this was her first venture off of Ajan Kloss, she hadn’t the time to stop and take in the sights. She had fallen asleep during the transit to Dantooine, and when she awoke she had discovered Mila was gone. She hadn’t the foggiest idea about how long it had been. All she knew was that she was late and it was terribly rude to keep somebody waiting, especially a prospective master kind enough to bring her to this place. She closed the distance quickly, but given her haste she was breathless by the time she reached Mila.

“I’m sorry, Master,” she panted in between staggered breaths, doubling over to brace her palms against her knees. “I f-fell asleep. Please forgive me,” she pleaded. “I didn’t mean to be late. I... I didn’t know we landed,” she finished, rising up from her hunched position to stand up stiff and at attention. Diminutive blue hands adjusted the messenger bag at her side, before moving up to straighten her robe and tunic. Her eyes fixated on the back of Mila’s head, not daring to stray away when she felt as though she had already shown disrespect. There she remained, quiet and motionless, breath caught in her lungs as she awaited Mila’s words.

It was at that moment she realised, even though her gaze remained unerringly on the back of Mila’s head, this place was vastly different from Ajan Kloss. She could see a surprising lack of trees in her peripherals, and the air here was drier. The forests around the temple on Ajan Kloss had a more humid feel. Here it was drier, more crisp, and didn’t feel boggy or damp. It took every ounce of the girl’s resolve not to chance a look, however brief, to take in her surroundings and observe the differences and take everything in.

However strong her resolve was though, it wasn’t enough. Blue eyes flitted briefly to the side, before snapping back to the back of Mila’s head. She had never left the temple, much less Ajan Kloss, and her rampant curiosity could never be fully contained.

 

[Mila Tesara]

There was a faint shift in the air, and though it took a moment to recognize it, Mila could feel the presence of the padawan on board her ship begin to stir. Poor thing was probably terrified, as the ripples of shock and terror seemed to reached her from her comfy place upon the rock. When the child reached her, panting and out of breath from the effort, Mila only smiled and shook her head. "There's no need to be sorry young one, I'd rather you be restful and alert rather than tired and dragging." She stated, getting up from her place on the rock and moving to be more eye level with the padawan. "I let you sleep for a reason, so please, don't apologize. If I remember correctly, I didn't tell anything I expected from you once we touched down."

Mila gestured behind her with her hands, as she wanted the young girl to witness this new world. "This is Dantooine. It's like Tattooine, but with less sand and more rolling plains. Notice the lack of two suns, and Tusken Raiders." She added with a touch of humor, before turning back to look down at the creatures on the plains before them. "This world was once home to the jedi order, long, long ago. The Jedi temples here have long since been left behind, but the force is quite potent here still. Can you feel it?" Mila asked, taking in a breath, as the presence of this world was like a cold drink of water on a hot summer day. It was vibrant and lively, far different than Ajan Kloss. "Please, take it in. We are in no rush, truly. Being a jedi is about being in tune with the world as much as it is commanding the force." Mila followed up with, hoping the padawan would take heed of what she was saying, though wasn't sure if Asaara knew how to do such a thing. At the very least she wanted the woman to get used to how different this world was.

Turning back to the padawan, Mila sat back down on the rock, waiting for the padawan to state she was ready. Asaara might notice that Mila had a small pack sitting behind her, though what it held was unknown. Mila had learned from her friend Vayla that adding tea to an activity made everything better, so that's exactly what she was going to do; afterwards of course, they needed to make some progress before reaping the rewards after all.

@Nevermore

 

[Asaara Sibri]

"Y-Yes, Master," Asaara acquiesced as Mila spoke on the subject restfulness. It was true: Asaara hadn't been given any explicit instructions, and of course Mila could have woken her up if she so desired. Although the young girl sought to voice some manner of protest, she remained silent and instead swallowed down the lump in her throat. As Mila gestured behind herself towards the plains, Asaara's eyes finally pulled off of the Twi'lek in front of her to examine her surroundings in full. It was then that the true majesty of this planet sunk in, and what a far cry it was from Ajan Kloss.

