Private Absolution

[Kyra Perl]

In what be an unexpected turn of events, Kyra slumped, her chin dipping submissively to his assertions. They had already had their battle of wills and he had won. It was a hierarchy the girl wasn't likely to soon forget. But boundaries were something she often pushed. This moment was no different. As he pushed back, he'd find her quickly falling back in line to her proper place.

Even if she hated it.

She knew he was right.

Her shoulders slumped, her influence in the air drifting back off. She didn't apologize, but she did listen. She crossed her arms over her chest and asked in a tight voice, "Please, don't make me do it. You don't understand- you don't know it all- I'm taking care of him, you can't make me-- it's-it's not right. Can't I do something else? If I stay out of bed-- can I-- can we-- please?" She implored messily, fretting in place before him.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn lifted a hand requesting her pause.

"I'm not going to force you to talk to Acaadi, but I am asking that you give it some serious thought..." his words wavered as he realized what Kyra Perl had said, the notion of her caring for him by avoiding her friend and fellow Jedi. They had both shared a traumatic event, and he had been tortured in order to manipulate Kyra. Caedyn had read the report, and so in that moment he found himself questioning the girl's possible feeling of guilt.

"Had you waited before arguing, you'd have realized I was just making the suggestion and wished to discuss it" Caedyn studied her, choosing not to push the subject for the time being. Kyra had just returned, and like it or not, the Padawan wouldn't do well under duress.

"Today's clearly a loss, you're in no state for real training..." He reluctantly pointed out, though quietly also wanted to give her some lenience. Being strict just wasn't typical for his nature. "We start at 6am tomorrow, and I will want to speak more on why you're avoiding your friend".

 

[Kyra Perl]

Embarrassment filled Kyra, the girl realizing her assumptions well past the point. Was her sharp response really necessary? It had felt so. Would he really have been so lientent to talk it out with her? The concept hadn’t crossed her mind, but as he chastised her for it, she did pause to wonder if it could have been so.

Oh well. She couldn’t change what was done. She looked down in subtle shame, not capable of conceptualizing a working relationship that didn’t involve her pitching fits to get her way when the going got tough. Despite her age, Kyra was still young in those regards. Pains of being the youngest of a large family.

“Six am?” She whined softly. She gave a heavy sigh, her hoarse voice rattling in her chest. “Fine,” she relented, bottom lip jutting out in a pout. “Tomorrow then.” No master, but a tight bow was given. Protocol but not respect.

Better than the storming out of before? Kyra didn’t realize how good she had it with him. Maybe one day, she’d appreciate the strain. For now, she straightened, moisture hitting her eyes as she turned to leave.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

6 AM
Training Wing of the Silver Rest.
​

Caedyn had been content to let Kyra Perl return to her Dorm and get some much needed rest; She didn't seem overly enthusiastic about getting up in the wee hours of the morning to train with him, but then most things these days came with a serving of complaints. None the less, when it came to the hour, Caedyn had already been up an hour and freshened up for the days long list of activities.

His Padawan on the other hand...-Well, he'd be surprised if she arrived on time. He hadn't informed her on what they would be learning, yet it was well due that he got an over-all rundown of her current experience and knowledge in the Jedi Arts, so that he could be certain that she remained on track with her path.

Standing within the corridor that parted in two different directions at his back, the room they'd first take would depend entirely on her answering his questions. Caedyn already knew that she had a fondness for the Saber Arts, of course so did every other student who loved the idea of beating their Masters. Kyra had already learned that so far, she wasn't capable of doing so just yet.

 

[Kyra Perl]

She was not on time.

Not cause she didn't mean to be or cause she wasn't trying, she just hurt come morning. Something about slowing down and being safe, the loss of adrenaline left behind aches she didn't know she had possessed. Probably shouldn't have taken them on alone, eh? She arrived with a subtle limp, bleary eyed and clutching coffee. The bruises really had the change to blossom over night, painting a pretty picture towards consequences when you run into things blind.

She didn't care. It had been the right thing to do.

She shuffled over to Caedyn, giving a vague noise of greating. Kyra was not a morning person, the deep slurp of coffee begging for a chance to wake up a ltitle further.

"S'too early," she complained softly.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn grinned to himself as he saw Kyra Perl finally dragging herself in. She wasn't on time but she was going out of her way to make the effort and that was enough for their first official day together as Master and Padawan, given his knowledge over her background and time before hand.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it" Caedyn encouraged her with a slight chuckle escaping him, "6am training sessions are going to be part of your new routine every second day. Day One, we will train and you will attend your classes as normal. Day Two, you will still have your classes however I will be taking care of other responsibilities and so you'll have mostly free time on your hands to rest and relax, or study..." he added the last option with an air of skepticism as he couldn't see that happening.

"This pattern will rinse and repeat for the first portion of your apprenticeship under me" he had devised the routine in order to ensure her continued progress, yet not take away from her social life and other interests beyond the standard Jedi education.

"You're probably going to hate it at first, but it will get easier, I promise".

 

[Kyra Perl]

The slipping slowed to a comical drawl.

