Private Just Point And Shoot

[Kahlil Noble]

In the times of old a Jedi's Lightsaber was a shield, a sword, and a promise. They used them to defend the weak and bring down those who would harm others. And the promise that despite their capabilities, they wouldn't ever do more. That day and age had passed. War was a constant, peace was fleeting. There was no age in which Jedi were not called upon for war. Which meant they had to be ready. Which meant Kahlil needed to make sure his Padawans were ready.

It wasn't all doom and gloom, though. Within one of the training rooms he idly fiddled with the control settings of the drones he'd activated, set up the different parts of the room for different types of challenges. Beside him on the table, a pair of blasters, a rifle. A couple different forms of weaponry to help zero in on whether or not Shan could actually use a blaster well. It was easy by all accounts, but to use it effectively and without hesitation was the difference between life and death for Jedi.

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

In the past, Shan would have instantly rejected the idea of learning how to shoot. In his eyes, blasters were only designed to cause pain and death, but in the past experiences he had just gone through, Shan was starting to think that learning how to shoot would be quite a useful skill in being a Jedi. Plus being a Jedi who could use a blaster...Well, some people might expect Shan to only rely on his lightsaber, and it would be a neat trick to pull during the middle of a fight to just pull out a blaster and start firing.

He hurried off to the training room, eventually arriving to take a look around to see the blasters on display, a small frown on his face. Even though he had accepted that he was going to try to use one, that didn't mean he was looking forward to the idea of actually using one. Shan shook his head, hurrying over towards Kahlil, giving his master a bright smile. "Sorry for being late Master. I was in deep thought and forgot what the time was." Shan just lowered his head at that a little bit, taking a small bow. He was eager to learn how to shoot accurately.

Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"You're fine, Shan. Though you have been arriving later than normal for a while now." He chuckled, raising a brow as he looked to the Mirialan as he entered the room. He wasn't going to press that, but he was curious as to why.

No, later. Instead he motioned to the table.

"Go ahead and pick one. Whatever feels the most comfortable to hold, really. Then we'll get started."

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

"I just have a lot more...things to think about compared to what I used to." Shan admitted to Kahlil. It wasn't like his master was trying to pry and find out why Shan was being late, but Shan felt like he had to at least explain some of it.

He could answer more about that later, but for now, he reached his right hand out toward the blaster, before hesitating for a moment. Glancing to his right hand then his belt where he kept his saber, Shan instead took the blaster into his left hand carefully. If he wanted to try and use both at the same time, he should get used to using his non-dominant hand.

"This feels more comfortable to me...Easier to carry and leaves a hand free."

Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil raised a brow curiously as Shan reached out for a blaster. Then, he just smiled. Off hand with his saber, huh? Kahlil unclipped his own blade before unholstering the blaster Valery Noble had made for him. Just to hold them both.

"It does, especially if you're good at holstering the blaster. There's another advantage to this by the way, at least holding them like this. Your lightsaber you can use as defense. The more you're able to relax in the Force like with Soresu to let your body react it's defense, the easier you can focus on where you're firing. I actually use this myself."

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

"That's part of what I was thinking, Master. Plus the blaster allows for more...creativity in attacks I'd think."

There was a small bit of pride at the thought that he had picked up the same idea as Kahlil, as Shan took a close look at the blaster he had picked up. He wasn't stupid, Shan knew how a blaster worked. He had seen a fair amount of them used, a few times against him, but having never actually used one himself, it felt strange to be in his hand. Unnatural and almost alien as he twisted and turned his hand, keeping a finger far off the trigger.

"...Also there might be times I can't use my lightsaber, right? So carrying a blaster like this around would work well as a back up. At least better than a rifle I think. It's easier to conceal a regular blaster."

Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"For worlds that don't allow weaponry, yes. And, well, if you want to surprise your opponent. I wouldn't recommend trying that until you're comfortable quick drawing. There's no surprise if you can't shoot right away."

He turned then, taking aim at the various drones. One by one with rather precise shots he shot down, though it was clear he wasn't really using his eyes to guide it. "With the Force guiding you, your shots will be more accurate. Easier than most others could shoot, at that. Have you heard of the Gand? They have their own Force Traditions, the Findsman. Through their unique teachings, they can use the Force to guide their shots to not just plot where the shot will land, but where it can be ricocheted into. More than once. Their shots will always find their mark when they take them."

