Private Master and Apprentice

[Braze]

TAGS: Jasper Kai'el

​

"Hey, I wanted to see if you might want to have dinner together if you're hungry," Braze offered softly. "Maybe go for a walk to clear your mind if you're having bad dreams... I do that sometimes when I wake up from nightmares." He spoke lightly, but his concern was evident.
Braze frowned, worried about Jasper's suffering. He didn't know if there was a way to help, but maybe distracting him might be useful. "Maybe if you're up for it, I can show you something I've been practicing?" Braze asked hopefully.

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Braze

​

"I'm fine," Jasper insisted. "Food I can do. What are we making?"

He wasn't going to linger on the bad dreams. It probably wouldn't do him any good anyways. The sooner he got all of that out of his mind the better, at least in regards to his productivity. He'd focus his energy on Braze for the time being. It was fine.

Probably.

"Have anything in mind?"

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jasper Kai'el

"Tacos," he said simply. "I've already laid everything out, prepped most of the steps, and cleaned up. Almost everything else is put away, so it should make cooking faster and easier. Come, I'll show you."

Braze chirped and encouraged Jasper to join him. First came sautéing the diced onions in a frying pan with a bit of olive oil and clarified butter, garlic, and a touch of black pepper. A bit of bacon grease was added for flavor depth, and then the ground beef was stirred in along with some diced tomatoes and a bit of tomato juice, followed by seasonings. It was all stirred together into a meaty stew until it evaporated a little more, giving time for all the flavors to mingle. Once that was done, it was just a matter of layering cheese, greens, diced fresh tomatoes, fresh onions, avocado, and a bit of sour cream if desired.

Braze forwent the outer shell of the tacos but had both hard and soft shells ready in case Jasper preferred them that way. He'd already made fresh-squeezed lemonade and added some shredded mint to it, which made it seem even fresher. Braze served Jasper at a table and sat with him to enjoy a little bit of time together.

"When you were my age, did you look forward to things you could do to prove yourself somehow?" Braze asked curiously. "Did you have other friends that did crazy stuff too? Like Iris Arani? Was she a rebel as well, or were you the only crazy one?"

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Braze

​

"Sounds easy enough."

Jasper followed behind. Whenever they got to the kitchen, he let Braze take point. He was probably far better than Jasper would be at that sort of thing anyways. As Jasper moved to sit down, Braze asked him a question he couldn't help but grin at a little.

"When you were my age, did you look forward to things you could do to prove yourself somehow?" Braze asked curiously. "Did you have other friends that did crazy stuff too? Like Iris Arani? Was she a rebel as well, or were you the only crazy one?"

"Oh boy," Jasper laughed. "I don't even know where to begin with that... Well, for starters, I was always super eager to prove myself, but I wouldn't say I was excited about it. It was almost like a survival instinct. Like I had to to prove that I belonged. I had a really important talk that changed how I looked at proving myself, made me enjoy the challenge more. That sort of thing shouldn't be done out of desperation... As for the others..."

Where did he even begin?

" Iris Arani was a handful," he remarked. "She was always running off doing something. Responsible, sure, but she knew how to cause trouble. I'm pretty sure some of her tags are still up. Valery Noble probably had a couple of stern talks with her. Silas Westgard was a pretty big fan of after-hours brawling. I wandered into one on accident. A crowd had gathered, but they were all making fun of their form. Jand Talo was an interesting one. He's a Nagai warrior, sometimes a bit cold. Definately a bit disconnected from the culture of the core. Pretty sure he ran around killing thugs with a claymore in his earlier years. And that was just what I know of. The fact that I turned out as the responsible one when our numbers fell away... it's either highly concerning or divine comedy."

He was willing to bet that both were true in a way.

"It was a different time," the knight sighed, his tone now a little somber. "The war gave us too much freedom... There were hardly enough masters to go around and look over our shoulders. We tore ourselves to pieces. A lot just didn't make the cut."