"Uuuuugh," she complained, her voice still soft and sleepy. He wasn't the first mentor to wake her up at the early hours, but he was the first to make a pattern out of it. And so often! It was like he was trying to be her teacher or something. She didn't complain further though. After her run off and his covering her ass from the assembly, he coulda had her jump off the cliff and she'd do it.

As long as it was far from Acaadi.

"Why do you hate me so," she murmured, melodramatic as she siiiiiiiiiiiiiipped at the cafe.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"It probably does feel like it at this stage, but one day you might believe me when I say I'm doing this because I care about you and your future. I want you to succeed and I'm committed to supporting you, which is why I've already made a number of quite significant changes to my schedule, so that I can give us the time together that will see it all happen".

Caedyn smiled to her. Kyra Perl naturally wouldn't see it just yet but in time, Caedyn believed that there might come a day where she would appreciate his efforts. Should she reach the day of ceremony, he would be most proud...-But there was a long road between then and now. All great things were achieved through hard work and dedication; And all sleepy students loathed such things. Caedyn had once been in her position.

"Fortunately for you, the first part of our day is mostly going to be discussion as I'm interested in what you've learned and done so far with your time in the Order. What have you been taught and what are your interests as a growing Jedi?".

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra slumped, glowering down at her cafe. "Please care less," she grumbled, pushing past him in the hallway they stood in and moving towards the training room he has assigned to them.

She dropped down her training bag, Caedyn's instructions on what they would train on vague. One might expect her to take this as a loop hole to bring nothing so she could waste time retrieving it all later, but no.

She brought it all. It clunked to the ground, her shoulders aching.

She rolled them out, hearing his questions. Oh. It was talking time. Okay. She let herself plop to the floor, drinking heavily from her cup. "Uuuuuuuuuh. I dunno. I've been to a lot of academies. Been shown a lot of things. Some stick...somedon't." Most didn't. That was her issue. Kyra paid far too little attention to her studies ever since she dropped out of her first academy. There was a death, a sealed file, and then a downhill record from there.

She shrugged, not looking up at him.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"Oh? So Kashyyyk isn't your first institution?".

Caedyn hadn't realized she'd had prior training before coming to the Silver Rest. He had access to this information of course, but he hadn't taken the time to look over her records as he preferred to hear about her life from Kyra Perl herself. Her files would fill in the gaps of what she'd neglect to tell him, at a later date.

"Aside from Master Xeraic, have you trained under anyone's tutilage long-term before?" He inquired further; Kyra wasn't exactly bursting with details. "What do you prefer most, theory or practical lessons?", there'd be a bit of both though knowing what worked for her would be in the best interests of her training routines and over-all progress.

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra pulled her legs up, skipping the first question and going right to the second. "Practical," she told him, her voice tighter. If he didn't notice by now, Kyra hated lectures. Her energy was easier tunneled into the physical. It was why she liked weapons practice so much, despite how unnaturally it came to her. It was slow going, but when the person before her was patient and left her feeling encouraged ... she thrived.

"I thought you read my files," she complained. She had never seen them herself, so the exact specifications on what laid inside were unknown by her. She narrowed her eyes, trying to feel out just how much he did know, and what exactly she might be able to hide.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"Only the mission you and Acaadi undertook" Caedyn replied with a gentle tone of voice, a faint hint of concern for the girl, evident as he studied her. Kyra Perl still looked somewhat defeated in her position, and while Caedyn didn't enjoy her fighting his every move or word, he didn't want her feeling down or being hard on herself either.

"I'd rather hear things from you yourself. Learn and discuss the things you're comfortable with me knowing. A big part of this apprenticeship is reliant upon our ability to trust one another, and while that might take some time, I don't wish to discourage any progress we make by intruding on your right for privacy" he explained himself, as she'd no doubt be surprised.

Adding further sincerity to his words, Caedyn allowed a portion of his guard to lower, having sensed her looking to mentally probe him for clues. While he hid all things personal, well; Kyra would read his emotions and intentions rather easily in that moment.

"In any case, what forms of the saber arts have you trained in?" he asked further, "Let's begin there, then".

 

[Kyra Perl]

As his guard dropped, she swept in like a tidal wave, her presence not unlike an eager dog, sniffing around for clues to a new room it was released in. Kyra was nosy, but not out of ill intent. The more she could sense from a person, the more she understood them. Without their feelings to fill in the blanks before her, Kyra's paranoia and insecurities stepped in and painted unfortunate scenarios.

It was in part, what had gotten them here. His frustration had been freely given, but the rest? Had fallen behind walls. She expected the worse from him. Even now, with the truth out in the open.

He was right, it would just take time.

She spoke freer though, rubbing at the bandage line under her pant legs.

"Um. Shii-Cho and Makashi... we were working through them, before..." Yuroic had gotten sick. While he was still teaching, she had been avoiding him too.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"Forms One and Two" Caedyn nodded in confident recognition, they were the earlier forms taught to most Students sooner rather than later. Shii Cho consisted of the basic movements while also focusing on disarming strikes, setting up for more advanced forms. Considered to be the prerequisite for all future Saber Training.

