I Pledge Myself To Your Teachings

[Jamie Pyne]

​

Cartao
Morning

Cartao was unlike Naboo in nearly every sense of the word, despite the temperate similarities between the two. Sure, they both had mountains, jungles, and riverlands, but the culture that was Naboo was entirely lost on Jamie here. The facility Keira had brought her to was massive, but it was hardly something Jamie would call home. It felt awkward. This was really a massive corporation dedicated to building and researching clones. The teen was unsure of what to make of clones. Were they ethical? How did the clones themselves feel about being clones? Were they really just droids with human brains and emotions? Programmed to do as they were designed? It was all pretty confusing to her, but that was not her purpose for being here. No, she was here to learn how to harness the power of the Force, to bend it to her will, and to learn how to hopefully wield a lightsaber without cutting off her own karking hand.

The pair had entered through the Clone's Trail, on Mount Calamji through the Talioa Mountain Range. It was a truly beautiful sight, but when compared to the majestics of Naboo, it simply wasn't as impressive. Jamie looked over at the time, 10:00. She wondered if Keira was awake yet. The night before had been a bit rough, having been forced on a 5 mile run down the mountain and back. She honestly felt as though her legs were actually going to fall off. If that were possible, she was certain they would have. Reasonable accommodations had been provided. She expected that the life of luxury was a thing of the past, but she couldn't complain about the space provided as living quarters. They were quaint, and quite comfortable.

Jamie yawned, stretching her arms as she sat up in her bed before rubbing her tired eyes. Already she could feel the dull ache in her leg muscles from the day prior. Oh boy. Today is going to be even worse I imagine. She swung her legs out from under the sheets. Bare feet touched the floor and sent a mild chill up her back, causing her to shiver for a moment. She shook it off, then headed for the door that led out of her room. She wandered down the hall in a pair of white shorts and a flowing yellow shirt through the common area shared with Keira to the older girl's room. She knocked quietly and followed up with a whisper; "Keira? You up?"

[member="Keira Ticon"]

 

[Keira Priest]

Most wouldn't have considered a cloning facility and base of operations for a large corporation to be anything close to home, but it gave Keira a place to return to and rest her head at the end of the day, and those two actions had become synonymous with that word after awhile. They were the two things in her life that had been lacking up until this point, among others, and it gave her a feeling of contentment after achieving them. Besides, the clone army and their commander were something of a family, so that sufficed in other areas as well. It made for a nurturing environment only in the extremely vague sense of the word, but for her it was a positive experience if she had ever had one.

At this point she wasn't entirely certain if the bond with the clones had been cemented into something beyond her being their commander, but she detected a sense of unity there. Of course, that could have just as easily been due to the fact that she drilled right alongside them, not exempting herself from any part of their routine, pushing herself to her limits just as they did the same. It was what was fair, in her eyes, and perhaps that was why she expected something of the same from those under her tutelage. The miles long run the night previous had been something routine, one often embarked on with a few of the clones in order to keep them all in shape, including herself, and maybe bolster some sort of camaraderie.

On that particular morning there hadn't been much to occupy her other than a regimen that had been built up from day one, a conglomerate of various exercises she participated in much the same as they did. And so she had been up earlier than most, the polar opposite of what habits had been formed in her criminal past. Now she was far more disciplined, giving orders just as willingly as she received them from those higher up. But when it came to teaching she took on a far more casual approach, doing what she could to create a sort of bond with those she took on. And Jamie hadn't been any different. As the girl knocked on her door she was just returning, and so spoke from behind her, "I've been up. How are you feeling?"

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The girl jumped, startled by Keira's unexpected voice coming from behind her. Spinning around to see Keira standing just behind her she laughed a bit, unsure of how she'd managed to sneak up on her so easily. Maybe Jamie was just as oblivious as her parents used to say. "Oh! Good morning." Jamie said as she lifted and bent each leg. "Still pretty sore, but manageable." Looking at her master she raised a brow. "Were you out running drills again just now?"

That would hardly surprise her. Jamie was fit, but comparatively speaking, next to Keira, the girl was still a bit of a sloth. She simply wasn't conditioned for the kind of exercises that Keira now found the norm. Jamie had never fought in life or death situations, never trained with any type of military. In fact, the most working out she really ever did was situps and jogging, and that was more so to keep up with the requirements of fencing.