"Tattooine?" Asaara murmured quietly to herself as a rhetorical question. "I'm sorry, Master... I don't know much about other planets," she continued. "Only what I've seen in the library... I've never left Ajan Kloss," she finished before clearing her throat to resign herself back to silence. As Mila spoke about more about the planet and its history, Asaara listened with rapt attention. As she was bade to reach out and try to feel the latent Force still dormant on the planet, she did just so. Her eyes closed and her arms lifted ever so slightly from her sides, her palms turning up towards the sky. She opened her eyes just moments later.

"Yes," she replied. "I can feel it. It's faint, but it's warm and comforting," she continued, a faint smile tugging up the corners of her lips. As Mila continued to instruct her what exactly it meant to be a Jedi, Asaara noded resolutely. Her eyes closed again as she redoubled her concentration and the Force permeating her and the area around her. Though she had been trained in sensing and wielding the Force, her experience was minimal. While she could feel the Force around her that Mila spoke of, it was faint for her. Perhaps after some more training and time, she would return here to feel it in its full glory.

With a deep inhale, Asaara sighed and opened her eyes. Her arms came down to rest at her sides again. "You're right, Master, of course. I'm sorry for going so fast," she said. "I can kind of feel it, but it's... distant. I don't think I'm good enough yet," she confessed, somewhat downtrodden at her perceived inability to relish the feeling of the Force as thoroughly as Mila did. With another heavy breath, the girl spoke up again.

"I think I'm ready to start though, Master."

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

Of course she wouldn't get the reference to Tattooine, the poor girl had never set foot off Ajan Kloss. Mila let a small chuckle slip past her lips, as she felt a tad silly over her lapse in knowledge. "Asaara, you don't need to call me Master. Mila will do just fine." She spoke, hoping to alleviate some of the girl's anxieties. "Apologies, I forget how unusual my background it. I spent much of my youth traveling to other worlds, and when you grow older, I advise you do the same."

She would watch as the padawan tried to grasp the world around her, and indeed she had made some progress. At least she could feel the inital energies, which showed she had indeed been trained to feel the world around her; which was good, because this lesson was absolutely crucial for such a thing. "I wasn't good at it either when I first started, but you merely have to work at it and improve that connection." The Twi'lek turned her gaze towards the sky, then looked back to the padawan. How she wished she could go back with the wisdom of her elder years. "It's okay Asaara. Sometimes in life, we are so caught in chasing the path before us, we forget to enjoy that which looms around us." She was getting carried away, she could practically sense the questions the padawan was going to start gathering within her mind. Mila motioned towards a group of Kath hounds that milled about before them, many of them laid lazily on the grass, a few pups seemed to be in the midst of playing as the adults watch on. "Part of being a jedi, is being in tune with life. See those hounds down there? They too are part of the circle of life. Their mere existence connects them to via the force, and it's for that reason we can use the force to reason with creatures such as that." Mila looked back to the padawan, offering a soft smile. "Your lesson is this, befriend one of the Kath Hounds down there. I will go with you to ensure your safety, but how you accomplish that task is up to you." Asaara had the task set before her, now it was up to her on how that was carried out. If she needed help, Mila would be there to help.

@Nevermore

 

[Asaara Sibri]

Asaara blinked with some small surprise as Mila beget her to address her by her name. It wasn't the first time of course, but it still occasionally caught her off guard. The girl cleared her throat. "Yes, Mas— ah, Miss Mila," she quickly corrected herself, her cheeks flushing lightly with embarrassment. Even if she wasn't addressing Mila as "Master," she wouldn't let her respect or formality falter. She nodded as her mentor continued to elaborate about her own experiences with feeling the Force, nodding with appreciative relief that her inability to intimately feel the Force was no fault of her own. She simply needed more practice. She at least had the reassurance that she wasn't slacking in her training or, even worse, that she was incompetent.

"I'll try harder to slow down," she continued with another nod. As Mila motioned towards the kath hounds before them. As she listened intently to the lessons her mentor was giving her, she observed the hounds. She had never seen anything like them. She knew of the fauna on Ajan Kloss, such as the various avian life and the zymods, but they paled in comparison to the kath hounds. She inhaled deeply through her nostrils, her small, thin fingers pinching and tugging anxiously at tufts of her robe.