Kahlil lowered his blaster, holstering it on his hip before smiling down towards Shan. "I've no idea if it's just a foresight thing, or they're able to guide their shots themselves. But for us who use the Force as we do, all we need is to trust it. It's a good foundation for you to at least learn how to aim. Lift the blaster, point where you want to shoot, and let the Force guide you to pull the trigger."

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

"I see...I see...I should probably work on my hand to hand combat as well...But one thing at a time."

At the thought of worlds that disallowed weaponry, the first thought that came to Shan's mind was himself. A person could train their body to be a weapon. Though some could also train their body to be a shield. His eyes went over towards Kahlil either way, watching the blasts shoot out towards the drones, and then watching the drones fall. "I've heard of the Gand, on Nar Shaddaa. My father worked with a lot of engineers, and he used to say they're great engineers. Though he never got to speak to any, apparently most of them stay on their planet." However, learning about the way they used the Force to guide their shots intrigued Shan. It would technically be cheating in some aspects, but I mean...Use what you had at the end of the day.

Either way, he lifted his blaster up, trying to aim towards one of the drones as they flew. Taking in a deep breath to try and let the Force guide him, Shan fired off a single shot...and missed. A small hiss of frustration was his response, before he tried to aim once again. Come on...Just let the Force decide when to pull the trigger...Once again, Shan yanked the trigger of the blaster, missing for a second time. A third shot came rather quickly, though it was more of a shot of frustration than an actually focused one, missing far more than the other two blasts.. Calm down. He had to just calm down, and let his frustrations fade away. Let the Force guide...and then squeeze the trigger. Letting out a fourth shot, skimming one of the drones. It was the closest shot he had made, so he wasn't going to complain.

Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"That's right, you're from Nar Shadda. Don't let your emotions get the better of you, just breath. Squeeze the trigger, don't pull. It'll throw your aim off. What can you tell me of your time there? Your father was an engineer. .. Actually, I'm just more fascinated by your people's culture. I know the tattoos mean something." Kahlil was all over the place with his line of thought, but for good reason. Both to catch Shan off guard in a hopes to get a truthful answer, and to keep him distracted from his firing. If he wanted to survive and fight in a battle with a blaster, there was going to be far more than idle conversation pulling his attention.

"What do yours mean?"

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

"It was...I'd say tough on Nar Shaddaa, but I know people who were worse off. I at least had a family." Shan tried to keep his focus on shooting, whilst answering Kahlil's questions. Every so often, he'd manage to hit a drone, taking a minute or two before speaking again. "I used to get beat up a lot. My parents would say it was my own fault...and it kinda was. Always went out to try and help people who needed food, or water, or just medical aid. Meant a lot of people saw me as an easy target to beat up." Interestingly enough, talking about getting beaten up didn't seem to make Shan any more frustrated as he stayed focused on firing.

"Our tattoos always mean something different for the individual...Yeah. My father wasn't too big on them, but my mother wanted me to have at least some tradition, since they never planned on taking me to see Mirial. One of them is for the first aid knowledge I studied myself. After I managed to bandage up my first person on Nar Shaddaa, they thought I should get one. My mother wanted me to work with technology like the pair of them...but it wasn't in the cards." He took in a deep breath, after having spoken for a while, keeping his eyes focused on the drone. Part of him liked the idea of using his eyes, even if it wasn't necessary. "I also got a set, once they realised I was Force Sensitive, and before I came to the temple. Though now, I suppose I'd be able to get marked for being able to pilot now, thanks to your teaching."

Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil nodded slowly. That made some sense, given what he'd already read about Shan, but he was ultimately way more curious about the tattoos themselves and what they meant. There was a lot they got the marks for, huh?

"Do you want to go get those marks? See your parents?"

Being a Jedi once meant giving up that. But no longer. There were still some rules about it, but children were no longer denied their parents. "I mean, technically you could bring them to Mirial now if you wanted to."

