Public A Healthy Way to Start Your Day [Character Introduction]

[Amani Serys]

Jedi Temple, Kashyyyk
Morning

Amani’s eyes flew open as the sunlight from outside crept across the window of her dorm. She stayed in bed for just a minute, smiling blankly up at the ceiling, already daydreaming the day ahead of her. Then, with a sigh of contentment, she suddenly leapt out of bed onto her feet. The overeager Amani attempted to get everything ready all at once. While donning her Jedi robes, she used the force to start telekinetically braiding her hair. Really, it was just an excuse to practice. Once ready to go, Amani strode out into the hall to begin the day.

Others are already up. Amani thinks to herself. Most Jedi don’t really seem like the type to sleep in, I guess.

Despite how long she’s been here, Amani always admires the grand architecture of the temple, taking in her surroundings while she quietly hums to herself. She headed for the archives to retrieve an old text she’d been meaning to read. She had always found physical books to be more engaging than their digital counterparts. After all, she could take a book wherever she wanted, which is exactly what she planned to do.

Jedi Temple Grounds, Kashyyyk
Morning

Amani made her way to the outside of the temple, towards her favorite spot: a tree on the edge of the temple grounds, notably smaller than most of the others around. At this time of day it left her just enough shade to keep her out of direct sunlight, she would have to make it count while it lasted.

“Oh...” Amani whispers.

On her way to her reading spot, Amani stopped in her tracks. On the ground laid some kind of creature, a native bird seemingly. It was injured, and incapable of flight. Something had damaged its wing, though what exactly Amani could not say. At this point it mattered little to her anyway.

“Okay, you can do this.”

Amani kneels down next to the bird. It initially attempts to scramble away, but the injury is too much to keep going, and it gives up. She reaches out her hand above it, causing the bird to recoil more. She closes her eyes and concentrates deeply. At first, nothing. Amani shook her head in frustration.

“Come on. You can do this.”

She refocuses herself, and then feels it. The transference of Force energy from one being to another, an act of healing. Amani peeked open one eye to see the bird regain movement of its wing. The healing wasn’t perfect, but it was enough to get it back in working order. Amani breathes again, not even realizing she was holding it in until that moment. The bird coos at her affectionately, before flying off. Amani watches it leave, then sits down. She closes her eyes again and starts breathing deeply. Force healing can be strenuous to the user, and she had yet to heal a wound quite that size before. For someone as relatively inexperienced as her, she’s lucky she didn’t pass out from exhaustion, or even hurt herself in the process. Sitting alone in silence, she begins to try and recuperate from the process.

“You did it.”

 

[Acaadi]

Not far away a group of padawans jogged their way into a clearing. From the way they lethagically carried their own limbs across the grass it looked as if they were at the end of a full routine.

The Jedi Master Syrrin Varn, a middle aged zabrak, walked behind the group. He was an island of calm in a sweating, stumbling mass of padawan.

"And...your last lifts," he called out. For a group of padawans there was little control in the collective groans at the command. The padawans paired off and took it in turns to telekentically lift one another from the ground. Not far, not fast, but the mental and physical exertion had robbed Acaadi of the concentration to carry out the task simply.

His hand shook as he reached out, lifting his partner just a few inches from the ground. This was the end, he told himself, the last part of a brutal early morning routine saved for the senior padawans who were heading towards knighthood.

Acaadi bent over, placing his hands on his knees and taking in deep gulps of cool air. They were being pushed more and more with every week.

He looked up, catching sight of another mirialan sitting alone on the grass a short distance away. He couldn't recall seeing a other one of his kind among the classes. If he had enough air in his lungs he might have walked over to introduce himself. Instead he had to settle for a friendly nod and them collapsing back to the ground. Even grass was a blessed comfort compared to the agony of just being on his feet now.

 

[Amani Serys]

The breathing exercise seems to work. Amani opens her eyes and sighs.

“I’m fine. I-”

She gasps and slowly peers behind her. She had only just registered the sounds and movement from behind her. Lots of movement. A training exercise? As she watched the scene unfold her fears were confirmed. Master Varn shepherding a mass of seemingly half-dead padawans? Yeah, that sure looked like his definition of training.