She was surprised Keira hadn't dragged her out of bed earlier, not that she was complaining, the extra sleep was welcome and probably needed. This sort of thing was a drastic change from her daily life. A yawn made its way out slowly, forcing Jamie to outstretch her arms, her feet raising to the tips of her toes momentarily to also stretch her tired legs. "What's on the agenda for today?"

[member="Keira Ticon"]

 

[Keira Priest]

Sometimes Keira tended to forget that others outside of the clone military weren't adjusted to a military lifestyle. This happened to be one of those. "I was running drills, yeah. We have to be ready for any eventuality. Adaptation can only go so far." For a moment she paused, considering Jamie for a short few seconds. "Would you want to work with the men at some point? It's not mandatory, but if you ever find yourself fighting for the Republic you might want to get to know them a bit. I'm sure they wouldn't mind." Of course, they wouldn't mind much so long as it was under her command, something that still didn't sit quite well with her. Free will was something that seemed to have been taken for granted with the clones.

With a nod of her head she motioned for Jamie to follow her, leading her through the halls of the Cartao complex that were identical but for those that lived there. Fortunately she had boarded here for long enough to have an idea of just where the necessary facilities were located, and soon enough the pair arrived at an offshooting room that was comprised mostly of open space, with padding on the floor and walls so as to prevent injuries that may be inflicted on those sparring within those four walls. It was a room often used for those that needed to brush up on their skills in melee and barehanded combat, but she surmised it would suffice just as well for the training of a Force user.

"We can begin with whatever you'd like. I figured we'd either start with learning how to draw on the Force or fighting with a lightsaber, but if you have anything else in mind, that's perfectly fine as well. I'm not like the teachers you may have had in the past that lay out training regimens for every day. If you're going to learn anything, it needs to be what you want and what you're going to find useful somewhere down the line. Otherwise I'm not doing my job right. So, fire away." All told she was rather laid back about the whole subject, but her typical attitude had never been more than just that.

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie gave a half-assured nod to Keira. She wanted to train more, to get stronger. The problem was she wasn't sure exactly how well she'd do surrounded by men who had been training throughout their entire existence for combat. If nothing else she would look silly and vastly ill-prepared. It wasn't that she was lazy or out of shape, but in comparison to both the clones and Keira, she was substantially less impressive in that category as well as just about every other. Despite all of that however, she didn't want to disappoint Keira by being sheepish after she had gone through the work to get her here.

So with a bit of trepidation she replied, "Sure, I can do that." Then promptly fell in line behind her master, walking along through the complex until they reached an empty, padded room. It almost looked like a safe room for the clinically insane. Back home rooms like these were used to keep prisoners from hurting themselves when they couldn't be held in a typical prison cell. A bit ironic that she was here now, training in a similar room for her own safety, as well as Keira's. "I'll try my best not to slow you down."

It seemed now she'd been given a choice as to how she wished to proceed with her training. Keira had given her the option to study the Force more, or train with a lightsaber. There wasn't much else she could think of herself, so she settled on the two options presented to her. She was good with a regular sword, perhaps she was equally good with a lightsaber? How different could fighting with one truly be, after all? "Could we try out lightsaber training? Though..." She remembered exactly how dangerous the weapon was when Keira had explained it to her. She certainly didn't want to mistakenly cut off a limb, hers or Keira's. "How can we do so safely? I certainly don't want any accidents."

Perhaps she wasn't quite dressed for the occasion either. Light pair of shorts and a rather loose top. Back home she usually had a sparring uniform that was more form fitted so not to flail about when moving. She suspected the first day of lessons likely wouldn't make a terrible difference regardless of her attire though, so she made no mention of it and simply waited for Keira to direct her and give her own thoughts on the subject. She was eager and willing to learn, to hold a weapon far more prominent than any fencing blade she was used to, and for her training to actually mean something, rather than just for sport.

[member="Keira Ticon"]

 

[Keira Priest]

It had come to her attention at this point that Jamie had a streak of sorts that was mostly self-deprecating, doubting her skills at any one point in time and assume offhand that she would somehow prove inadequate. That was something Keira hoped to lessen and break in time, instead demonstrating to her just how capable she really was in any given scenario. Hopefully it would begin in their time training together and continue from there. "You're not going to slow anyone down. Nobody's a perfect specimen. You might take some time to get caught up, but I guarantee you'll be keeping pace soon enough. Don't doubt yourself when things have hardly begun. That'll only hold you back from ever getting better."