"I remember," Asaara stated. "The Force is an energy that's part of everyone and everything," she elaborated, looking up at Mila as if seeking some kind of approval or acknowledgment. "Except things like droids, right? They're not part of the Force because they're not 'alive,'" she emphasized the last word cautiously. "I mean, they're... not alive like us, but I still believe that they're alive. If that makes sense," she feebly clarified, turning her attention back down to the ground, almost as if she was ashamed of what she said. Asaara looked back up at the kath hounds after a moment, though her head was still low.

"S-So do we just walk down there?" she asked in an obvious attempt to try and distract from her previous statement. "Do I just... approach them? What do I do, Miss Mila? Do I try and use the Force to show them I won't hurt them or something?"

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

Miss Mila. It sounded rather nice, reminded her of when she had first encountered Brahe all those years ago. Funny how time flies. Once again, she had failed in explaining herself to the padawan, but if the young woman would slow down, that was all Mila could ask for. She was never a strict instructor, least she hoped not, after all learning of the force was just as much learning about yourself. Take that away, and what was there? Not much else. "Just prioritize. Know when to walk, and when to run. It's all about balance and moderation. You'll learn as you progress." If only the child knew how true that was.

Assara began to recite how the force worked, and it's exception regarding droids; to which, yes, the girl was correct about that tidbit as well. Mila gave a slow nod, trying to alleviate some of the concerns the woman might be holding at current. Asaara was clearly a bright and young girl, perhaps in time she would become a knight like Mila was. "Yes, we will walk down there together, but don't worry about hurting them. If anything, we'll be friend them. Come, I'll show you." Mila stated, though once again she had failed to make her intentions clear. So many questions this one had, and yet Mila hadn't managed to resolve any of them. Asaara was still young, the thought of approaching the creatures probably hadn't crossed her mind. Or if it had, it most certainly would have been intimidating. She would have to rethink how she went about giving lessons out to younger jedi, clearly she needed to work at it. "Well, first step is to keep yourself calm. The animals can sense when you are nervous, and that makes them nervous in turn. See how that works?" Mila started, as s he would take the young girl by the hand if needed and slowly walk towards the pack of hounds. The creatures seemed to poke their heads up at the pair as they approached, but took no hostile actions at current. "Just calm yourself Asaara, feel my presence and blend it into your own." If the padawan reached out as Mila had instructed, she would feel a strange energy being given off the jedi knight, a sense of calm and serenity. Hopefully the padawan could at least manage that, as the next step would entail having to repeat the maneuver Mila was preforming right now.

@Nevermore

 

[Asaara Sibri]

Asaara nodded warily. There was an obvious apprehension about her now, intimidated as she was by the idea of approaching the kath hounds. As Mila offered her hand, the young Jedi didn't hesitate to take it into her own. Her grip was soft and gentle, belying her initial wave of unease. Even though her gaze was focused in front of her, it was clear she was still listening carefully to her mentor's words.

"Emotion, yet peace," she could be heard speaking in a hushed tone to herself. A subtle tug of her hand to pull her a little closer to Mila, the mantra continuing quietly all the while. "Passion, yet serenity. Chaos," she stated, her sentence hanging on that word as she inhaled deeply, "yet harmony." She exhaled after finishing that particular part, doing as she was instructed. Her consciousness reached out to borrow from Mila's, in an attempt to mimic and adopt it as part of her own. The fluttering in her heart began to slow, and the weight on her mind began to ease. The throes of worry and fear began to assuage, and as Asaara felt more emboldened, she stopped in her tracks.

"I can do it," she said, looking up at Mila. She released the knight's hand. She shed herself of her messenger bag and her robe, revealing her bare arms. On her right arm were the residual scars of her burn wounds suffered as an infant. Areas of contractures scars on her forearm, perhaps as large as the girl's palm, afflicted the top of her forearm and hand. They were the only real prominent blemishes on her body, ugly areas of healed and tightened skin unnoticeable with her robe on. She turned to face Mila, drawing her small hands to her chest to clasp one within the other.

