Open Yavin IV While You Were Partying, We Studied The Blade

[Wilvick Aureud]

(OOC: Open to 2 to 4 Jedi Padawans)

The galaxy was, as always, at war.

Wilvick pondered this, as he stood atop the temple on Yavin, staring at the luminous orange gas giant overhead. As a Padawan, Keira had insisted that he be familiar with the history of the galaxy. At the time, he hadn't bothered to ask why, because he thought that he'd understood: to know history was to ensure that it didn't repeat. That was, for all intents and purposes, the importance of the past. Scholars and academics would agree with that.

Yet, history did repeat. Time and time again, the Jedi and the Sith met on the battlefield, and blood was shed. Lives were lost. Planets shattered. One side would recede; be defeated. Then, for a while, the galaxy would experience a sliver of peace, even if it were a fragile one at best. Then, eventually, the losers would return many years later, having rebuilt themselves or found one last hope and...

And inevitably, the galaxy would find itself right back in the cycle of violence. Just like the times they were in right now.

Wilvick allowed himself to sigh, and then let it go. Today was not a day for philosophy. Today, the young Jedi Knight would find himself in the role of a teacher for the first time in his life. He was too young, he thought, and too inexperienced to be a proper mentor. He lacked the wisdom, skill, and power of the masters that should have been here, instructing in his place.

But the Order had fallen on... tough times. Everyone was needed, and a Jedi's life was service. There were Padawans in need of education, and even if he was far from the best swordsman, Wilvick was qualified enough to teach them the basics. He had always felt a calling to the art of lightsaber combat, despite the fact that he loathed having to draw his weapon. Perhaps his disdain for violence even made him the best candidate to teach this class.

So, he waited without complaint. He wore his usual brown robes, lightsabers hanging from his belt, with his back to the stairs that led to the top of his platform.

"How do I even approach this..."

Perhaps he was a little nervous.

 

[Quin Leonkri]

When it came to combat, Quin was in need of a lot more training, and he knew it. Heck, he’d even missed two of three shots when he’d tried out a carnival shooting game with a fellow Padawan and a Mandalorian, and the targets had been sitting just a few feet in front of him. On Kashyyyk, the spiders were yet another reminder that he barely knew how to use his lightsaber. To him, the only reason he’d gotten out was because of the three knights who were there with him, and he wanted to be prepared for the day that he would be on his own.

So, Quin had decided to join Master Aureud’s lesson atop the temple on Yavin. Unlike the classes at the Royal Academy on Naboo, this one he was actually excited for. There was no better time to change things than the present! He headed up the stairs to the platform at the top, spotting the Jedi knight looking out into the distance. There didn’t look to be any other Padawans here yet— he was a little bit early. Ever since the day he’d nearly missed his shuttle, he’d always made sure to get ready a few minutes earlier. It worked like a charm!

And, if he could change his habit of being late, surely he could improve on his lightsaber skills too.

“G’day, master!” he chirped as he came to a stop a short distance behind Wilvick, clasping his hands behind his back. His lightsaber hilt hung onto his belt right by his hip. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything, like meditation. Were you meditating? Or were you just waiting? Or both? I always-” He cut himself off mid-sentence when he realized that he was rambling again. “Oh.” I’m talking too much again, aren’t I? Yet another thing he needed to work on. “Sorry. Just wanted to say that I’m, uh, here for lightsaber training.”

@Vicc125

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan had attended an unarmed combat training course before, but he'd usually shied away from showing up to the lightsaber combat classes. If he was being honest with himself, it was the area where he could use the most help; but that also made it difficult to focus on because he was afraid of his previous failures continuing to haunt him.

So it was with reluctance that Ruzaan made his way towards where the class was going to be held, and was pleasantly surprised to see that it looked to be a smaller class than normal; with a few minutes to go before the lesson time, only Master Aureud and Quin were present.

"Hello" Ruzaan said as he approached, favoring Quin with a friendly smile and then inclining his head towards the Jedi Knight. His stomach was a bundle of nerves, but he reached down and unhooked his training lightsaber. "I'm not sure which mode this is on, can you check it for me please?" he asked Wilvick, handing it over. While the Knight examined and adjusted the weapon as needed, Ruzaan would turn to face his friend Quin. "What's new with you, recently?" Talking was something he was much more comfortable with than dueling.


@Sicadorito @Vicc125

 

[Wilvick Aureud]

Wilvick heard footsteps on the stairs behind him, but did not yet turn to address his students. Not out of any sort of malice, or desire to feel unapproachable. Simple because, well, he hadn't yet decided how to address his class. He likely wouldn't be much older than these Padawans, recently promoted as he was. Should he be casual? Or professional?

These were pointless questions, he realized. Wilvick only knew one way to instruct others, and that was how he himself had been instructed.

