Violet Tempest's Training (Banik Kelrada, Master)

[Brandon Rhea]

Banik never liked Ossus all that much. Despite the fact that it was rugged and lush world covered in water with an abundance of flora and fauna, as well as a population numbering in the tens of millions, he never felt at home at the great temple. He much preferred the spartan and metallic environment of Coruscant, as it was the center of the life of the people of the Republic rather than Ossus which was only the center of Jedi affairs. His reassignment from Coruscant to Ossus came as somewhat of a disappointment to him, though he silently complied with his transfer orders.

The Jedi Master awoke from his meditations within his chambers. Unlike many of the well decorated chambers in the temple, Banik had chosen to keep his reflective of the spartain life of Coruscant to remind him of where he enjoyed being. There were no statues of ancient Jedi Masters or philosophers, though he did prefer candles over lights. It gave the room an atmosphere of peace that he very much nourished. Despite this, a small meditation chamber was no place to train a padawan.

Banik stood up from his meditations and threw his hood over his head as he stepped outside of the chambers. After turning a few corners, a door slid open and he stepped outside, taking in the cool air of Ossus at dawn. Even though he did prefer Coruscant, Ossus was a peaceful planet and he could see the capital city from where he was. He stared out across the plains, looking towards the city and letting the wind carry his calm throughout the Force as he simply stood at ease, his eyes closed in thought, as he awaited the arrival of his padawan learner.

 

[Ols]

Violet was excited as she walked toward her new master. She could not wait to begin her real training. She had been told to meet him in one of the gardens of Ossus. All she knew of her new master was that he was a he and he had just arrived from Coruscant. She walked through the beautiful green gardens and saw one of the few figures awake at dawn ahead of her. Standing in the doorway was a tall man, his face covered in shadow by his hood. She felt a strange sensation of nerves in her stomach and she knew this was her master. She walked up to him, her bright green eyes looked up at his face and she spoke, "Master?"

 

[Brandon Rhea]

Banik had sensed her coming as she had made her way through the hallways. It was clear to him how excited she was to begin her training as a Jedi Knight, and he could hardly blame her. All young students were eager to learn all that they could until, one day, they were able to pass their Jedi trails and become a Knight of the Jedi Order, a defender of truth and a guardian of peace and justice. He had been the same way when he was younger, before he began to feel restricted by the lifestyle that had been chosen for him when he was a small child without his consent or knowledge. There was no sense dwelling on things he could not change, though. It only led to turmoil, and he knew that there was enough of that in the universe for him to add to it.

As she spoke, he could sense that her excitement was mixed with a sense of nervousness. Such feelings were natural, of course. She knew not what awaited her in her training, let alone the rest of her life as a Jedi assuming she successfully completed her training and her trials. Becoming a Jedi required a profound commitment and an astute mind and those who were successful entered into what would be a life of sacrifice, so the nervousness from his padawan and all students within the order was entirely justified, even though he would help to remove such feelings from her life during the span of her training.

Banik removed his hood, though for a moment he did not turn around to face her. He wanted to take in the cool morning air for just a few more moments before he went to work, as it always helped clear his mind and allow him to think and act more clearly in important situations such as the training of an apprentice. When he was satisfied with his cleared mind, he turned around to face her nodded with a faint smile, one that didn't show that he was overly happy but one that did show that he was, after all, pleased to make her acquaintance.

"Padawan," he said as nodded, returning her initial comment and stretching out his hand towards the flowing fountain in the middle of the gardens. "Please, take a seat over here by the fountain."

The massive fountain area within the center of the gardens was sometimes used by the Jedi Council as a meeting place because of its peacefulness and serenity. Though there was one main fountain, there were others throughout the gardens amongst the bushes and flowers. Banik hoped to sometimes use it as a meditative retreat, and he had been told that those who were injured sometimes used it as a recovery spot because of its calming and soothing nature.

"The council gave me a report on your background," Banik told her, "but I chose not to read it. I'd prefer to hear what you want to tell me about yourself rather than what a datapad has to say."

 

[Ols]

"Me?" she said, "Well, I was born on Coruscant, and I suppose I was always meant to be a Jedi, I was born in the monastery itself. My mum was a Jedi Knight there, and my dad a politician. I can't remember much of my dad, he died when I was very young. My mum took his death hard, and I was sent here, so I could have a life away from my family. She came and visited me a lot, though," she paused for breath, and to think of what else to say, "I enjoyed my training at first, as a youngling. I loved to learn, and put all my efforts into my studies. But my mum died when I was thirteen, three years ago now. I went to Coruscant for her funeral, that was the last time I left Ossus. Coruscant is filled with sadness now. While I was there I had these tattos," she gestured to the small tattoos on her cheeks, "after that I returned here and continued my training. Then you showed up and the council told me I was to be made your Padawan. That's about it, really."