"May... may I try it by myself, Miss Mila?" she inquired somewhat hopefully, looking up at the knight to await her sage advice. "After you told me what to do, to feel your presence, I could also feel their emotions, I think," she continued, looking back towards the kath hounds inquisitively eyeballing them. "They're curious. They're nervous like I am, or like I was. I... I want to show them that they can trust us, that they can trust me. I can do it," she said, turning back around. Those pale blue eyes sparkled with a sense of hope, and a type of understanding for their predicament. For the first time since their arrival, Asaara appeared the most genuine she had been. There was no stuttering, no apprehension... only an air of sincere passion and harmony.

"If that's okay? I won't go too far or too fast."

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

As Mila lead the young girl towards the creatures, she smiled as she heard the recitation of the code. Mila had the same habit when she felt in doubt, it served her well in the past, and perhaps it would do the same for Asaara. Yes, she would make a fine jedi in the time to come, the order would be in good hands it seemed.

Mila was a tad surprised as the padawan let go of her hand, affirming she was ready and she could do it. Mila halted her step, watching as the padawan removed her robes and bags. This was quite a change from what Mila was used to. Clearly this was what the padawan wanted, and Mila had no right to deny her that challange. "Of course dear. Let me hold your things though." She offered, reaching to take Asaara's belongings. Mila's eyes fell upon the scars that dotted the young girls arm, and she could only ponder what tragedy had befallen the woman to earn such lasting marks. "That makes sense to me dear. If you feel ready, then go for it I'll only interfere if I feel it nessicary." Mila could feel the conviction and confidence radiating off the young girl, and felt she could undergo this challange with minimum risk. Mila would let the young girl go forth, though she kept herself aware of the nature of the hounds. If she felt a hostility spread through their ranks, she would have evey ounce of her being to protect her charge.

@Nevermore

 

[Asaara Sibri]

Asaara offered Mila a faint smile as she give her permission to approach the kath hounds alone. She passed over her messenger bag and robe at Mila's behest, then turned about face to look over the kath hounds again.

"Thank you, Miss Mila," the girl stated before beginning her approach. Her steps were short and carefully measured as she made her way towards the hounds. Her palms were turned outward to show she had nothing on her person, other than the clothes on her back. She offered a smile at the kath hounds, stopping at a comfortable distance between both them and her mentor behind her. She casually lowered herself down to the ground into a sitting position, crossing her legs as though she was meditating. Her left hand rooted itself on her knee, while her right hand stretched out towards the pack.

"I won't hurt you," Asaara said quietly, hand offered disarmingly to the hounds. "I want to be friends," the girl spoke, trying to reach out with the Force the way Mila had instructed her. She remained calm as she observed the inquisitive creatures, quelling any feelings of anxiety that tried to reach the surface. She could do this, and she would do this. Her smiled never faltered and her resolve never wavered, her arm still proffered for the hounds to investigate when the felt so inclined. She made no hasty motions, and she had resigned herself to silence now. There was no need to speak excessively.

Asaara took in another deep, quiet breath, holding it for a few seconds before slowly through her nose. Her gaze, while it remained fixated on the pack of hounds, made sure to never hold eye contact for long periods. Though her experience with wildlife was admittedly limited, she did that to maintain constant eye-to-eye contact was to offer a challenge, or a display of dominance. Her silhouette was nominal, her posture drawn as close together as she could naturally make it, to make her appear smaller and less threatening. Then of course, there was the small, perpetual smile on her face.

Her head canted thoughtfully as she maintained her pose. Her outstretched arm and fingers were as still as they could be. Her entire body, though carefully controlled, was not rigid but relaxed. She could do this.

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

Mila watched as the padawan went on without her, her concern was rather apparent, but if Asaara believed in herself, then Mila would believe her too. With bated breath, she waited to see what would unfold, hopefully the young girl would succeed.