Upon the inquiry in regards to further training with a lightsaber she nodded. "People have been learning how to fight with them for centuries. There have been plenty of advancements to make training safe for those new to the idea." With that she produced a simple training saber, passing it across to Jamie. "The power of the blade has been dialed down so that getting it with it only gives you a few bruises and burns rather than a lost limb or life. It still handles the same, but it's a touch less dangerous than something made to kill." Having worked with a weapon similar personally she wasn't a stranger to the mechanics, but she had learned to treat most any lightsaber as if it was possible of much of the same destruction.

Drawing her own blade she fiddled with it for a moment, adjusting the settings so its relative capabilities matched Jamie's own. "Even though you can't get terribly hurt, I want you to eventually begin treating the saber as if it's a live weapon. That way when you do handle the real deal you won't be ill-prepared. You won't be thrown headfirst into things right away by any means, but it never hurts to be ready for anything. Because someday you'll be standing across from someone and they won't just have a training blade, and I want you to be ready for that." It wasn't meant to scare her, per se, but rather remind her as to just what she was signing up for.

"Feel free to warm up. We can begin whenever you feel like you're ready." Stepping back she merely waited for Jamie to gather herself. Everything about this would move at the pace of the student, and she wouldn't push her until the time came to do so. First they had to become better acquainted with each other in and out of training.

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Okay. I'll try to remind myself of that." There wasn't much she had ever been truly confident about in her life. Everything that had been laid out for her and expected of her to excel at she was either ill suited for or completely disinterested in, and thus any and all effort ever put into such activities came through with blinding failure and often ridicule from her family for what they felt was intentionally sabotaging herself, when in fact she was just not the type of person they wanted her to be. Her calling back home was simply sword fighting. It was the only thing she truly felt great at, and now, given Keira's enlightening her of the Force, she understood exactly how that came to be.

Her eyes lit up with eagerness when the elder girl explained that they wouldn't be training with lethal versions of the sabers. She felt nowhere near confident enough to try such a feat. Bumps, bruises, and burns? That she could live with. After all, tournaments and practicing back home quite frequently led to bruises and cuts. Perhaps lightsaber training wouldn't be as frighteningly different from what she was used to after all. That alone gave her spirit a big boost of confidence. "Oh! Well, alright then. That sounds wonderful!" Her voice turned from hesitant and nervous to cheerful and bubbly in the blink of an eye.

Taking the saber offered to her, the teenager slid her finger carefully over the button to bring the blade to life. The initial snaphiss of the training saber startled her again, just as it had back on Naboo. Eventually she would get used to the immediate and rapid deployment of the weapon, but for now it was still sort of an unexpected event. She took an extra few steps back from Keira, just in case, before performing a series of thrusts, slashes, and jabs with the weapon. Despite her refined talent with a non-laser-sword, her form and tact here was laughable. It was unlike anything she'd ever wielded, felt awkward to swing, and was strange in her hand. That much she already knew, but focused herself on Keira's words from only a moment ago. Don't get frustrated out of the gate, Jamie...Take your time.

"Okay. This won't be pretty, but let's give it a shot."

[member="Keira Ticon"]

 

[Keira Priest]

The newfound confidence that returned like a spark to her eyes caused a smile to grow on Keira's lips, that quiet trust in her ability evident in Jamie's movements. However lacking in refinement she may have been, her knowledge in swordplay was noticeable in how she moved as one with the saber. Her movements weren't as clumsy as she perceived them to be, and if the student was aware of how quietly impressed the teacher was, perhaps she would have been less hesitant. "Try and loosen up a bit. The blade doesn't have any weight behind it, so you don't need to brace for that. All of your finesse will come from your wrist and arm." There were deadly tricks that could be exploited with the smallest of shifts in one's grasp, but those would come later.

Maybe the best way to explain what she was referring to was a demonstration. Igniting her own blade she moved through a sequence slowly enough that nearly every nuance of her blade and body would be visible. Learning by example was one of the fastest ways to pick up on a skill, and she hoped that would hold true now. Her saber acted as an extension of her form, and she ended in a low guard, holding position for nothing more than a few seconds before relaxing, taking on a more casual stance that almost spoke of no discipline at all. "Don't get lazy with your grip, but don't white-knuckle it either. Balance is key, but nobody's able to achieve it perfectly right away."