"Good morning, students," Wilvick turned to his small class, arms clasped behind him, but a smile on his face, "I am Wilvick Aureud, Jedi Knight."

The Togruta student bid he check his saber, and so Wilvick did. He held it in his hand, and ignited the blade. It seemed... was this Ruzaan? He was sure it was. Ruzaan seemed to already have his lightsaber in its usual training mode, easy to spot by the way the core of the blade was a pale blue, and not white. Satisfied, Wilvick handed it back to the Padawan.

"Very good, Ruzaan. Your lightsaber is in the proper mode," Wilvick turned to the human student, "and worry not, Quin, you didn't interrupt anything important. Just some absent thoughts of mine."

This class was smaller than he'd thought it would be, considering there were only two students. But perhaps that wasn't a bad thing: that meant more one-on-one time with each of his students.

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[Quin Leonkri]

“Ruzaan!” Quin grinned at his friend as he saw him coming up the steps. He was glad that he knew someone here, and better yet, someone who he liked. Master Aureud introduced himself then, and Quin had a feeling that he was going to like him too.

Ruz handed his lightsaber over to Wilvick for adjustment, and Quin ignited his own to double-check if it was on the right mode. Training mode confirmed, it was only after he put his hilt back that he realized that the other Padawan had asked him a question.

“So much! I’ve been learning some more slicing. After Jakku, I thought I should get better at it in case we have to do something like that again,” he explained. “Next time, we’ll have longer than two hours. How about you? What’ve you been up to?”

He waited for his response before turning back to Wilvick as he handed the lightsaber back to his friend. Quin was glad to find out that he hadn’t interrupted anything— that would have been a terrible first impression.

For now, Quin would stand quietly and wait for the lesson to begin. Dueling was not his specialty, and he would absorb as much knowledge as he could when they started.

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[Ruzaan Kai]

Having received confirmation that he wasn't about to accidentally cut anyone's limbs off- or, more likely, his own- Ruzaan murmured his thanks to the Jedi Knight and walked back over to where Quin was waiting. The Togruta's smile was genuine as he listened to Quin talk about learning more about slicing; having little technological aptitude himself, Ruzaan was fascinated and in awe of those who could make machines do what they wanted them to do. Quin had been a valuable member of the investigation on Jakku, and Ruzaan was grateful that the other Padawan was here.

"Nothing too exciting around here" he said. "Just training I guess", which reminded him why they were here. "Talk later?" he offered to Quin, before turning his attention back to Master Aureud. It wouldn't do to waste the Jedi Knight's time.

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[Wilvick Aureud]

It seemed his two students knew each other, rather well it seemed. Good. Part of being able to teach a class effectively, was making sure that the class could work together. Or at least, that was what one of the articles he'd read on the holonet had said. Wilvick wasn't afraid to admit that he'd had to resort to looking up guides for this.

"I see you two are familiar with each other, that's good," Wilvick kept his easy going smile on his face, "unfortunately, I don't know anything beyond what little information the archives hold on the two of you. So why don't we start with introductions? Tell me a little bit about yourselves."

A good teacher was one who knew their students. Wilvick didn't need to look that one up. No, he'd learned that by being a student. His Master had known his strengths and weaknesses, but more importantly, she had known how to motivate him. How to push him to the brink of self-improvement, so that he could cross that threshold on his own.

He didn't expect to be able to do that for these boys, not in the time span of one class. But perhaps he could get a sense of who he was teaching, and why they were here.

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[Quin Leonkri]

“Hey, training is fun.” Quin shrugged at that, and turned to look at Wilvick when Ruzaan did too. Their first task didn’t seem particularly difficult: it was simply to give an introduction, and seeing that was not particularly related to lightsaber combat, Quin would be able to do it without a hitch.

“Well, I’m Quin! I’m from Naboo, and I’ve been a Padawan for…” He frowned, looking down to count his fingers, “about six months now? Time flies.” He said the last part in surprise; he didn’t think he’d been here that long already. But Wilvick and Ruzaan were still waiting for him to finish, so he decided to wrap it up. “Anyway, I’m more of a… non-combat kind of person, so I apologize in advance for being terrible at anything to do with fighting. I guess that’s why I’m here.” He grinned, putting his hands behind his back. “Looking forward to learning from you, Master.”

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[Ruzaan Kai]

"I'm impressed with your skills in technology!" Ruzaan replied after Quin's comments about training. Their conversation quickly shifted, though, as the lesson got underway with Master Aureud asking them about themselves. Whether he realized it or not, the Togruta approved of the Knight's approach to the lesson; Ruzaan always felt more comfortable when he was around people he knew. He waited patiently as Quin spoke, unable to keep his eyebrows from raising in surprise as the other padawan admitted to only being part of the Order for 6 months; Quin struck him as an incredibly capable Jedi.