As Asaara moved closer, the hound closer to her began to rise, several of its pack took note and seemed to be alerted by her nearing presence. However, as Asaara stretched out with the force, she would feel only curiosity, or hesitation within the minds of the beasts. They didn't seem to be looking to harm her, at least not at current, though the one closer to her let out a small yip, before inching closer. She seemed to be making progress, at least making herself a non hostile within the gathering of the Hounds. One of the pups trotted on up to the new comer, a small hound, rather energetic as it raced towards the Togruta, and leap at her. While the pup clearly intended to play, that didn't exactly stop it from pawing at Asaara with it's nails, and nipping with it's rather sharp teeth. The rest of the pack's mood shifted from curious to concerned, as the adult hound near her let a low growl at seeing one of the young being so close to the stranger.

Mila tensed herself, as she could feel the shift taking place, but it didn't need her direct interference, not yet. The small pup's affections would be as painful as one would think, but most definitely uncomfortable. It just seemed to want to play however, though Asaara risked aggravating the pack if she dared do so.

@Nevermore

 

[Asaara Sibri]

Asaara was admittedly surprised when one of the kath hound pups bounded up to her. As the tiny creature leaped on her and began scratching and nipping, there were equal sounds of both giggling and pain. Although the pups affectionate ministrations were uncomfortable, they weren't entirely painful. The young girl let the pup continue as it pleased, in spite of her arms and torso being clawed. She, much like Mila, could feel the shift in the hounds' perception of her with one of their young so close. Any sudden movements or actions were wont to agitate the pack, and it was better to suffer some minor, easily treatable injuries than to jeoparise the lives of either Asaara, Mila, or the pack.

As such, Asaara simply continued to quietly giggle with glee. "You're a friendly one, aren't you?" she asked, her eyes scrunching closed in a futile attempt to safeguard against the licking and nipping. She made no motions to remove or displace the pup, keeping her hands precisely where they were: left on her knee, right outstretched to the hounds. All the while she continued to try and emanate a friendly, harmless aura. She was more or less on the right path, she assumed. If she could simply hold out long enough against the pup's assault of affection, surely it would help sway the rest of the pack.

Though Asaara made no attempts to remove the pup from her lap, scratching her though her may be, the girl still chanced a cautious look back towards Mila. Though ever so slightly battered, with a few minor cuts and nips on her person, she was still smiling and as confident as she ever was. She even appeared to be enjoying herself, regardless of the injuries. After her quick glance back, she turned her attention back towards the pup and the rest of the pack, still moving as slow and as steady as she was able.

 

[Mila Tesara]

Mila relaxed as it seemed Asaara played off the incident rather well. It seemed the refusal to act made it easier for the pack to not see her as a threat, as both jedi could feel them begin to take ease after several moments, Asaara seemed to be doing quite well for herself. After a bit, the pup finally calmed down, seemingly confused as to why his attempts to initiate play were going ignored. Mila gave a short nod to the girl as she looked towards her, hoping that would encourage her to continue; Asaara seemed to be a natural at this.

That relief wasn't meant to last it seemed as it seemed the hound closest to Asaara sat up, coming up to all four of it's paws, as it sauntered forward, sniffing and snarling at the young woman something fierce. It wasn't hostility, rather....was it a test? Was it trying to frighten her? Mila's hands tightened into fists, as she tried not to get too nervousness, after all Asaara had managed this far, perhaps the padawan could go a bit further. The rest of the pack watched with a tad bit more attentiveness, perhaps wanting to see what this new comer would do to a challenge on her life.

@Nevermore

 

[Asaara Sibri]

As the pup relented in his assault, Asaara turned her gaze ahead with both eyes open. She was littered in small, superficial scratches, but overall she appeared none the worse for wear. As the adult kath hound approached her and began snarling, there was the briefest of lapses in Asaara's visage. Though she fought to prevent any uncertainty from bleeding through, her expression changed from one of jovial confidence to one of startled surprise. She swallowed down a lump in her throat and stayed her ground, still refusing to move in spite of the potential for danger. Mila had her back. If things went awry, she would intervene.

Asaara inhaled deeply again, holding her breath this time as she watched the kath. Her one hand remained outstretched in offering, but this time, the girl attempted something else. As she exhaled her pent up breath, she attempted to reach out once again with the Force to quell the animal's potential challenge. "I won't hurt you," she said confidently to the hound. "You don't need to be scared of me," she continued quietly, soothingly, attempting to use the Force to perhaps help persuade the hound's perception of her. While her grasp of the Force was still growing, perhaps it would work if she willed it enough.