Did I miss something? Paranoid thoughts start racing through Amani’s mind. She had never missed or been late for training for her entire tenure as a Jedi. Surely I would know if…

Most of the students there were not ones she had trained with before. Maybe she didn’t miss anything. But Amani had to be sure. It wasn’t a risk she was willing to take, she had a perfect record to keep! That, and if it was true, and the padawans who did actually make it to training were facing that kind of punishment? Well, she dared not imagine what sort of reprimanding she would be dealt for missing out on the ‘fun’. Amani quickly stood up, but immediately had to stop herself due to the headrush.

“Ooookay. Steady, Amani.” She kept whispering to herself. She does that a lot. Someone has to keep her company when no one else is around.

Amani dusts herself off and begins to sneak over towards the trainees, taking advantage of the distraction which kept the master’s eyes off of her. She makes her way to the nearest student to her, another Mirialan, it looked like. Getting closer to the group, she shifts into an awkward half-crouch of sorts, but realizing its inefficiency, quickly returns to a standing position, and opts to use the other student as cover.

Acaadi feels a breathy whisper behind him,

“Um. Hello? Sorry to bother you, but do you know if I’m supposed to be here for this?” Amani asks, not even taking into consideration the fact that this was not a person she knew. “I just saw you guys training and got a little anxious.”

 

[Acaadi]

Amani Serys

Acaadi continued leaning back until he was lying on the ground. It presented him with a odd perspective of an upside down padawan standing over him. At least she was blocking out the sun; he was more than warm enough already. He was also making far less progress in getting his breathing back down to a regular rhythm than the padawan who had approached him. His chest rose and fell quickly. Every muscle screamed, but he dared not even try and sit up to start stretching yet.

"How long...have you been...at the academy?" he asked, leaving spaces between his words for breath. Acaadi definitely didn't recognise her. Another mirialan was something he felt would have caught his attention.

She looked quite unsure of herself. Acaadi was fairly certain that she wasn't supposed to be at this class, so he wasn't going to direct her question to Master Varn. One of the padawans on the other side of the pack had made a sarcastic comment and seemed to have his full attention for now anyway.

 

[Amani Serys]

Acaadi

The question causes Amani to go off track. She leans back a little and begins to think about what was asked.

“How long have I been at the academy? Well, let’s see, I actually got here when I was around eight, and was a youngling until about… thirteen? Yeah. So I passed the Initiate trials when I was thirteen, and so I’ve been training as a Padawan for close to five years now! Yeah! Gosh, that’s a long time. I guess I never thought about it but I’ve been a Jedi for most of my life already! Yet we all still have so much to learn. Actually before I found that creature over there I was just thinking about…”

Amani’s monologue continues for a bit longer before she comes to the realization that the fellow she is talking to might be a bit more preoccupied with other things. Despite this, she tries to shift the conversation to something else rather than leave him be.

“So, uh, yeah. Long story short, I’ve been here for about ten years. What about you?”

 

[Acaadi]

"Oh, I haven't been here that long." Acaadi seemed to have managed to fill his lungs enough to string a whole sentence together again. Every one of these brutal sessions was a little easier to recover from than the last. That, he imagined, was the point.

"I've only been training here for a year. Didn't mean to...seem rude, you know?"

Acaadi was surprised that he hadn't recognised her. Being eighteen his current crush tended to change from week to week and he was truly shocked that he hadn't noticed a pretty mirialan girl around his own age.

"I'm Acaadi," he said, rolling over to he could see her the right way up. "Maybe you should have been in the class, but I wouldn't admit that now," he said, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder towards the master who was busy berating a student.

 

[Amani Serys]

Acaadi

"Oh, I haven't been here that long."
"I've only been training here for a year. Didn't mean to...seem rude, you know?"

“Ah! So you’re new, relatively speaking, at least. Not to worry, you seem like your making great progress for a first year!”

Amani catches herself. “Er, hopefully that didn’t sound patronizing, I meant it seriously. And I didn’t think you seemed rude or anything.”