"I'm Ruzaan, and I've been part of the Order for about two years now" he said when it was his turn. "I'm also not great at lightsaber combat" -his mind flashed back to Felucia, among other failures- "and I'm also looking forward to learning from you today. I use a double-bladed lightsaber, but I'm not sure if it's right for me." He hadn't exactly been successful with it thus far, but maybe today could change that.

Tentatively, Ruzaan asked a question of his own. "Can you tell us a little about yourself and what the lesson will be like?"

@Sicadorito @Vicc125

 

[Wilvick Aureud]

Wilvick listened to his students as they introduced themselves properly. Both seemed to be interested in the lesson they'd learn here today, which was good. An unmotivated student didn't learn much. More importantly, however, was that these two boys were humble. Willing to admit that they had much to learn. That would make it that much easier for him to teach.

"Of course," Wilvick nodded at Ruzaan's request, "I am Wilvick Aureud, Jedi Knight. I was born on Corellia, but raised at the temple on Dantooine. I've spent my entire life with the Order."

That would probably work for an introduction. Which was only one part of Ruzaan's question. Now he had the lesson plan to explain.

"Today I'm going to instruct you in the basics of using a lightsaber. We'll start with the fundamentals: Shii-Cho, just so I can get a feel of where you're at in your training. From there on, we'll try to focus on identifying which of the forms of lightsaber combat might suit you best."

Wilvick considered ending there, but realized there was one more important thing to mention: his own shortcomings.

"Before we start class properly, there's one thing I should acknowledge: that while I consider lightsaber combat to be my greatest strength, I am no Master. I'm knowledgeable enough to undertake your training, but there is much that I, myself, still have to learn. What I teach today is not the end all be all. Be willing to adapt it, if someone with more experience than myself instructs you in the future."

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[Quin Leonkri]

Quin gave Ruzaan the same respect during his introduction that he’d given him during his. It looked like he and the other Padawan were in the same boat here when it came to limited experience with lightsabers, and he was glad that he’d be able to learn alongside his friend.

Quin was also starting to take a liking to Master Aureud. He was direct and clear in what he was saying, and just from the way he’d replied to Ruzaan’s question, he could tell that the lesson would be just as thorough. At the thought of hopefully being able to pick which lightsaber combat form he would practice by the end of class, he already couldn’t wait to get started.

At Master Aureud’s last remark, Quin nodded to let the Jedi knight know he understood. He appreciated the Jedi knight’s honesty. Even if Wilvick said he wasn’t a master, he would still take his advice to heart. In the future, he would add onto it if it was necessary, but that would be something to worry about another time.

“Yes, Master.”

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[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan subconsciously picked up on Quin's excitement, a smile spreading over his face as he, too, grew excited- and a little nervous- for the lesson. He couldn't remember with certainty which form Shi-Cho was; what if he made a fool of himself? At least Master Aureud appeared to be both a humble and a competent teacher, and Ruzaan echoed Quin's acknowledgement with a slight incline of his head. The Togruta then waited for further instructions.

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[Wilvick Aureud]

"Good," Wilvick nodded at his class, "then we'll begin."

Wilvick walked a few feet away from his class, and shucked his brown robe. He let it hang over the edge of the temple, not particularly worried that it would get blown away. He turned back to his students, and clasped his hands behind his back. Between his pose, and his simple brown tunic, he almost felt like a Jedi Knight. Almost.

"Tell me, Padawans, when does a Jedi draw his lightsaber?"

It was a question that he had been asked, many years ago, before he'd constructed his own lightsaber. It was an important question too, and the answer was perhaps the most important lesson he'd ever learned from Master Keira. If he was truly going to teach, then Wilvick knew that this was the only place he could start.

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[Quin Leonkri]

Quin had been expecting to jump right into the lightsaber combat part of the lesson, having already taken out his hilt, and Master Aureud’s question caught him somewhat off guard. His eyes went from his lightsaber to Ruzaan to Master Aureud before he thought of something to say.

“When he has to defend himself?” His answer came out as more of a question. He recounted each of the times he’d had to use his saber, and that seemed to sum it all up. He couldn’t even imagine what it would have been like if he hadn’t had his weapon when surrounded by giant spiders.

But, as he waited to hear what ideas Ruzaan had, he also thought of all of the times he could have used it for other reasons. Thinking of it in that perspective, he started to see why Master Aureud was bringing up the topic. Was it a test? If so, he hoped that he’d passed.

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[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan tried not to get distracted by the flapping of Wilvick's robe as it hung over the edge of the temple; would it get blown away? He had to drag his eyes back to where the robe's owner cut a very impressive sight, looking every inch the Jedi he was. Expecting to need his lightsaber right away, Wilvick's question caught him with his hand halfway down to where his training saber was clipped to his belt. Oops. Still slightly thrown off, Ruzaan responded to the Knight's question after Quin did.