Her hand remained outstretched. The smile she had worn before resurfaced, with a small, perhaps vain hope that it helped her look even slightly more disarming. She maintained her faith in not only Mila, but herself as well. She had set out to accomplish this task of her own accord, and if it was not meant to be, then it was not meant to be. This was a challenge, a test, and a learning experience for Asaara regardless of how the dice fell.

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

It seemed that the padawan had things well in hand, as the hound acknowledged her lack of fear. Instead of lashing out at her, it merely nuzzled it's head against her shoulder. Mila nodded, willing to take a seat on the grassy plains, as Asaara seemed to have overcome whatever trial the hounds could throw at her. Rather impressive for her first time, and a rather complicated technique as well.

Mila had nothing she could really teach the girl now, it seemed to have come naturally for her. Did that make Mila a good teacher? Or was Asaara just a good student? It was a mystery to be sure but it seemed, for now at least, that the padawan had managed to become accepted by part of the pack. The lesson had been completed it seemed, and all with a word from the knight. Not only had she succeeded, but performed far above Mila's own expectations. She certainly would have a future in the order, but only time could tell where that future might take her. Several other members of the pack seemed to take interest in the padawan now, their tags wagging slightly as the inched closer. Seemed Asaara was a popular girl.

@Nevermore

 

[Asaara Sibri]

Asaara smiled with an equal mix of surprise and joy as the hounds appeared to accept her into their pack. As the creatures approached, the girl moved for the first time. She slowly moved one hand up to try and place it on the kath hound nuzzling into her shoulder, while at the same time turning her head back around to look at Mila. Asaara was a clear picture of joy, excitement, and more than a touch of pride.

"Miss Mila," she said in a stage whisper to try and catch the woman's attention. "Come join me!" she said, giggling again with excitement. She turned her attention back to the pack of hounds beginning to congregate around her. "See? I told you that you could trust me," she said with a beaming smile, at least hoping that it was safe to move now. "When Miss Mila comes over here, you can trust her too. She's really nice," the girl continued to speak to the hounds, not entirely sure whether or not they even could understand her. There was always the childish hope that they could.

"Although, your claws hurt," she said, looking down at the little one that had pounced on her earlier. "I'll have to get Miss Mila to bandage me, but you know what? It was so worth it. You're way too cute to be upset at," Asaara continued with another barely subdued titter of joy. "I probably can't stay long, but I promise to come back and see you all again when I can! I hope you remember me." After she finished speaking with the hounds, the girl looked back behind her again to see whether or not Mila was coming to be with her and the hounds.

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

Asaara seemed to want the knight to come towards her, perhaps wanting Mila to see how much success she had with the exercise. The jedi knight did so, rising up and moving towards the hounds, the same aura of serenity radiating off her. The hounds seemed startled at first as the jedi neared them, some growling, others rearing up like they would pounce; but they didn't. Mila didn't get right next to Asarra, rather seven to ten feet away as she congratulated the padawan.

"Very nicely done Asaara. I only expected you to perhaps befriend one or two, but looks like you're a natural at it." Mila noticed some small scraps on the girls arm, and the small hound she had been holding. "They'll probably remember you. You've left an impression on them within the force. Long as the passage of time has not been too long, yes, they'll remember you if we return here." Mila looked to one of the pups which rushed up to her, moving to pat it on the head before it nipped at her finger, it seemed it wanted to play. The small pup didn't seem to have broken the skin, but it was a tad bit of an annoyance. Mila looked back to her student, kneeling now as the pup was now nipping at Mila's robes, trying to convince the Twi'lek to play. "Do you notice anything different perhaps?" Mila inquired, curious if the girl could feel the minds of the creatures.

@Nevermore

 

[Asaara Sibri]

The girl looked back again at Mila as she approached. The kath hounds clearly weren't as trusting of Mila as they were of Asaara, which admittedly took her by surprise. When the girl contemplated the idea however, it made sense to her. Perhaps Mila hadn't interacted with this particular pack before, or perhaps they simply needed time to warm up to her like they did for Asaara herself. When Mila praised her for her ability to earn the trust of an entire pack, instead of just one or two, she looked even more surprised.