And some didn't make it at all.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jasper Kai'el

​

"I feel like a lot of my friends have moved on, and I'm just left behind," Braze admitted quietly, his voice tinged with melancholy. "But I've been trying to make new friends... I don't think I'm very good at getting them to stay either." He continued, his words punctuated by the sound of him devouring his food with gusto. He squeezed a bit of lime over the top, adding a tangy zest to his meal.

"Maybe we can find you new friends," Braze suggested, a hopeful note in his voice. "I think really good friends that actually stick around are rare gems," he added gently. "Something to really be cherished."

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Braze

​

"But I've been trying to make new friends... I don't think I'm very good at getting them to stay either."

"Making friends can be hard," he noted. "I never was that good at it when I was your age... but I think overthinking it sort of just makes things worse. If you're there for someone when they need it, people tend to stick together like glue."

And that was just the truth of the matter. Especially when it came to him, Iris, and Silas, it had always been that way. Sometimes the best relationships were the ones proved time and time again through hardship. It wasn't a great thing to be forced into such scenerios, but nothing forged a bond stronger.

He did give a faint smirk when Braze suggested he make more friends.

"Yeah, I've been working on that," Jasper chuckled. "That can be hard with a busy schedual... but I want to change how I do things. Y'know, make more time for myself and the people I care about. I want to do all I can to protect people in this upcomming war, but I know what it's like to be fully in it... I want to have some peace of mind."

A frown came to his face.

"So... I want to know something," he began, "and I want you to ask with full honesty. You've been worrying about Aris and being a battlemaster, you've been wanting to go to war with me, you mentioned some interest in learning from that holocron... but I don't think I've ever asked you what you actually want to be."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jasper Kai'el

​

Braze paused in his meal, listening intently to Jasper's words. His snowy white brows furrowed as he frowned lightly at the last part. He set his fork down and leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on Jasper with an intensity that revealed his displeasure.

"Well... I want to be the best I can possibly be. I want to hone my skills to a razor's edge in everything. I want to surpass any and all expectations. I want to prove I'm worth something, and build a legacy to be remembered by. I want to be able to put a stop to tyranny where I can, defend my friends and family, and build a world where the only fighting that happens is for play. I want to build myself into a symbol of hope and justice... something to be feared by those who revel in the suffering of others, and to vanquish the evil of oppression and slavery," Braze stated, his voice steady and resolute.

He paused, his expression softening slightly as he continued, "There's so much I want to do and so many things I wish to explore. I don't think I have enough time to do it all. But I need to be better than I am. That much I'm certain of. I want to be a hero in the truest sense... I want to help others, make a difference, and change things. I want to overcome my greatest weaknesses and subvert even my own exspectations. I want to learn all I can, and I'm hungery for it. "

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Braze

​

"I had a feeling that was the case," Jasper remarked, giving a soft smile. "You and I aren't so different, you know. I think someone told me that only fools persue impossible things... I guess you can make of me what you will with that in mind."

The best he could possibly be. He knew what that hunger was like. Jasper had and still wanted nothing more than to prove that he was worthy of his responsibility. To blaze a path forward for all who chose to walk alongside him. To that end Braze was like a mirror. If the force came more naturally to him, he wondered if he may find himself in the exact same boat.

"Drive is how people like us move forward. I think you can achieve a lot of these things," he noted. "But it will take time, and there are a few things that you need to do beforehand. For starters, I think you have to confront the fact that you're jealous about Aris's natural talent.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jasper Kai'el

​

"I might not ever achieve perfection, but I can strive to be the best I can be and do what I can where I can," Braze stated simply, a touch of resolve in his voice.

"Of course, I'm jealous," Braze admitted, his tone carrying a hint of bitterness. He didn't look too happy about it, his expression clouded with frustration. "He can punch through mountains... can you punch through mountains? He's amazingly fast and strong. He can hear things no one else can. He doesn't have to worry about being hurt... like ever. Nothing truly harms him. He just grabbed my lightsaber with his bare hands."

Braze had given up on trying to eat his meal, his hands now gesticulating animatedly as he spoke. The more he talked, the more animated he became, his emotions spilling over.