 

[Brandon Rhea]

Banik listened intently as the padawan told her story. So much tragedy in such a short life was heartbreaking indeed. It was a cause of concern for him, as he knew that tragedy such as that could be exploited, manipulated and used to turn someone down the dark path, though in the end he could not remember the last time someone turned to the Dark Side of the Force. All he could do was ensure that the tragedy did not become a large part of her life all while making sure she did not forget that it was there, as denying such would be denying her past and her very existence.

"I'm sorry to hear about your losses, padawan, but there is another question I must ask," he said. "Did your parents choose this life for you, or did you want to choose it as well? What is it that you wish to accomplish as a Jedi Knight in our vast galaxy?"

 

[Ols]

The question took her aback slightly. As long as she could remember she had lived with the Jedi and trained to be a Jedi, and that was that. She had never asked, never even wondered if there was another life for her.

"I guess my parents chose it originally. I was too young to make a proper decision back then anyway. But I don't regret it," she said and considered his next question, "as a Jedi Knight I wish to represent the Order. I want to be a good Jedi and make a difference in this galaxy; a difference for the better."

He had asked all the questions so far, and that was understandable, but she was still curious, this man would be her teacher for years, "So what's your story then, master?"

 

[Brandon Rhea]

"All in good time, padawan," Banik said with a faint smile. He did not often speak of his past, as he never truly felt the need to be open with anyone about it. Granted, it was important for a proper master-padawan relationship, but other parts of the first day of training took precedence. If there was time towards the end of the day to speak to her about himself he would, but at the moment he had more questions for her so he could get to know her better and understand her way of thinking. Doing so was crucial to knowing how to teach a padawan, as one could not go into training with a set rubric because every padawan was different in their own respects.

"Making a difference is a noble aspiration," Banik told her, "but it's also a very vague one. We will have plenty of time to narrow your goals so they can be more attainable. But first, tell me, do you respect and agree with the decision that was made for you? Have you ever wanted to be anything else other than a Jedi Knight?"

His questions would undoubtedly catch Violet off guard, but that was the point of asking them. Only when someone felt as if they were under some form of pressure would they be more inclined to answer questions such as the ones that he was posing to her. Of course, she was not under any pressure from him, but he had no way of knowing if she knew that. It was purely a psychological effect that he had used to great success in the past.

 

[Ols]

A little put out that her master refused to remove his own shroud of mystery so soon, Violet was brought right back by his next question. She considered it, not wanting to rush an answer that would be the wrong one. She replied, "Well, to be perfectly honest, I've never even thought about anything else. I appreciate the decision, but I've never had the chance to question it. I am a Jedi apprentice, and one day I'll be a Jedi Knight. It's part of who I am, part of my identity. And I've never wanted to give up any part of my identity."

 

[Brandon Rhea]

What she gave him was an honest and perfectly acceptable answer. Most people who had only lived in one particular life for their entire lives and had never experienced anything on the outsider were bound to not consider doing anything else, especially those who were studying to become a Knight of the Jedi. Jedi Padawans were trained with a sense of honor and duty, and wanting to have another life would have gone counter to that. Although questioning decisions made by others was perfectly acceptable and entirely necessary in a free society, loyalty was key in the life of a Jedi Knight. Banik was pleased to see that such ideals had already been instilled within her.

“And I would never ask you to give up your identity,” Banik told her, speaking the truth as he could not imagine ever being in a position where he would be forced to choose between his loyalty to his life and some outside force. “Now that I’ve gotten to know you a bit, I wish to start off our first session together with a simple meditative practice that I want you to use while meditating. Close your eyes, Violet, and picture yourself in a far off place that makes you feel calm, at peace and passive.”

To help with the explanation of what she was going to be going through in the exercise, Banik closed his eyes as well. His thoughts drifted to life on Coruscant and he watched in his mind as vehicles sped past the high rise buildings that stretched on from horizon to horizon and seemingly touched the sky. He never truly knew why, but he always felt at peace in such a spartan environment. It was easy to be calm and centered on Ossus, but there was something about Coruscant that made him feel different and more at home than anywhere else he had ever been.

“If you see only blackness,” Banik said, not hiding that his tone reflected his calm and peaceful presence while imagining himself in the cities, “that will change. Not only is this exercised used for centering yourself when meditating or when in tense situations, it’s also geared towards allowing you to see what is necessary rather than just seeing what’s in front of you. Always remember that your eyes are the tools of deception. They can bring about the illusion of pain, suffering and even death. Events can become clearer through the eyes of the Force, and some can even see the future through them. Now, padawan, tell me what it is that you see.”