Spinning her blade once, then twice, she cracked her neck with two turns of her head in order to loosen up, treating this as she would any other bout. "I want you to attack me. Don't worry about hurting me, and don't hold back. The only way you're ever going to really learn what you're capable of is through exploiting all of your knowledge. For now I'll just defend and let you adjust, but don't expect that to be the case forever." A fair warning, and one she would never be given outside of training. Exhaling slowly she shifted her feet so they were shoulder-width apart, raising her blade above her head and turning it back so it was at a nearly forty-five degree angle, the classic opening stance of Djem-So. Now the fun began.

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Right. Okay." She gave a tilt of the head to Keira's instruction and loosened her grip a bit on the end of the hilt. Jamie made a few more swipes and slashes against an imaginary opponent through the air before Keira made the decision to give her a more visual display of what she meant. Keira was far more graceful than even she had been with a normal saber, let alone with a lightsaber. It was entertaining and constructive for Jamie to watch the older girl move, her hips, legs, and feet shifting as one while her hand, wrist, and torso pivoted and twisted. If Keira was able to do everything Jamie could and more with a weapon like that, it gave her a bit of a confidence boost that one day she could perhaps mimic that same talent.

Her pale blue eyes studied the woman through to the end, catching each nuance to her form and locking it into memory for her own future reference. Typically her means of fencing involved fast, rapid movements and thrusts meant to force the opponent on the defensive to the point where there is an inevitable falter in their guard, allowing her to score a hit before immediately retreating, adjusting, and re-engaging. She'd known no other way, so that was how she chose to attack Keira when she had been instructed to do so. Jamie smiled, knowing full well she was entirely unlikely to hurt her teacher at this point, even if she managed to strike her.

"Alright. I'll try my best."

The blonde watched as Keira readied herself. It was an interesting stance, one that almost caused Jamie to wonder the purpose for it. The girl's right foot slid forward, saber in the same hand, blade extending forward as was common for the opening stance for normal swordplay with such weapons of finesse. Jamie's eyes narrowed as she waited until her gut told her to strike. Then, with a quick two steps forward she thrust her right arm forward several times, attempting to strike Keira in the upper right shoulder, her upper chest and stomach in rapid succession.

[member="Keira Ticon"]

 

[Keira Priest]

Her saber came down just as quickly as it had been raised behind her head, blocking each strike in turn with what appeared to be nothing more than minute shifts of her wrist and arm, when in fact even simple sparring matches like this took some kind of focus. While Djem-So was characteristically known for its overwhelmingly powerful attacks, it also possessed a just as strong defense that Keira rarely ever put into use. Typically those blocks were accompanied by swift counterattacks, but she ceded to simply defending, allowing Jamie to obtain her own balance and rhythm. Parries and ripostes would come later, when the other was further adjusted to just how the plasma blade handled.

Again she spun the blade with a turn of her wrist, nodding once in commendation of Jamie's ability. "You know when and where to strike, that's good. Learn to trust your instinct, because it's rarely ever wrong. It's what will allow you to survive encounters like these when they aren't so friendly." There were plenty of people like her in the galaxy that wouldn't hesitate to bring down or manipulate someone like Jamie without a second thought, and she would do everything in her power to prevent that from happening. "Don't be afraid to open yourself up to the Force as well. Let it flow around and through you so you can draw on it to guide your movements." She was sounding more like a Jedi than she had ever wanted to.

"Keep your attacks varied. I wouldn't recommend attacking with nothing more than thrusts and stabs with your blade, as that makes it easy for someone to disarm you and win the day. Unpredictability is your greatest asset. Proper dueling regulations and etiquette mean nothing on the literal battlefield. Your ultimate goal is survival, at the end of the day, and you need to do what you can to ensure that." Perhaps not the best ideal to be teaching one so impressionable, but it was what she had grown to see as pertinent for a fighter without much of a cause of yet. No formal stance was taken this time, and she held her saber loosely at her side. "Again, and don't hold back. One day you could be fighting someone for your life."

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The younger blonde was entirely unsurprised by Keira's ability to fend off her strikes with what looked like blinding ease, as if able to do so without so much as second thought. It didn't quite bother Jamie though, as it gave her confidence that once she had been trained she too would be able to achieve such success. It gave her a surge of confidence and determination to better herself under Keira's guidance. Perhaps one day she would be an equal challenge to her teacher and they could maybe seriously train with one another, instead of Jamie picking her brain on a daily basis about this and that.