"I can't even imagine what that's like! To never have to really worry about getting hurt yourself? Nothing to truly fear? That's not something I can even fathom," he continued, his voice rising with each word. "I have to be constantly aware, constantly on guard. Every battle, every mission, there's always the chance of getting injured or worse. And yet, I push myself to keep going, to improve, to be better than I am. To learn to avoid injury. "

Braze paused, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "But you know what? Even if that's my vulnerability that makes me different than him. I have to adapt, find new strategies, push my limits in ways that aren't just about brute strength ad durability. No, I can't punch through mountains, but I can still make a difference. I can protect those I care about with everything I've got."

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Braze

​

"Perfect," Jasper remarked with a warm smile. "Now, lets take a deep breath. All things considered, I'm proud you can admit that you feel these things. Understanding what we feel is an important part about learning."

The knight took a bite into his taco, being sure to angle it in a way that prevented the juices from spilling down his chin.

"So, now that we've gotten our emotions out, lets look at this from another angle," he stated. "You want to approach becoming stronger your own way, and I whole heartedly agree. To that there's value in learning the edges that you have over Aris. You can't be physically stronger than him, and you can't damage him with a lightsaber, but I know you have a bag of tricks up your sleeve that you haven't tried. I don't want to discourage you from feeling these frustrations, but I want you to move in a direction that helps you get towards that improvement you want at the same time."

Jasper gave a shrug.

"And the only way you're gonna understand what makes Aris tick and find your edge is to experiment. I think you should ask him to spar more frequently."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jasper Kai'el

"I could try... I've been working on a few things that I think might help me out in that regard, trying to come up with better ideas," Braze admitted, drawing a heavy breath and sighing softly, attempting to release his tension. His frown deepened. "He asked me to fight last time, and I told him I didn't think I could offer the kind of challenge he wanted. I conceded... He wants to spar at full force, and there's no gentle mode with him," Braze explained, his voice tinged with frustration. "I kinda don't wanna die, ya know?" Braze looked at Jasper, a hint of desperation in his eyes. "How do I spar with him and, ya know, not die?"​

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Braze

​

"There's... no harm in being brutaly honest," Jasper remarked with a frown. "But... that is a tricky one. Sparring should probably not be lethal."

That was something he was less keen on know that he knew. Perhaps it was worth talking with Valery and Aris directly about such things. At the very least, Braze's success wasn't tied to if he could beat Aris or not. Things were always more complicated than that. Jasper gave Braze a pat on the back.

"Let's not worry too much about that for now then," he decided. "You got it out of your system from earlier at least, and I am genuinely happy that you are able to tell me these sorts of things. This is the kind of stuff that tells me what it is you and I need to work on. You can tackle Aris in your own time, yeah?"

Now that that was out of the way, they probably didn't need to linger on the seriousness forever.

"So how about a bit of a different question," the Sentinel of Harmony mused. "What do you want to do that isn't related to being a Jedi?"

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jasper Kai'el

​

Braze nodded softly, relaxing a bit more as Jasper patted his back gently. He brightened up, a small smile forming. "Mmm... I want to build an even bigger and better treehouse, I suppose. But that probably still circles back to being a Jedi in some way, since I originally made it as a nice place to work out and rest, and just spend time with friends and meet new people." Braze said, trailing off as he thought deeply. He then perked up. "I'd like to collect a few more pets... if I can find the time to offer them care and love. I like animals a lot and I enjoy making friends with them."

He paused, thinking a little more about what else he wanted. "You know, I tried to see what it was like to be normal... like a normal kid. I went and did things with not Makko Vyres ," Braze said simply. "I decided the normal teenager life wasn't for me. I really did think about it and wanted to see what the other side was about. It's just not what I'm about, ya know? I just didn't feel like I fit in there... it was foreign, in a bad way for me. We saw some weird thing there too... I mean I... there was no we. "

Braze offered a small shrug. "I like simple things, mostly."