Whether or not he thought she came off as insincere, Amani had already made herself uncomfortable. After talking to him, she came to the realization that she really hasn’t had much time to get to know any of her peers during her training, not in any meaningful way, at least. She had never even noticed Acaadi before, and he's been here for an entire year. She had been far too focused on her studies to form close bonds. It really didn’t help that she tends to make conversations a little awkward when they drag on too long. She was now quickly attempting to turn this around. Trying to recover from the social faux pas, Amani outstretches her hand for a shake.

"I'm Acaadi,"

“I’m Amani. Serys, that is. Well, I mean, it is Amani. I was just saying it’s Amani Serys. As in, Amani Serys is my full name, first and last. Um…”

It was like watching her brain break down in real time. She practically couldn’t help but continue to sound more and more awkward. She finally tries to hasten the conversation to its end before she blew it any further.

“You can just call me Amani, if you want. Most people do.” She couldn’t help herself though.
“Funny, our names sound pretty similar, huh? Acaadi and Amani...”

Okay, it was time to abandon ship. Thankfully Acaadi was able to bring it back around by mentioning the class, which had slipped Amani’s mind by this point.

"Maybe you should have been in the class, but I wouldn't admit that now,"

“Oh right! Well, I’ll just hope for the best. I’ll need to scour my dorm for any missing memos. Surely I would have known if I was supposed to attend an impromptu training session like this… right?”

Another pause. Amani prepares to start backing away.

“A-anyway. It was nice meeting you, Acaadi. Thanks for the help. Maybe we could talk again sometime, under more normal circumstances? I should probably go now, though, before Master Varn sees me. Just in case.”

 

[Corte Fletchador]

After the seeing what she had done from across the campus, Corte had to go up to this student and give his compliments on assisting the wounded bird. As he approached, he said, "Miss, I couldn't help but to see how you helped that animal - the force certainly flows through you." He paused, "where are my manners, my name is Corte Fletchador....."

 

[Acaadi]

Amani Serys Corte Fletchador

The next string of sentences were splurged out, each coming right on the tail of the one before. Acaadi smiled, consciously trying to keep his expression from giving the impression he was mocking her. He was not as prone as she seemed be for stumbling over words but he had definitely been there before.

"Well it is nice to meet you Amani Serys, first name and last name. And you too Corte," Acaadi said. He slowly pushed himself to both feet and stood up.

Their names did sound familiar. He hoped the other novices were not so cruel as to try and turn it into some form of joke.

"Are you in Master Gylenni's healing class then?" he asked Amani. "I've got that for the first time this afternoon. You don't have to go, I'm going by the canteen now if you want to eat?"

Not particularly subtle, he supposed.

"Would you like to come?" he asked Corte politely too.

 

[Amani Serys]

Acaadi Corte Fletchador

Focused on the conversation with Acaadi, Amani had not realized Corte approaching. At first his words startle her, though when she turns around to see it was not in fact the master coming to lecture her about distracting one of his students, she was relieved.

"Miss, I couldn't help but to see how you helped that animal - the force certainly flows through you."
"where are my manners, my name is Corte Fletchador....."

"Oh! Ah, thank you. It was nothing, really." That was a lie. She was still feeling the exhaustion of healing the creature, but was doing her best to hide that fact.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Amani Serys." She gives a quick bow as a greeting.

"Are you in Master Gylenni's healing class then?"
"I've got that for the first time this afternoon. You don't have to go, I'm going by the canteen now if you want to eat?"

"Yes, I am. That's more or less where I've been focusing my training. I was hoping to eventually join the Silver Circle. Maybe I can give you a few tips for the class, if you want."

Upon the mention of food, Amani realized she was quite hungry by this point. "Well, since you mentioned it, I am starving. I forgot to even eat anything this morning."

She turns back to Corte, "What about you?"

 

[Corte Fletchador]

Corte then responded to the polite invitation, "I am famished, it would be great to join the both of you in the canteen." He then said because he realized that he forgot, "by the way, it is great to meet both of you - I think that perhaps we were supposed to meet each other this morning. Gesturing in the direction of the canteen, he said, "shall we?"

 

[Acaadi]

Acaadi was almost instantly jealous of Corte's stubble. It was a small thing, but Acaadi had been trying to grow a respectable layer of stubble for the last two years. It had not gone well. Corte certainly looked a little older than most of the padawans.