Appreciating every bit of advice, Keira's student locked away each and every word of advice she was given. A nod of her head indicating she was listening attentively to her master and understanding how to better herself and her technique. Fighting for one's life, whether during war or a simple matter of life and death, it was drastically different from competitive sport swordplay. In order to ensure her life was not snuffed out prematurely she would have to adjust her train of thought when it came to fighting from now on. While her familiarity in handling bladed weapons would help with some of the basics in lightsaber combat, it was far from ideal. In that moment she understood what Keira meant.

The girl pulled back and away from her mentor, giving her wrist a slight twist as she had seen Keira do, and with a bit less grace managed to give the weapon a twirl in her hand. "Right. Again." Her off hand wrapped fingers around the base of the hilt, the weapon held in a bit of a low guard as she studied Keira and listened until she finished speaking.

She kept her words minimal and her mind open to every bit of advice. In the next moment she scrambled forward a step, then another, slashing in an angled manner from lower right to upper left of Keira's shoulder, which, if blocked, would force the girl to adjust and cut horizontally across the elder girl's torso, and end with hands lifting above her head for a powerful downward strike.

[member="Keira Ticon"]

 

[Keira Priest]

The next strikes made were far more forward, leaving no room for imagination as to their intent and bringing forth a grin from her. In her eyes this was Jamie growing into her skin as a warrior, however small the first step, and that was what mattered. Inevitably these first steps would be what were fallen back on at some point, and Keira wanted to be sure they were the most secure. This time her defense didn't come quite so nonchalantly, both hands remaining on the hilt as plasma sparked across itself, hissing and spitting all the way. Still, she held true to her word about not striking back herself just yet, and again they broke off into a temporary stalemate that would end in mere minutes.

"That's better. There's more confidence there, and that's exactly what you want. Don't doubt yourself. Most of the time you're a lot stronger than you think." There again was another facet of her training she could elaborate on from personal experience. "Like I said, don't worry about what's fair when it comes to fights like this. Remember all those things your instructors likely told you were illegal in your matches and see if you can't find a way to put them to use. A lot of times those dirty tricks are going to be one of very few things between you and the wrong side of a lightsaber. Don't worry about offending me by utilizing any of them, either. Force knows I've done so plenty of times myself."

Considering for a moment just what would help bring her further down a path she would no doubt flourish on, there was a pause before she spoke again. "This time be ready for me to push back just a bit. I won't do anything to hurt you, and it won't be anything more than what I'm absolutely sure you can handle. And don't be afraid to strike out at me in return. Just for awhile, pretend I'm not your teacher, and treat me like a real enemy. Let yourself move naturally."

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie's fingers curled around the hilt of the saber again, considering Keira's words for a few moments. Fighting with courtesy, honor, and discipline was something that had been ingrained into her mind. Breaking that trend and tendency would be astronomically difficult for her. It wasn't only that it was ingrained in her head, but it had become something of a second nature to her. Backing away when the opponent was hit, yielding to defeated or surrendering opponents, ensuring strikes were kept above the waist, and never striking an enemy in the back. All of these things were simply habits of hers now. To do differently would go against the very nature of her talents.

Drawing in a deep breath she would assure Keira to do what she could. "Okay. I'll try."

Stepping again towards her teacher the girl would make a sharp, wide slash across the horizontal plane, releasing her left hand to allow the weapon a full follow through, before using the end on the momentum to spin herself around in a 360 degree manner, returning to face forward with another wide low sweep of the blade. As she raised the weapon she would step closer in an attempt to force her way inside of Keira's guard and thrust the tip of the saber close to her chest while at the same time attempting to trip the girl up with her foot hooking around the back of Keira's calf, pulling forward to force her into a stumble.

Not quite the most dastardly of plots, but even though Keira said not to worry about hurting her, she wasn't going to attempt something as dirty as punching her in the stomach.

[member="Keira Ticon"]

 

[Keira Priest]

The stumble brought her far closer to the tip of a lightsaber than she would have liked, and instinctively Keira pushed her own blade up and out to draw the saber away from herself, though she withheld a measure of her own strength so as not to overwhelm the other. Her retaliation was a fluid sequence, pushing up from where she had landed on one knee, mimicking what Jamie had done earlier in swinging across her body both from left to right and right to left, ending in a downward strike. It wasn't an attack designed to bring down one's opponent by any means, and thus far she was only testing the reaction time of the student and how she would in turn counter her actions.