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Braze

​

"That's fair," Jasper shrugged. "I tried to live as a normal person once myself. It wasn't really the life I wanted. Its okay for that to be the case, but its always good to have hobbies too."

Especially to clear your mind from the less happy things. There was always use for taking a step back and clearing your head. To that end all Jedi should have something. It grounded them, reminded them that ultimately they were still people, just as frail as everyone else in the galaxy.

There was only so much a mortal man could take after all.

"Just... keep an open mind," he suggested. "Try new things when they come to you. You never know what you might connect with."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jasper Kai'el

Braze sighed softly, a hint of melancholy shadowing his features. He frowned, settling back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest in a gesture of quiet frustration.

"I don't really have many friends... let alone friends who aren't Jedi," Braze murmured, his voice trailing off into a reflective silence. Shan Pavond and Ko Vuto came to mind.

"It's kinda hard to make friends that aren't Jedi if I can't just, you know, go out and do non-Jedi things. It really isn't par for the course... and the friends I did have have mostly moved on to knighthood. I'm feeling left behind. I think Loomi is really my only close friend now that's in my age range. And she's my best friend... but part of me wonders if that's only because she's kinda stuck with me now because of our Force bond." A heavy sigh passed his lips, laden with unspoken emotions. Zaiya Ceti came to mind but she certainly seemed interested in becoming a jedi.

"Kids go to school, they have prom and sports and dates... they don't have much to worry about unless they come from an underprivileged society or culture. I don't really have the kind of opportunities most 'normal' children have. I have an amazing education thanks to the Jedi; by design of their existence, they have a trade-off. sacrafices have to be made. We can't just pretend we're like normal kids... we have powers and responcibilities becase of the that can cause major problems if left un checked ro allowed to run rampant. We aren't normal as Force sensitives, and expecting us to just be 'normal kids' doesn't really seem fair. It feels like an impossible expectation."

He huffed, frustration and resignation coloring his voice. "When I was small, I didn't know how to engage others. I just always wanted to play, and to play was to fight for me. It was what I was used to, and I was used to getting my way about literally everything. Being given to the Jedi was a huge change for me." His eyes softened, a hint of vulnerability breaking through his stoic exterior.

"It's like I was thrown into a world where the rules were completely different, and I had to learn how to navigate it all over again. And now it's like every one is all up in arms about what's appropriate and what's not and no one care how I feel."
Braze trailed and frowned further... " I just want a sense of stability. "

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Sacorria
Tags: Braze

"Sometimes people just have expectations you can't meet," Jasper sighed. "What's most important is where you stand. What you value and thing is right or wrong. You'll learn, of course, but you don't really figure things out by not trying. We just need to find people that stick... and I'm used to people not sticking too. Just... remember that you have lots of friends that have stuck, and you have me. Okay?"

With that, Jasper pat his student on the shoulder, moving over to light the fireplace. The chill of the night was starting to set in, and Jasper did quite like a good fire. A sigh escaped from his lips as he sat down.

"Can I be honest with you about something?" he asked. "I... I'm thinking about leaving the council."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jasper Kai'el

Braze watched Jasper intently, his somber jade green eyes reflecting the flickering firelight as Jasper moved to ignite the flames. The crackle of the fire filled the silence between them, casting dancing shadows across the floor. Braze's ears perked up at Jasper's words, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"You can always be honest with me," Braze said softly, his voice carrying a note of earnestness. He listened, the fire's glow painting his pale, porcelain-like skin with warmth. Jasper's words hung in the air, and Braze's mind processed them in a surprisingly quiet contemplation.

After a moment that felt like an eternity, Braze finally moved. He padded up to Jasper with silent step. Without a word, he wrapped his arms around Jasper in a gentle embrace.

"If that's what you want to do," Braze chirped, his voice soft yet filled with sincerity. "If it makes you happy, then do it... I'll come with you and support you no matter what." The fire crackled louder, as if echoing his words, sealing the moment with a sense of comfort and understanding.