"Y-You mean that isn't normal? I... you mean normally you'd only be able to make friends with a couple?" she asked, still idly petting one of the hounds. She smiled back at her mentor with pride, giving the hound she was petting one soft pat on the head. Asaara slowly rose to her feet, still beaming joyously at Mila. "I'm glad they'll remember me," Asaara stated cheerfully. "I'll certainly remember them. I don't think I could forget this moment even if I wanted to."

Asaara pursed her lips as Mila posed her question. Crossing one arm over her chest, the other one lifted to rub the cusp of her hand thoughtfully against her chin. Other than their dispositions clearly changing to perceive Asaara as trustworthy, nothing immediately came to mind. She looked down at the creatures, her gaze fixated on them intently. After a few moments of silent debating to herself, Asaara shook her head.

"I... I'm afraid I don't know, Miss Mila," Asaara answered. "They definitely think of me as friendly now, but... I'm not sure what else could be different?"

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

Clearly Mila had misspoken to the young woman, as Asaara didn't seem to understand what she was talking about. She would have to work on how she phrased things going forward. "For a first attempt, some struggle with befriending one creature, but it seems you are quite adapt at controlling your emotions." Mila looked to the small hound that was pawing at her leg, before she relented and knelled down to pat him on the head. It was good to see that Asaara valued her new friends so well, perhaps in time she could return to see them once again.

The rest of the pack didn't seem to try and do anything to the Twi'lek as she did this, as the jedi continued to mentor. "Well, a more advanced method of this technique is to give them commands, ask them to do something for you." Mila demonstrated this by pointing her finger off towards a stick that was about twenty feet for them, and bid a small suggestion for the young pup to retrieve it. "Watch, I've asked him to get me that stick, simply but thinking of the command, and using the bond we forged for him to recognize it." As Mila spoke, the small hound did just that, running towards the stick and snatching it up, before trotting back to Mila, tail wagging in bliss. Mila took the stick from the pup, patting him on the head, as she tossed it into the distance, and several other pups now embarked on a race to fetch the stick, causing a chuckle to come from Mila. "Somethings don't change." She shook her head, clearly not planning on that. She looked to the padawan, motioning for the girl to come closer. "But this power should not be abused, it should not take advantage of the trust that these creatures have put in you." Mila's tone was a tad more stern, as she knew all to well how many people might take advantage of such a power over creatures.

@Nevermore

 

[Asaara Sibri]

The eyes of the girl scanned over the pack of hounds she had managed to befriend. There had always been an innate fear, small though it was, that Asaara was not in particular control of her emotions. She had always acquiesced at the slightest inconvenience, or the most minute traces of annoyance or irritation. She was afraid of not only being incompetent, but being a bother. These meddling thoughts had always served to play some part on the girl's behaviour, and consequentially her emotions, but it sounded as though Mila had more than a modicum of faith in her abilities to control her emotions. She couldn't help a smile at the idea.

As Mila mentioned being able to eventually issue commands to the hounds, Asaara immediately snapped to attention from her contemplation. The Padawan attempted in vain to stifle a giggle as she watched the pup bounded joyously away to retrieve the stick, then come proudly back to return it. Asaara's face lit up like the stars in the night sky, her small hands clasping together merrily as she gasped with unabashed excitement. As Mila tossed the stick again, causing the veritable flood of pups to chase after it, she squealed quietly in delight. Asaara's entire figure trembled with anticipation.

"They're so cute!" she chirped, giggling and squealing with glee as she watched the swarm of kath pups romp and play. She looked back at Mila as the woman bade her come closer, and she obliged. As Mila's tone deadpanned, and the gravity of the situation sunk in, Asaara cleared her throat and straightened herself out. She nodded obediently as she was instructed, keeping herself straight-faced and resolute for the lesson of obvious importance.

"I will never abuse it," Asaara said, dipping down into a low, respectful bow, causing her lekku to hang freely to either side of her face. "I would never dream of abusing it. I couldn't imagine why anybody would, but..." A pause. "...I know some people probably already have. I promise I'll be responsible, Miss Mila."

@Algarus