In time she was beginning to remind herself of her old mentor, who had tempered her fighting abilities through bouts between them that were sparring matches in nothing more than name and formality. It was during one of those duels she had lost her arm and gained the scar across her jaw. Though she wouldn't bestow such harsh treatment upon Jamie, she still held the belief that one of the best ways to test one's capabilities in combat was to impose upon them just that in one manner or another. Experience was the best teacher, after all.

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The fact that she was able to even make her teacher trip up for a second swelled her pride to inexplicable levels. It was hardly a surprise at all that Keira did manage to block each of her strikes in a beautifully graceful manner. Each class of the two blades eliciting a violent hiss from the weapons, flashes of light passing back and forth between the two. Keira was obviously taking things easy on Jamie, that was clearly obvious, but the challenge was still present. It was challenging enough to learn from, while not so much that it was discouraging and frustrating to her. Perhaps this wasn't Keira's first time training others, or if it were, she was a natural at it. Jamie smiled, even when the older girl returned a few attacks of her own, forcing Jamie into a defensive maneuver. Nothing too complicated, a mirrored retaliation of what she had attempted only moments ago, with a bit more control and finesse behind the slashes.

The girl pivoted, lowering and tilting her shoulders to block the two horizontal strikes only inches from her sides, though as she raised her own saber to block Keira's downward strike she miscalculated the amount of pressure and angle of the swing, and after what was only a fraction of a second's worth of defense, her position faltered, allowing Keira's saber to crash down against her right shoulder. Jamie's hand released the weapon, falling to the ground before the light of the blade went out, retracting back into the housing of the hilt. The blonde let out a small yelp as she stumbled back a few steps, feeling the biting sensation of the woman's blade nipping at her shoulder. It wasn't anything debilitating for sure, but it was enough to let the girl know that she wasn't playing pretend.

Jamie winced, grabbing the shoulder with her hand instinctively. "Those do still hurt. Nice one!"

[member="Keira Ticon"]

 

[Keira Priest]

Once Jamie's blade winked out of existence her own immediately followed suit, being hooked at her waist in the next second. Instantly Keira was at her side, all intentions of training forgotten as she gently inspected the mild burn. Injuries of this sort had been expected, a small first aid kit having been brought to the room in anticipation of just that. By the looks of things it was nothing more than a first-degree burn that had been perpetrated, and with the aid of bacta and finer medical procedures would heal with little to no visible scarring. Something told her cosmetic appearance wasn't at the forefront of the girl's mind anymore, but it was an assurance to anyone regardless. Thankfully these were only training blades.

"Not bad at all. You know what you're doing, that's for sure." Flashing a smile she walked with Jamie to where the kit sat next to the wall, opening it and producing bacta spray along with bandages coated with the same healing substance. "I would recommend getting that bandaged before we go any further, just to prevent further injury and stress to the wound. The bacta will sting a little, but it'll speed up the healing process and prevent any scarring. Even if it does leave a mark, you'll hardly be able to tell it's there." The real fun came when you sustained much of the same injury in live combat. "Do you want to continue afterwards, or would you rather move on to something else?"

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Following Keira over to the end of the room where the First Aide kit sat the girl gave a nod, "Okay." Her hands pulled at the bottom of her shirt, lifting it up and over her head, holding the top in her hand as she leaned her back against the wall, the injured shoulder facing Keira so that it was easier to tend. The burn wasn't bad, but it was quite uncomfortable in the moments following the initial contact. For a moment she wondered just how terrible the pain was from a powered lightsaber cut was.

Jamie smiled back at the older girl, the encouragement from Keira meant a lot, giving her a measure of pride in that she was at least getting better, and wasn't a total disaster, even if it would take a lot more practice before she could call herself anything close to a fighter with respect to a lightsaber. "A small scar is certainly better than a missing arm, so it's hardly worth worrying much about." The blonde thought about the choice Keira gave her, to continue on or move to something else for the day.

"Do you maybe want to go for a run down the trail? Maybe break up the day a bit?"