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

That question caught Shan off guard, as he hesitated to fire again. A small frown spreading across the Mirialan's face as he was trying to figure out what kind of answer to give Kahlil. It wasn't like he was trying to keep a secret about it. It was more Shan legitimately didn't know how to feel about his parents at the moment.

"I...don't know. They always thought I was a fool for going out to help people. I can understand where they were coming from, since I often would come home, all black and blue...and green."

Shan couldn't help but give a small chuckle at his attempt at humour, though he did shake his head afterwards. "I'm not sure if they'd care about Mirial. My mother might, but my father doesn't care much about culture. He just wants to work."

Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Well I think it'd be a bit awkward if you didn't come back green."

Kahlil chuckled. It was a funny thought, though perhaps his humor was a bit darker than most others. Though, hearing more about Shan's father it sounded like perhaps it wouldn't be a good idea to extend the offer. Then again, Kahlil really wasn't sure how a relationship with someone's parents should be. His only experience was with his own parents, and his own children. Two very, very different types of parenting no less.

"Well, the option is there for you to ask if you'd like to. You're not cut off from them for being a Jedi, not in this day and age."

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

"I mean, it could have been worse. I could have come back red, instead of green."

Slowly but surely, he turned his attention back towards shooting. Still missing a few shots every now and then, but he was able to manage to hit a couple of times as well. He did try to turn his attention towards Kahlil to talk however, instead of using his eyes to aim. Just trust in the Force...

"I have planned on going to visit them soon. I'm just trying to figure out what I would want to say to them. There's a lot I want to tell them but I Just...don't have the words for it right now."

Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Whatever you say, I'm sure they'll love to hear it. They are your parents."

At least he'd want to hear from his own kids if they went away to a temple to train. It was going to happen of course, but he'd always be close by to Vera, Aris, and the triplets. He clicked a button, sending the drones into actual movements rather than stationary targets.

"Things you'll be shooting at will be moving. Trust the Force. Don't hesitate. It'll only throw off your aim."

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

"That's true. Though, I feel like you and Master Valery have been more like actual parents than them. The pair of you have supported me more than my actual parents have."

Shan admitted, quietly as he watched the drones starting to fly around, taking in a deep breath. Just trust in the Force. Don't let his frustrations get the better of them. He didn't need to be a perfect shot. So off SHan went, firing off various blasts. There were plenty more misses this time, as opposed to hits, but Shan was able to hit a few targets every now and then.

"Of course, I do appreciate my parents still...but I feel like going to visit them on Nar Shaddaa will just put a target on their back."
Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

That wasn't something he'd thought about. It putting a target on his parents back. He wasn't sure what to say about Shan thinking of him and Valery as more of his parents though. Instead, he just smiled.

"Whatever your choice is, I fully support it."

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan nodded as Kahlil said he would support his choice. That was one of the reasons why Kahlil and Val felt more like parents to him. He felt more supported by them than his actual parents, though that wasn't something he'd say out loud at this point.

"Thank you Master. I'll just need time to think about it. It's...added to my list of things to think about at the end of the day. There's too much."

Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil paused the drones at that before reaching out to gently lower Shan's blaster. He had the calm smile on his face regardless, but there was concern in his eyes.

"I won't press you about your parents, but you can talk to me about anything you know. As your master, that's sort of what I'm here to do. Help you sort out your thoughts, your plans. Anything you want to talk about, I'll listen."

Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan blinked as Kahlil lowered his blaster, turning his attention towards his master, and just giving a half hearted smile. He could see that Kahlil was concerned, but Shan just replied with a relatively simple shrug of his shoulders.

"It's just...I've seen a lot that makes me confused on what a Jedi should be. And what a Sith should be." He ran his hand through his hair, staring off to the other side of the training room as Shan thought of how to put his thoughts into words. "...The Sith I fought wasn't as bad as I expected her to be. She could have killed me if she wanted to. Then the Sithspawn who was meant to be dark was willing to turn itself in. But then...there was the Jedi that was hunting it down, that was destroying the plants..."

He frowned, wondering if it made sense what he was trying to say. There was already parts of his ideals that he'd have given up, part of his pacifism, even some of his hope in the Jedi had faded because of the incident on New Cov and Shan wasn't sure how to wrap his head around it.

Kahlil Noble