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Dawnbreaker
Tags: Braze

Lightsaber
​

"If that's what you want to do," Braze chirped, his voice soft yet filled with sincerity. "If it makes you happy, then do it... I'll come with you and support you no matter what."

Weeks later and those words still echoed in Jasper's mind. After the invasion of Coruscant, Braze was left in the infirmary, exposed to an old NIO virus that attacked midi-chlorians. It left him in a bacta tank for a weak. If the virus had been left unattended, it certainly would've been lethal. Jasper sighed, stepping up to the side of Braze's medical bed. He assumed his student would be waking up sometime soon.

"Hey buddy..." Jasper began. "You up?"

He figured Braze was still going to be majorly out of it.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jasper Kai'el

Braze had no real problems with being left in such a place for so long. He'd been phasing in and out of consciousness as the virus progressed through his system and was slowly killed off. He had been having odd and strange dreams, but for the most part, he seemed to have bouts of consciousness here and there; able to assist the medics in treating him with somber compliance, though he was mostly exhausted. That wasn't the whole of his problems, however. He had taken multiple shots and sustained other injuries that had seemingly healed up nicely. He still had a long scar-like mark across his torso from when Jonyna Si 's bladevhad cut through him like butter.

If Jasper didn't know about that injury before, it might be something to question him about. He had been wearing a significant amount of well-covered attire lately, having shifted away from his typical crop tops even in the hot weather. Whether or not he worried about how the scar looked or if it affected his self-image or self-esteem was hard to say, as he had done quite a bit to ensure it wasn't seen. But considering his current state, there was no hiding that large, long cut.

He seemed out of it even now as he was coming back to the land of the living. His hearing started to become less tunneled and muffled, his vision began to clear, and he shifted those pale jade green eyes to Jasper, smiling weakly when he noticed who it was. He was feeling exhausted overall but better today, like maybe today would be a good day to get up. He vaguely remembered being transferred out of the wet environment earlier this morning and just enjoyed the feeling of resting in a real bed. The smell of fresh bedding with the hint of Bleach started to register as he felt his body waking up. The feelinsg of clean bedding and being immaculately clean was a good feeling.

"Hey," he offered in a weak tone of voice before shifting and moving to sit up, stretching out what he could. He didn't have his brace on presently and honestly didn't know where it might be or where he was, but he didn't seem worried or concerned about anything. This was somehow a safe space.

He took in his surroundings as snowy white flashes fluttered while his eyes adjusted to the bright lights in the room. "Did we win?" he asked, shifting with a few pops and cracks before trying to stand up. He was still quite capable of doing many things between his bouts of exhaustion and desire to pass out.

Braze had never slept so well before, at least not that he could remember. Everything felt so incredibly quiet. He couldn't really feel things the way he had before, but the realization that something had been lost hadn't sunk in just yet.

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Dawnbreaker
Tags: Braze

Lightsaber
​

"Yeah... we won," Jasper nodded. "You, uh, got something too."

Jasper drew two awards from his pocket, presenting them to the young man. They were awards that he himself was very familiar with, being a two-time recipient now.

"Something for your effort," he told him, placing the two pins in the hands of his surrogate. "I'm proud of you, by the way. You held your own like a champ, even with that nasty virus in your system. It may take a bit for your senses to fully come back like they were though. It attacked your midi-chlorians directly, made a real mess of your system."

He sat down on the edge of the bed, letting out a sigh. There was a lot going on internally with Jasper, his journey with the NJO finally coming to a close. He would still be a Jedi, of course, something that seemed to perplex those who never knew a Jedi outside of the core, but it couldn't be in the Galactic Alliance anymore. There were greater evils calling to be tackled, and he knew for certainty now that his home on Coruscant would be safe.

That was all he needed to set off.

"So, uh, I'm gonna tell the order I'm stepping down... and then we'll shove off for the Outer Rim," he noted, perhaps in a somber tone. "Coruscant can stand on it's own... where I am needed is out there. I'm certain of it."

He tilted his head, giving Braze a soft smile.

"And... you're certain you wish to follow?"