[member="Keira Ticon"]

 

[Keira Priest]

One useful skill that was retained from near constant war throughout the years was the ability to administer medical attention on the spot with minimal supplies and your own two hands. Mending her own wounds was something Keira had a shade too much experience with, and she assumed it couldn't be much more difficult to tend to another's especially given that they had a sufficient first aid kit on their hands. Taking the bacta spray she popped the cap off, looking to Jamie for a brief moment. "Alright, this is going to sting just a bit. But it should start feeling a lot better in just a little while." With that she applied a thin coating to the burn, placing the spray back into its proper place within the kit, gauging her handiwork to be certain it would do its job.

The bandage was next and simple enough to apply, and after being sure it covered the extent of the burn she nodded before stepping back, closing up the kit and returning it to its proper place. "There, good as new. It might feel a bit strange at first, but the bacta will heal the wound at an accelerated rate and ensure there's little to remind you of it once you're all fixed up. Without, it, well," Flashing a grin, she gestured to her visible scars, "You end up a pretty painting like me. The only art I got to decide on my own was this." Raising her right arm - that composed of flesh and blood - briefly, she drew momentary attention to the tattoo that traveled from the beginning of her arm to the wrist, leaving little skin visible.

"And don't worry, losing an arm isn't that bad." Her tone was still lilting, speaking to the far from serious nature of what she was saying. "I mean, you don't get much of a choice in the matter, but cybernetics are a lot stronger than what you're born with. I can't really complain to much." The only real detriment had been the pain suffered when the bones of the original were crushed and cracked beyond repair, but that was a nearly forgotten thing. "Yeah, we can go out for a run." Considering Jamie's attire, she raised an eyebrow. Her own was suited to the activity, as she had foregone her armor for drilling and instead donned loose, dark shorts that hung to her knees and a tanktop of similar shade that was obviously handmade, running shoes laced on her feet.

"Sure you don't want to change first?"

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

A single eye twitched in unison with her head as the spray bottle covered the wound with bacta, the shoulder momentarily spasming in silent protest of the sensation. Almost as quickly as it came it was gone, and a soft numbing replaced the burning and left little for the nerves in the area to feel. It was almost instant relief. And while it may have not completely dissipated the feeling, it helped alleviate it enough so that it was no longer a focus of her mind, and for that she was grateful. Once Keira had finished and took a moment to replace the kit Jamie rolled her shoulder and cast her eyes to the bandage, examining it.

The blonde smiled, looking at the noticeable scars on Keira. The many permanent reminders of battles and trainings gone awry had a simple elegance that left its' mark on her. "Well, it's better to be reminded of mistakes than never be able to make another one, right? I'm glad you're still here." She said with a warm smile, rolling the shoulder to test its' range of movement. Her eyes met Keira's once more as she listened to her explain how cybernetics weren't necessarily a bad thing. Even if it made one stronger, the idea of losing her arm made her a bit nauseous, so she decided instead to simply nod, taking her word for it and letting the thought pass.

The blonde looked at her clothes, then back up to Keira, then back down again before giving a tilt of her head.

"Yea, changing would probably be a good idea, huh?"

[member="Keira Ticon"]

 

[Keira Priest]

Laughing quietly Keira nodded in agreement, opening the door and motioning for Jamie to step outside first before she followed after her, walking with the younger woman to her quarters. "You'd still be able to run in that outfit, but I figured you'd want to be comfortable. Someday you won't get a choice in the matter, so it's nice to take the luxury when you can." Idle conversation was still slightly new to her, but she liked to think she was getting better at it, even if the things she spoke of so calmly shocked others at times. Perhaps what seemed usual to her wasn't quite so to others, but she hadn't quite adjusted to the idea of having to censor that aspect of her life just yet, and perhaps never truly would.

Absently she scuffed her feet across the floor as they walked, this being as carefree as she would ever likely get. "Someday I might have to tell you the story behind a few of them. But only the moderately good ones. There are some I don't think you'd like to hear." In the back of her mind she knew that would likely only further spark her curiosity, and she wouldn't deny her if she truly wished to hear the tales. At least then she figuratively wouldn't be entirely responsible for any adverse reaction caused. "Believe it or not I lost my arm in a sparring match. Of course, I use that term loosely, because it was more of a near-death experience than anything." The same man that had done it had taken her under his wing as an apprentice shortly after.

Progress halted once they reached Jamie's room, and she looked to her with a smile. "Better get into something more comfortable."

[member="Jamie Pyne"]