"When you say to, and not before!" He should've remembered Rule #1 of lightsaber class.

Then the Togruta blinked twice, realizing the implied context in light of Quin's answer.

"Oh, you mean in the field! Uh, yes- if you have to protect yourself or others."

Wince.


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[Wilvick Aureud]

Quin had the right idea. Or at least, he was the closest to the answer. There was one more detail, that the young Padawan had missed, but it seemed the other human understood the point of what he was trying to get at. Ruzaan answered as well, and Wilvick let himself chuckle, despite himself. Technically, that wasn't a wrong answer either.

"In fairness, Ruzaan, your answer is also correct. It's just meant for a slightly different question," Wilvick nodded in the Togruta's direction, "but yes, Quin, you've summed it up. A Jedi uses his lightsaber for defense, to protect themselves or others, but most importantly: a Jedi only draws his weapon as a last resort. Only when you've exhausted all other options."

If nothing else, Wilvick wanted to impart this lesson to the two young Padawans. It was, as far as he was concerned, far more important than even learning how to wield a Jedi's weapon. Because a weapon was about intent, and intent in turn reflected how you wielded a weapon.

"To meet violence with violence is not the Jedi way. Diplomacy is our first option. Subterfuge comes next, though admittedly, I've never been very good at that one," Wilvick allowed himself a small smile, "but there are times when words will fail you. When trickery isn't enough. You will experience this, as all Jedi do, eventually. When you do, that is when you will fall back on what you learn here today."

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[Quin Leonkri]

Ruzaan’s was a more practical answer, and when he heard it Quin quickly hooked his lightsaber back on his belt. He felt a little better about it as he saw Ruzaan’s hand close to his own hilt, though he hadn’t gone as far as to take it off yet.

Besides not messing up, Quin also wanted to pay attention to the lesson, and right now Master Aureud was bringing up an important point. Diplomacy came first, then lightsabers were always a last resort. It wasn’t the first time that he’d heard it— his own master wasn’t keen on going into things saber-first either. Nonetheless, it was a good thing to be aware of as a Jedi. If he’d made the decision to join the Order, he would live up to its standards. Is that easier said than done? He shook away the thought.

“Got it, Master. I won’t forget it.” He nodded to show that he understood.

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[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan listened attentively as Wilvick spoke about approaching life whilst carrying a lightsaber. The Jedi Knight clearly had put much thought into this, and Ruzaan echoed Quin's words with a, "Yes, Master." He couldn't think of a time when he had needlessly drawn his lightsaber yet, but it was a good reminder that they carried weapons with the potential to apply lethal force... even as the Togruta felt himself getting a little antsy. He'd expected the lesson to start off with them sparring, not debating the philosophy of when to draw one's lightsaber.

@Sicadorito @Vicc125

 

[Wilvick Aureud]

"Now, without further ado..."

Wilvick pulled the wooden cased lightsaber from his belt and ignited it, revealing its illuminating green blade. He held the lightsaber out in front of him, both hands on the hilt. Then, he began a repetition of wide horizontal sweeping motions, combined with a few vertical strikes from overhead.

"Shii-Cho is the simplest of our forms, created during the transition from fighting with metal swords to the first lightsabers. As such, you'll notice that it lacks the fluidity and complexity of later forms. But don't let that fool you: Shii-Cho establishes the fundamentals of lightsaber combat. It uses an aggressive approach in order to force an opening for you to take advantage of. But it always returns to a defensive stance after each strike, and it is important not to forget that."

Wilvick demonstrated one final blow, before bringing his saber back into ready position.

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[Quin Leonkri]

Quin’s eyes lit up when he saw Master Aureud pull out his lightsaber and demonstrate a few swings. His explanation he could understand too, and this didn’t look so hard. All he had to do was swing, and then return to a defensive stance like Master Aureud said.

Igniting his lightsaber, he held his hilt out in front of him with two hands as the Jedi knight had demonstrated, blade slightly tilted away from his body. Then, he swung it experimentally from up to down, starting slowly at first. Then he tried horizontally, and when it seemed like it was working he did it once more, this time faster.

“Like this?”

Unfortunately, it seemed that he had gotten a little ahead of himself, and after swinging it a couple times his blade was heading right for Ruzaan. Quin’s eyes widened as he saw his blade about to hit his friend’s arm, and he drew his saber back just in time.

“Sorry, sorry!” Good thing it’s on training mode. Still, he realized it was best to take it slow, just in case, and he managed an embarrassed glance at Master Aureud.

“I’ll, um, move over here so I don’t accidentally… you know.” He took a few small steps to the left and grinned sheepishly.

@SlagathorTheUnknown @Vicc125