 

[Ols]

Violet listened intently and closed her eyes. She tried to think of somewhere where she was relaxed, and thought that, as usually people relaxed her, rather than places, she would have to improvise. She liked the gardens of Ossus, they were so tranquil and peaceful. She allowed herself to drift through the gardens in her mind, a gentl breeze fluttering on her face. And she was relaxed. She wanted to let the Force take her, engulf her. She felt calm and centered, so she spoke, "I see..."she tried to find the word to describe the virbancy; the plants; the other Jedi, "life. I see it as it should be seen. I can see deeper into things than ever before." She was astounded she could do this, she had never looked inside a living organism before, not through the Force, yet that was what this was like.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

"It's good that you see life," Banik told her, though that was only the first step, "but in order to understand how we deal with life we must first understand how we deal with death. As we know, though, death exists only in your mind, but the physical sense lurks around every corner and cannot be stopped. If you know that there is no death, but rather only the Force, then you will be able to put aside your fears when moving into a dangerous situation. Wouldn't you agree?"

 

[Ols]

"Yes," she said, "I would. But death doesn't really scare me anyway. It causes pain and it sadness, but it's not scary. Everyone dies at somepoint, so it's a waste of time fearing the inevitable." She had contemplated a lot about death in her short life, she had seen it's ugly head rearing up close and had to deal with it before. She felt great sadness for her parents and although she had learned to live with the pain, she had not gotten over it, but she did not fear it.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

"Yes, exactly," Banik told her, pleased that she was able to grasp the idea, though whether or not she would be able to live such an idea would be decided later on in her training. "Always remember, when someone is dying of thirst it's too late to dig a well for them. That is why we must always practice the Way of the Jedi and live our Eight Tenents to the fullest in the here and now. If you wait until you're upon your deathbed to practice the Way, it'll be took late. Death will not wait a moment longer than it's ready. Do not be lazy, but rather be steadfast as a serious, deeply committed Jedi is steadfast. Do you understand what I'm saying to you, young one?"

 

[Ols]

"Grasp the present by the horns," she said, "because you never know what might be in store for you next."

She paused. She thought she had got the jist of what he had said. And she knew it was her duty as a Jedi to practice the tenets in everything she did. She awaited his response.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

"Yes, that is as decent a metaphor as any," Banik told her. "Now that you have the basics of this medatative ability down, please tell me the Jedi Code and your interpretation of it."

 

[Ols]

She concentrated to remember the code. It came easily, though, she had recited it often enough. She spoke clearly, "Emotion, yet peace. That means that while I can have emotion, I need to keep it in check and keep level headed and peaceful above it. Ignorance, yet knowledge. This tells me that while I will always be ignorant in certain things, I should strive to learn more about the Force and the galaxy around me. Passion, yet serenity. Shows me that I should have passion and be passionate, but again, within reason, not to let the passion fuel me and to rely on serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. This points out that while there is Chaos in the galaxy, I must strive to right it and bring harmony where I can. Death, yet the Force. And this tells me that in death we trust in the Force, and even though death is inevitable, the Force is there for us afterwards."

She had thought about the words of the code often, and hoped her master saw her way of thinking and recognised her logic.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

"All very good interpretations," Banik said with sincerity, "but I want to officially start off our training by focusing on each area of the Code, starting with 'Emotion, yet peace'. Tell me, what parts of our eight tenents do you believe relate to this part of the Jedi Code?"

 

[Ols]

"Well," she said, taking a breath, "we should never let emotions guide our actions. When considering which path is the right path, and which side is the right side, we must take an unbiased look and make a decision then. The second tenet relates to this more directly, saying how emotions are a part of life. We can only learn from our emotions and control them so they cannot control us. The third tenet speaks of love specifically, an extreme emotion, and how we must strive to be careful with such things. The rule of never outwardly confronting the council, but keeping such matters private I suppose relates to emotion, as we must control our emotions not to lead us to make any such outbursts. I think the main lesson I have understood when talking about emotions is that we must control them."

 

[Brandon Rhea]

"Yes, control is very important," Banik said with a reserved reaction, "but let me pose a scenario to you to see what you believe you would do in a situation regarding love. Say you fall in love with a mercenary or a pirate. Eventually, you learn there is a warrant out for his arrest and that he is to be put to death for a crime he committed he committed in his youth. Even so, you still love him, regardless of whether you know it's your duty to uphold the law. What would you do in this situation? Would you watch your true love die for crimes he committed, even though he was a changed man, or would you set aside your ideals and save him. Your answer is of no consequence, even if you don't believe I'll like what you have to say."

 

[Ols]

"I've never been in love,so I don't really know how I would feel," she said, and spoke honestly. She wanted a good start to her training, and even if her views were not following the Jedi to the letter, she was someone who was up front with people. She continued, "But if I really was, I think I would save him. As long as he's not hurting people at the time," she paused, pensively and continued, "if he was I'd hope I would stop him. But I don't know about letting him be put to death."