Acaadi gave him a smile and a nod. His legs might have felt like jelly but he could keep moving them, one by one, until he reached food. Acaadi had shot upwards in the last two years, finding himself uncomfortable in his own skin. Slowly, it seemed, he was now fleshing out that frame. The downside was being almost perpetually hungry. The training regime didn't help.

"A few tips wouldn't go amiss," Acaadi replied. He didn't latch onto the offer. He had been brought up with a healthy respect for studying. He learned quickly, but liked to complete tasks on his own.

It was a trait that would almost certainly catch up to him in a bad way within a few years.

 

[Corte Fletchador]

Corte responded to Acaadi, "I've been here since I was 14 years old and have learned a few tricks here and there. How can I be of service?"

 

[Amani Serys]

"Let's not waste any time then."

Amani looks over to Acaadi, "Well, if there's anything in particular you want to know, just ask."

 

[Acaadi]

"It's a bit hard to be specific," Acaadi replied. "It's just very...different."

He certainly hadn't shown much aptitude for healing yet, which irked him. Acaadi was quite accustomed to excelling in most subjects. Recently he had spent less time focusing on his telekinetic abilities. Less time shouting and more time listening. His people were proudly spiritual and Acaadi had spent a lot of time reflecting on the Force since he had nearly lost control dealing with some trandoshan slavers.

The canteen was becoming quite busy, even if it hadn't reached peak time. The students of the academy were at least well provided when it came to food. The meals were plain, simple, but it was plentiful.

"Best eat fast," he remarked. "I'll need a shower before class."

 

[Corte Fletchador]

Corte looked at Acaadi with what he hoped would be a look of gentleness and said in a soft tone, "I understand how you feel, I felt that way for at least," he paused and smiled, "well, I still do, I'm not sure that it ever goes away. I believe that is the way that the force lets us know of its presence in all aspects of our world." Corte then looked at both Acaadi and Amani and said, "You know, I'm getting hungry - shall we see what's for breakfast?"

 

[Amani Serys]

"Healing class is bound to feel frustrating if it's your first time, it has a bit of a learning curve. Force healing is the skill I've been devoting most of my time to and it's still a challenge, especially if you're not prepared. Best to not let it get to your head. You'll get the hang of it eventually." Amani knew what it was like to struggle with the power. For a long time she could not control the force quite like the other younglings could, and it devastated her. In time she was able to make the connection, and has done her best to study many aspects of the force ever since. She was determined to master it.

Upon the smell of food, however, Amani's mind had wandered elsewhere. She began to not so subtly begins to move towards the source, almost out of instinct rather than will. Force healing tended to drain the user's own vitality in the process, and the result has left her very hungry.

 

[Acaadi]

"We can't all be great at everything either..." Acaadi said.

By this point his own focus was on the food. A straight two hours of intense training meant that he was ravenous.

Cereal wasn't going to cut it. He added several nuna eggs and nerd sausages to his plate and helped himself to almost an entire jug of blue milk to himself.

Finding a bench with plenty of room for his new acquaintances, he wasted little time in tucking into a well earned meal.

Amani Serys Corte Fletchador

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani quickly got to work consuming everything she had stuffed onto her place. About partway through she realizes she may be coming off a bit uncouth, and slows down. Amani had hardly even been paying attention to her new acquaintances, and paused to take a moment to mingle.

"So, we're all padawans here. Have either of you thought about what you wanna do when you pass the knight trials?"

She hadn't really taken the time to get to know many of her classmates before. She had already known her own goals for some time, but Amani was rather curious to see now what others wanted to move on to when they became fully-fledged Jedi.

 

[Acaadi]

"Difficult question," Acaadi said. He fully meant it too. It was something he had been vacillating on for the last few weeks. Many things came easily to the young man and it had turned out that sometimes it came too easily.

Acaadi had been taken aback by quite how unprepared he had been when faced with real violence. He hadn't felt in control of that situation at all.

"I want to help people, I'm not a healer. I know I want to defend those who need it but when I was thrown into that kind of situation it didn't go...well, it wasn't quite what I imagined."