"How confident do you feel in these forms? Enough to move on to Form Three, Soresu?" Caedyn Asked curiously, and Kyra Perl would see clearly through her reading of him, that her Master was asking purely out of consideration for her learning pace.

Her time with Yuroic Xeraic had set the foundation for which her continued efforts would build from. One of these days, Caedyn would have to catch up with the Man and ask how he managed with the young Perl. It was also high time that he and Asaraa spent some time on Kashyyyk together, as he was certain she'd be glad to learn of his return to Silver Space.

"And what of your Force based abilities? What would you want to learn from me in that area?".

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra perked at his first question, bursting with eagerness. “Yes!” Whether or not she was ready for form 3, she wanted to be. Earning her way through the forms had been the most satisfying part of her training, the rest of her classes felt scattered and disconnected. Even when she succeeded in small things, it largely amounted to nothing.

And then when she failed at many things, it felt like the end of time.

To the next question, her enthusiasm diminished. She gave him and unsure shrug, out of answers and excitement. Largely, she hadn’t had any solid direction with abilities yet. She’d enter class. Fail, get embarrassed, and stop trying. Kyra was behind, the public classroom setting only exasperating her drive to try.

“I don’t like using the force,” she lied. “We dun have to do it.” A heavy slurp empties her cup, air dragging through the straw.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"You would be the first Padawan to not be excited by the prospect of controlling a power most others cannot" Caedyn remarked a little out of skepticism. Kyra Perl was a complicated one, and Caedyn was learning to understand her just as she was with him. It was difficult to know if she was being serious or just skirting around the issue, though one way or another they would be exploring the field.

"No matter, we will be studying the Force all the same and I'll teach you some tricks of the trade" He grinned faintly. He was certain there would be something out there to suit Kyra's talents, especially with her Empath abilities. Telepathy and cognitive persuasion should come naturally with a little bit of training in the area.

"What kind of Jedi do you hope to be, Kyra?" Caedyn soon asked curiously, "Do you want to specialize in any particular area or field? Swordsmanship, Investigation, Healing....-Just some examples".

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra gave a soft blink, the question taking her by surprise. She had never been asked that question before. It was a heavy question, one she couldn’t even begin to try to fathom. What... kinda... Jedi did she want to be?

“...a good one?” She answered honestly, a bit of smallness to her voice.

Kyra could not see her future, not in the way he was hoping. It was odd to note the girl had no hopes or dreams. Truly. Her thoughts stayed firmly in the present, always spinning around the surplus’s issues that followed her, her own or otherwise.

While she was aware she was soon expected to pick a specialty, she honestly hadn’t been able to give it any thought.

Her shoulders curled in, the girl feeling a bit ... incapable as she struggled to answer each of his questions. While basic, they really started to shine a light on her weaknesses. Of which there were many.

“That’sokay...right?“

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"I would hope so, otherwise we're both in trouble" Caedyn mused, speaking with playful humor. Kyra Perl didn't seem to have a proper answer as of yet, and that was perfectly fine. Some Jedi didn't know what they felt would be the path for them until even after their Knighting ceremony. Caedyn himself had walked a number of various paths, changing as his life went on. It was expected, and unavoidable. "There's no rush to decide these things, and it gives you plenty of opportunity to learn what fits best. Like an open book, so to speak".

Caedyn paused and reflected on the first class that he had been introduced to her and her friends, realizing that she had never completed the lecture. Meditation and Emotional Awareness weren't exactly the greatest of subjects, but perhaps he could make it interesting enough for Kyra with the right incentive. "I think we should perhaps begin with a meditation session" He suggested, his Padawan already seated and so he took the initiative to sit roughly a meter away facing her.

"I've noticed you like to try to read people, connect with them mentally and telepathically" he added, "Perhaps if you're successful in this session, I'll let you try and read me...".

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra groaned, an outward fuss being kicked up at his decision. She pulled at the mat she sat on, digging into it with her nails to express her displeasure. He seemed already braced for her resistance. For every bit of trouble she had given him before, she had given it to teachers of the meditation class and then some.

Kyra loathed meditating. With a passion.

His offer of a reward cut her complaints short, the girl sitting up a little straighter as she eyed him with keen interest. Kyra was a sucker for bribery and rewards. There as very little her mothers money couldn't by her, but being handed things? And by her opposition? He could have offered her a coffee and she would have responded well, but instead he offered her something much more valuable.

She eyed him warily, waiting for the catch. "...But I can't meditate... Like ever..."

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"Well then, today's your lucky day because it's my job to help you achieve this...-Which also happens to go against the deal I just made. If you manage today, the deal still stands...-But today and today only".

Caedyn smiled, Kyra Perl was amusing in her self-expressive manner, and if he wasn't her Mentor then he'd probably be laughing from a distance at the pair of them. She was full of life and personality, and despite her shortcomings, that was something to admire. Though it was also something to be mindful of, in that he wasn't too soft on her when it came to matters of discipline and routine.

"So then...As I explained to your classmates a while back, there's a number of ways to achieve meditation. The first and simplest way utilizes the breathing technique. Taking a breathe in, holding it for three seconds, and release. The goal is to slow your breathing, and therefore slowing your heart-rate which in doing so also calms the mind".